Which buying strategy is right for you?

Buy your first home and stop paying rent — your repayments build equity from day one. Best suited to buyers who have saved a solid deposit and want to own their primary residence outright.

Buy your first home while keeping a large emergency cash buffer after purchase. This approach trades a smaller initial deposit for greater financial security in the early years.

A parent or close relative pledges equity in their home as extra security so you can borrow without paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). You only need a 2–5% cash deposit, but your guarantor takes on a legal obligation until you build enough equity.

Voluntary superannuation contributions (up to $15,000/year, $50,000 lifetime) are taxed at only 15% instead of your marginal rate, then withdrawn for your deposit. Over 18 months you can accumulate a larger deposit more tax-efficiently than a standard savings account.

Purchase land and a construction contract together, with stamp duty calculated only on the land value — saving thousands upfront. Government first-home grants often apply to new builds, and construction takes around 12 months.

Sign a contract now to purchase a property that hasn't been built yet, locking in today's price. You pay a 10% deposit immediately and settle in 12–24 months when construction completes — giving you time to save the remaining balance.

Pool resources with a family member or trusted friend to buy together as tenants in common with agreed ownership shares. This unlocks larger properties or better suburbs that neither party could afford alone, with a legal agreement governing exit options.

Pause the purchase for 12 months and save more aggressively to reach a stronger deposit. A higher deposit means less LMI, lower repayments, and more lender options.

Buy an investment property in a good location while continuing to rent where you currently live. Rental income from the investment helps service the loan, and you stay flexible about where you live.

Buy an investment property in a regional market (at roughly 40–50% of city prices) while continuing to rent where you live. Rental income from the investment offsets much of your loan cost, giving you a foot on the property ladder without leaving your preferred city location.

Pay only the interest on your investment loan for the first 5 years, dramatically reducing your monthly outgoings and improving cash flow. After the interest-only period ends, repayments increase as you begin paying down the principal.

Buy an investment property with standard principal-and-interest repayments, steadily building equity from day one. Rental income helps cover the loan while you accumulate a real ownership stake in the asset over time.

Deliberately purchase a property where rental income is less than holding costs, creating a tax-deductible loss that reduces your taxable income. The strategy relies on strong capital growth over 7–10 years to more than offset the annual shortfall.

Stay in your current home and use its equity to help purchase a new investment property. The investment property generates rental income that contributes to loan repayments.

Purchase a property in a high-demand location and list it on Airbnb or similar platforms to generate significantly higher rental income than traditional leasing. Short-term rental yields can be 40–80% above long-term rates, though occupancy and regulation risk must be managed carefully.

Move into a new home and rent out your current apartment to generate rental income. This approach lets you keep both properties and grow your overall portfolio.

Upgrade to a new home using interest-only repayments to maximise short-term cash flow while renting out your current apartment. Lower initial repayments on the new loan mean rental income from your existing apartment covers a larger share of total outgoings.

Sell your existing apartment, unlock the equity, and use the proceeds as a deposit for a larger or better-located home. A clean break that simplifies your finances.

Buy your new home before your existing property has sold, using a short-term bridging loan to cover the gap. You avoid the stress of temporary accommodation, but you pay interest on both loans simultaneously until the old property settles.

Sell your larger existing property and buy a smaller, cheaper one to free up equity as cash. The released funds can be invested, used to clear debts, or fund retirement.

Buy a suitable property and spend $150,000–$250,000 building a self-contained granny flat on the same block. The flat generates $300–$500/week in extra rental income, significantly improving the property's yield and your overall cash flow.

Live in the main home and build a granny flat at the rear to rent out for additional income. Unlike the investor version, you occupy the primary dwelling and benefit from owner-occupier stamp duty rates while the flat's rent substantially offsets your mortgage repayments.

Use a Self-Managed Super Fund and a Limited Recourse Borrowing Arrangement (LRBA) to purchase an investment property inside your super environment. Rental income and capital gains are taxed at super rates (15%, or 0% in pension phase), but strict compliance rules apply.

Buy a property on a large block, subdivide the title with council approval, and sell the rear lot. The proceeds from the lot sale effectively reduce your net purchase cost — sometimes dramatically — on the retained property.

Buy a cosmetically tired property below market value, spend $30,000–$80,000 on targeted renovation, then get a new bank valuation to extract the added equity via refinancing. The released equity funds the next purchase and the cycle repeats.