Your first home. Your next five questions.
The useful question is not simply “Can I find something under my limit?” It is “What would I need to know before choosing this particular home?”
By Budget Property · Reviewed 26 September 2026 · Sources linked below
1. Write down the inputs
Keep your property search limit separate from your available cash. List the deposit, purchase costs, immediate work and the buffer you want to retain. A borrowing estimate does not fill in those missing numbers.
Use actual quotes as you obtain them. Label an unconfirmed allowance as an estimate instead of treating it as a bill already known.
2. Make the listing answerable
Copy the full advertised price range, update date and agent’s name into your notes. Ask which price document is current and whether availability has changed.
Record one unanswered question beside each property. “What is included?” is more useful than assuming the garden shed, solar equipment or photographed appliances stay.
3. Inspect your ordinary day
Check the rooms against your furniture and routines. Visit the area at times that matter to you. A ten-minute viewing cannot show your school run, commute or late-shift return.
Ask permission before taking your own photographs. Where specialist checks are needed, arrange the appropriate inspection before committing.
4. Check assistance at the source
Grants, duty concessions and deposit schemes are different programs. Eligibility can depend on the buyer, property and transaction date. Do not assume that a listing below our ceiling qualifies.
Start with your state revenue office and the official scheme provider. Take unanswered eligibility questions to them or your professional adviser.
5. Give your advisers the actual documents
A generic checklist cannot read a contract for you. Gather the current contract, disclosure documents and your questions before speaking with your conveyancer, solicitor or lender.
Written by Budget Property. Sources checked 26 September 2026. This is a preparation worksheet, not personalised finance or legal advice.