Free tools
Six calculators that answer the questions first home buyers actually ask. Free to use, no email required. Every one of these is included in the courses with a worked walkthrough.
An indicative estimate of what a lender might consider, using a 3% assessment buffer.
Every lender assesses differently. This is a rough guide to help you have a better conversation with a broker, not a pre-approval.
Deposit, transfer duty, LMI and the costs first-home buyers forget.
Duty scales, owner-occupier concessions and first home thresholds change and differ by state, property type and price. Queensland applies its home concession here for owner-occupiers. Foreign buyer surcharges are not included. Always confirm the current figure with your state revenue office or your conveyancer before you rely on it.
What the loan actually costs each month, and what a rate rise would do.
Principal and interest, assuming the rate stays the same for the whole term. Real loans have fees and rates that move.
Compare the true cost of renting against owning over your time horizon.
Change the growth assumption and the answer changes completely. That is the point of the tool: see how sensitive the decision is before anyone tells you buying is always better.
Build an offer range from comparable sales instead of from the asking price.
Decide your walk-away number before you inspect, not in the car park afterwards. That single habit saves more money than any negotiation script.
Gross yield, net yield and what the property actually costs you each week.
Interest only, before tax. Depreciation, tax treatment and vacancy all change the real number, which is why you should model it with your accountant.
Before you look
Tells you what a lender will actually approve, which is the only number that matters when you make an offer. Also knows which lenders suit your situation and which schemes you qualify for.
Usually free to you. Paid by the lender.
After your offer is accepted
Goes into the roof cavity and under the house and finds what photos never show. Termites, movement, drainage, illegal work. This is the check that stops a purchase becoming a decade of regret.
Around $400 to $700 for both
Before you sign anything
Reviews the contract, runs the legal searches, checks title, easements and encumbrances, and handles settlement. A conveyancer handles a straightforward purchase. Use a solicitor if there is anything unusual: a trust or company purchase, a deceased estate, a boundary or building dispute, or a contract with terms you do not like. My report tells you what to ask them. It does not replace them.
Conveyancer $800–$1,500 · Solicitor $1,500–$2,500
Tell me where you're at and I'll put you in touch with people I'd use myself. No cost to you, and no obligation.
I'm a licensed real estate agent, not a broker, inspector, conveyancer or accountant. These are introductions, not advice, and you should satisfy yourself about anyone you engage. If I'm ever paid a referral fee I'll tell you before I introduce you, and I'll never refer you to an inspector on a property I'm selling.
These calculators are general educational tools. They use simplified assumptions and are not financial, credit or tax advice. They do not assess your borrowing capacity, and no lender will treat a result here as an approval.
Transfer duty rates, first home buyer concessions and lending rules change regularly and differ by state. Confirm current figures with your state revenue office, and talk to a licensed mortgage broker, conveyancer or accountant about your own circumstances before you commit to anything.