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Financial preparation for your first home purchase

Oktay Sengoz

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09/02/2024

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2 mins read

So you’ve decided that this is the year you are going to enter the property market with the purchase of your first home. Congratulations. That is a major step.

Now what?

What do you do? Do you just go to the bank and let them tell you what you need to do? Well, you can, but if they don’t do the below steps at a minimum during your meeting with the lender, then run, don’t walk, out of the bank.

We pride ourselves on the amount of research we do when it comes to determining your cashflow, budget, and strategy to purchase your new home.

Here are 3 things when working out your strategy that every first home buyer should be doing, so they don’t get stuck in a mortgage or property that doesn’t suit their needs and objectives.

Work out what you can actually afford

This might sound obvious, but here’s the thing. There’s how much you think you can afford, then there’s what the bank tells you you can afford, and then there is how much you can actually afford. All of these amounts are usually different. We employ many steps during our assessment to determine this amount.

Add a buffer

Once you've figured out your affordability, add a buffer of 1% to the interest rate. Calculate the new repayments and see if they fit comfortably within your budget. Testing this ensures you can sustain your desired lifestyle with the added mortgage repayments.

Try before you buy

Consider simulating mortgage payments by making minimum repayments into a savings account. This trial period helps gauge the real impact on your lifestyle and ensures you can manage the actual payments. This step is crucial, given the long-term commitment of a 30-year mortgage and the significant costs associated with selling and buying another property.

Following these steps prevents costly mistakes and assures you've stayed within your means. You don't want to find yourself unable to afford your annual holiday after moving into your first home.

You can do the above steps yourself, or we can run through this thorough process with you and help you work out how much you can actually borrow.

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