First home buyer’s guide to WA: from deposit to keys

Money first: deposit, assistance and pre-approval

WA first home buyers may access stamp duty concessions and the various government assistance schemes that change with budgets, so check the current rules on official channels and with your lender or broker. Get pre-approval before falling in love with anything; in competitive suburbs, unconditional-ready buyers win against higher offers that carry finance risk.

Choosing where: corridor logic

Buy the corridor, not just the suburb. Innaloo, Padbury, Craigie, Wembley and Greenfields each offer entry pricing inside corridors with strong anchors: beaches, retail rebuilds, transport, schools. Entry suburbs attached to expensive neighbours have history on their side; ask where each corridor’s amenity is heading, not where it has been.

Inspecting and offering like a professional

Inspect beyond the styling: water pressure, switchboard, roofline, damp smells, traffic at peak hour. Budget for building and pest inspections; the few hundred dollars routinely save thousands. When offering, lead with your genuine best in competitive situations; first-home buyers lose more homes to game-playing than to budget.

From acceptance to keys

After acceptance, your settlement agent handles conveyancing while your finance moves to unconditional. Stay responsive to document requests, insure the property from the date the contract requires it and do the pre-settlement inspection seriously. Then collect the keys and breathe; you have done the hardest purchase you will ever make.