Buying your first home in Melbourne's South East
Your first home is a big step — and you don't have to work it out alone. As your local Berwick mortgage broker, we explain deposits, grants and the buying process in plain English, compare 20+ lenders, and guide you all the way to keys in hand. At no cost to you.
Start with the numbers
Before you start house-hunting, it helps to know your real budget — your deposit, what you can borrow, and the upfront costs. These free calculators are a good place to start, and we're here when you want exact figures.
Deposit & savings goal
See the full upfront cash you need — deposit, stamp duty and fees — and how long it'll take to save it.
Open calculatorHow much can I borrow?
Get an indicative borrowing power from your income, expenses and existing commitments.
Open calculatorStamp duty & fees
Estimate Victorian stamp duty and the first-home concession on the price you have in mind.
Open calculatorLMI estimator
See whether you'd pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance with your deposit — and how to avoid it.
Open calculatorFree download
The First Home Buyer Checklist
A simple, step-by-step checklist for buying your first home in Victoria — finances, budget, grants, pre-approval and settlement. Pop in your email and we'll send it straight over.
Grants & schemes you might use
First home buyers in Victoria can often tap into government help that lowers the deposit you need or the duty you pay. Here are the main ones — we'll work out which you're eligible for.
First Home Guarantee (federal)
Eligible first home buyers may be able to buy with as little as a 5% deposit without paying LMI, subject to price caps and a limited number of places.
Stamp-duty concession (VIC)
Eligible first home buyers buying a home to live in pay no stamp duty up to $600,000, with a concession that phases out at $750,000.
First Home Owner Grant (VIC)
A $10,000 grant may apply when you buy or build a brand-new home valued up to $750,000 (it doesn't apply to established homes).
Shared-equity options
Government shared-equity schemes can lower the deposit and loan you need by taking a share in the property. We'll tell you if one's a fit.
A quick note: grants and schemes have eligibility rules, price caps and limited places, and they change over time — the above is a general guide as at 2026, not financial advice. We'll confirm what you currently qualify for; you can also check the Victorian State Revenue Office and Housing Australia.
Your path
Your path to your first home
Three steps — and we do the heavy lifting in between.
- 1
Know your numbers
Work out your deposit, borrowing power and upfront costs with our calculators, so you know your real budget before you start looking.
- 2
Get pre-approved
We compare 20+ lenders, line up finance that fits, and get you pre-approved so you can make offers with confidence.
- 3
Buy & settle
We handle the loan paperwork through to settlement — then keep reviewing your loan so it stays competitive after you move in.
Our lender panel
Accredited with 20+ of Australia's leading lenders
We're not tied to any one bank — we compare your options across the market to find the right loan at a competitive rate.
First home buyer questions
Reviews
Don't just take our word for it
Very professional, reliable and honest. Always willing to take the extra step to ensure a satisfactory result is achieved.
Dilshani and Impact Home Loans made the experience of applying for refinancing as smooth as possible. As I am self employed, getting a loan can prove to be more difficult than an employee loan, but Dilshani was there with us every step of the way. Highly recommend Dilshani and her team.
We have no hesitation in recommending Dilshani to family and friends. Her service and communication consistently go above and beyond anything we have experienced elsewhere. She has helped us with both purchasing and refinancing, and her ability to secure the best possible outcomes while making the entire process easy and seamless is second to none. We truly appreciate her professionalism, expertise, and dedication, and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a mortgage broker.
I would like to thank Dilshani and her team for providing the best option to suit my circumstances and assisting me throughout the process to achieve a positive outcome. Excellent service and highly recommended.
We are very pleased and grateful for the smooth transaction with Impact Home Loans, especially with the assistance of Dilshani and Jennifer. Thank you for your professionalism, guidance, and support throughout the process.
Dilshani has been looking after our family from when we bought our land through to refinancing for better rates. She has excellent customer service, works extremely fast and the process is always smooth. I highly recommend Impact Home Loans and Dilshani as a broker.
excellent service
Dilshani from Impact Home Loans has been our greatest asset in our journey to acquiring our dream property. From helping us reach unconditional approval within a strict timeline, to also helping us navigate the current state of the housing market to ensure we make the right moves, Dilshani has provided a service that goes above and beyond. Her approach that was tailored specifically for us ensured we got the best possible loan/rates and most importantly, helped us acquire our dream home. We can't thank Impact Home Loans enough and highly recommend Dilshanis services to all those in search of a home.
I’ve worked with Dilshani for many years and she has always gone above and beyond to help me. Her dedication, knowledge, and support have been invaluable. I have nothing but praise for her and highly recommend her services.
We had an excellent experience with Dilshani during the process of buying our Land and Home. She made a process of stress free and straight forward. We felt very supported throughout the entire process and would recommend Dilshani to anyone who is looking for a mortgage broker. Thanks again Dilshani for all of your support!
Ready to take the first step?
Tell us where you're up to — just starting to save, or ready to buy — and we'll help you map out the path. No cost, no pressure.