Home Buyer Planning Checklist
A practical checklist across the whole buying process — financial preparation through to settlement. Read it, print it, or tick items locally as you go. There is no score.
Financial preparation
- Confirm total borrowing capacity and treat it as a ceiling, not a target
- Calculate a genuinely safe repayment level, not just the maximum approved
- Check eligibility for first-home buyer grants and stamp duty concessions
- Budget for stamp duty, conveyancing, inspections and moving costs — not just the deposit
- Keep a cash buffer for the first year of ownership
Search criteria
- Separate genuine requirements from preferences
- Decide on property type: house, townhouse or apartment
- Set location criteria: transport, schools, commute
- Understand that suburb medians describe the suburb, not any one property
Property research
- Check planning overlays (heritage, flood, bushfire) for the specific address
- Review recent comparable sales, not just the asking price
- Check the suburb's zoning and any nearby planning changes
Inspection
- Book a building and pest inspection before making the property unconditional
- For apartments, separately review the owners corporation certificate
- Ask about any building works, notices or disputes
- Note that a standard inspection is visual and non-invasive
Contract and due diligence
- Have a conveyancer or solicitor review the Section 32 and contract of sale
- Check for easements, covenants or restrictions on title
- Confirm the cooling-off position for this specific contract
- Identify who is liable for any disclosed special levies
Offer or auction
- Set a defensible walk-away price before negotiating or bidding
- Understand which conditions (finance, inspection) apply to a private-sale offer
- Know that auction purchases are unconditional and generally exclude cooling-off
Settlement
- Arrange a final inspection before settlement
- Confirm building insurance begins from the appropriate date
- Budget for moving costs and likely first-year maintenance
This checklist is general education, not personalised financial or legal advice. Items involving contracts, finance or legal risk should be confirmed with an appropriately licensed professional.