Roselle and Deon

Case Study

First home buyers: Roselle and Deon

Monday 29 June 2020

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t give up hope. Keep saving.

That’s the advice from first home buyers Roselle and Deon, who, after four years of researching, budgeting and planning, have recently moved into their new home in Oran Park, NSW.

“There were a few factors that prevented us from being successful in buying a home in the past few years,” Roselle says. “Firstly, we had not been married long and wanted to have another baby, which impacted our finances as I went on maternity leave. We also had to save for a deposit.”

Once we had our deposit, nervousness held us back a little bit because we wanted to make sure we could afford the mortgage.

Roselle

The couple settled on the area they wanted to buy and searched online to find houses that met their must-haves – four bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living areas and a study.

When they heard about the Australian Government’s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, they visited the NHFIC website to find more information, and once they realised they met the criteria, quickly got in touch with their bank.

“We were fortunate that our mobile home lending specialist was very understanding and answered all our questions throughout the whole process. He simplified it all for us, which made it less overwhelming,” Roselle says.

House hunting was a little stressful and very competitive but once we had decided what we wanted, it was much easier. We only placed two offers in the end and on the same day. One of our offers was accepted and now it is our home.

Roselle

With their master bedroom balcony overlooking a “small, peaceful park”, Roselle and Deon say they love the family feel of their new area and are enjoying exploring their neighbourhood.

“It's also been exciting to be able to hang family photos and art on the wall, which we have not been able to do for a long time as we have always rented,” Roselle says.

“We managed to get the house we wanted within budget and because we only needed a 5 per cent deposit, we were able to pay off a personal loan and still have enough money left over to furnish two living rooms and a study. We are very lucky with this Scheme.”

“We love the location of our home. It’s a nice family area, the street is quiet, plus it’s close to family and our son’s high school.”

To ensure the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme is only available for the purchase of a modest first home, the purchase price (and value) must be under the price cap for its location.

Check the property price thresholds that apply for capital cities, large regional centres and regional areas, or search by suburb and postcode on our website.