The Havenli blog.
Honest, sourced answers to what first home buyers actually ask — no jargon, no sales pitch.
- 8 min readProperty search
Which property app should I use to find my first home?
The real problem isn't which app — it's that every point tool (portals, suburb scores, calculators) is generic, and forums give you someone else's opinion, fitted to someone else's situation. What a personalised guide actually changes — told through Jordan.
- 7 min readProperty type
Established, off-the-plan or house-and-land: how do first home buyers actually choose?
The duty math favours building — but the default building contract doesn't include the driveway, nobody inspects a house-and-land build for you, and a year of decisions is a real cost too. No universal right answer, told through Steph and Marcus.
- 5 min readSuburb search
How to actually choose a suburb for your first home
Most people don't run a suburb search — they inherit one, from a friend's tip or a map's default zoom. The fix is flipping the order — non-negotiables first, then let the data narrow the list — told through Priya and Dan.
- 6 min readMortgage broker
Mortgage broker or straight to the bank: which is better for a first home buyer?
A broker compares many lenders and is legally bound to act in your best interests — usually at no cost to you. Going direct means one lender's rules and rates. When each wins, and why complex income tips it — told through Hannah and Leo.
- 6 min readRent vs buy
Rent vs buy: should you keep renting or buy your first home?
\"Rent money is dead money\" is only half true — plenty of your mortgage is dead money too. The honest rent-vs-buy comparison, the break-even horizon, and the apartment wrinkle, told through Jordan.
- 7 min readBorrowing power
How much can a couple borrow for a first home?
Two incomes don't simply double your borrowing power — lenders shade uneven income and count every debt. And the bank's maximum is a ceiling, not a budget. What actually sets a couple's number, told through Hannah and Leo.
- 7 min readFirst Home Super Saver
First Home Super Saver, explained: save your deposit inside super and keep more of it
It isn't a grant or a loan — the First Home Super Saver lets you save your deposit inside superannuation, where it's taxed lightly, then withdraw it to buy your first home. How the tax break works, the $50,000 limit, and the catch — told through Jordan.
- 6 min readFirst Home Owner Grant
The First Home Owner Grant, explained: $10,000 for building new (and the bigger saving beside it)
The $10,000 grant only applies to new homes — but for a house-and-land build, the stamp duty saving sitting next to it is often worth more. What the grant is, who qualifies, and the honest trade-offs of buying new — told through Steph and Marcus.
- 7 min readHelp to Buy
Help to Buy, explained: the government co-owns your home so you need less
It isn't a loan or a grant — under Help to Buy the government takes an equity share of your home, so you buy with a 2% deposit and a smaller mortgage. What shared equity really means, the catch about sharing the upside, and who's eligible — told through Nick and Tom.
- 5 min readFirst Home Guarantee
The First Home Guarantee, explained: the 5% Deposit Scheme with no LMI
It isn't cash or a grant — the government guarantees part of your loan so the lender skips LMI. What the First Home Guarantee (now the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme) actually is, what changed in October 2025, and the honest trade-off — told through Priya and Dan.
- 6 min readSchemes
First home buyer schemes in Australia (2026): which ones can you actually get?
The five main levers for first home buyers — the 5% deposit guarantee, Help to Buy shared equity, the First Home Super Saver, the First Home Owner Grant, and stamp duty concessions. What each does, who it's for, and the catch. Plain, sourced, no sales pitch.
- 5 min readMigrants & new residents
Can permanent residents buy a first home in Australia — and get the grants?
The 8% surcharge that isn't yours to pay, the FIRB rule that doesn't apply, and the First Home Guarantee that now does — told through Amir and Sara, permanent residents who nearly talked themselves out of a home they were entitled to buy.
- 6 min readBorrowing power
How much can you borrow for a home on one income?
What borrowing power actually measures, the 3% buffer that shrinks the number, and the 2% single-parent deposit (formerly the Family Home Guarantee, now the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme) — told through Mel, a single parent of two who was made to feel her income wasn't enough.
- 6 min readStamp duty
How much stamp duty does a first home buyer pay in Victoria?
The $600,000 line that decides whether you pay nothing or thousands — and why a $650,000 home can cost far more than $50,000 above a $600,000 one. Told through Priya and Dan, now house-hunting in Melbourne's west.
- 5 min readDeposits
How much deposit do you need to buy a first home in Victoria?
The 20% rule, what LMI really costs, and the low-deposit schemes — told through Priya and Dan, who have $68,000 saved, a baby due in seven months, and a decision to make.