What happens when you realise you may be able to buy your first home years earlier than you thought?

For Katya, the journey started with an assumption that she needed a 20% deposit. After looking more closely at her finances and learning about the 5% deposit scheme, she and her partner realised buying could be possible sooner than expected.

In this episode, Katya shares her journey from having no idea how to buy a property to purchasing an apartment in Ryde, Sydney. We talk about saving, borrowing capacity, learning through the the First Home Buyer Course and Campfire sessions, and how her initial ideas about buying an investment property quickly changed once she understood the numbers.

Katya also explains how she assessed apartments in a suburb with plenty of competing stock, why outlook, natural light, privacy and scarcity became important factors, and how she used research to identify an apartment with characteristics that were difficult to replicate. We also follow the buying process, from inspecting a tenanted property to working out what to offer and negotiating a private treaty sale.

If you’re wondering whether buying your first home is possible, or you’re not sure how to turn your savings into a clear buying strategy, Katya’s story offers a practical look at what can happen when you stop guessing and start learning the process.

01:05 – From Wild Property Ideas to Buying a First Home

07:05 – From Podcast Listening to a Clear Buying Process

10:19 – How Katya Spotted a Rare Apartment Worth Buying

13:21 – How One Partner Took the Lead on Property Research

15:37 – Why Some Properties Look Better Online Than In Person

20:49 – Why You Should Never Buy an Apartment From a Floor Plan

25:37 – Buying the Home Today With a Bigger Plan for Tomorrow

27:34 – Katya’s Advice for Anyone Thinking About Buying

30:36 – A First Home, New Floors and What Comes Next

• THE First Home Buyer Course is our Step-By-Step, No BS Guide to Every Stage of The Home Buying Process – It’s the next best thing to having your own buyer’s agent. With our expert guidance, you’ll know what to do at every step along the way. Become a home owner faster and easier. Click here: https://homebuyeracademy.com.au/YFHBG

If you enjoyed today’s podcast, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the show! There’s more to come, so we hope to have you along with us on this journey!

• Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFirstHomeBuyerCourse
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/your-first-home-buyer-guide-podcast/id1544701825
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7GyrfXoqvDxjqNRv40NVQs?si=7c8bc4362fab421f

You find a property listed at $700,000 to $750,000, stretch your budget to make it work, do your due diligence and turn up to auction ready to bid. Then it sells for $850,000. So what happened? And can you actually trust the price guide?

In this episode, Veronica and Meighan unpack the complicated world of property underquoting, why lower price guides attract more buyers, and the psychological effect those numbers can have on your expectations. They also explore why underquoting continues despite being illegal, how different states approach price guides, and the role of agents, owners and buyers in the process.

Most importantly, they explain what buyers can do about it. Rather than relying on an advertised guide, you need to understand what the property is actually worth, what you’re prepared to pay and how the auction method of sale works.

If you’re buying at auction, this episode will help you understand the game you’re stepping into, ask better questions and prepare properly before you ever raise your hand to bid.

01:37 – Underquoting: How the Property Pricing Game Works

04:14 – The Psychology Behind Low Price Guides

09:55 – Forget the Guide: Learn to Price the Property Yourself

17:19 – Buying at Auction? Learn the Rules Before You Bid

20:12 – How Price Guide Loopholes Can Be Used

23:08 – Don’t Trust the Guide: Work Out Your Own Price

25:45 – Preparation: The One Thing No Law Can Do for You

• THE First Home Buyer Course is our Step-By-Step, No BS Guide to Every Stage of The Home Buying Process – It’s the next best thing to having your own buyer’s agent. With our expert guidance, you’ll know what to do at every step along the way. Become a home owner faster and easier. Click here: https://homebuyeracademy.com.au/YFHBG

If you enjoyed today’s podcast, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the show! There’s more to come, so we hope to have you along with us on this journey!

• Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFirstHomeBuyerCourse
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/your-first-home-buyer-guide-podcast/id1544701825
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7GyrfXoqvDxjqNRv40NVQs?si=7c8bc4362fab421f

What happens if your builder goes broke halfway through building your first home? It’s a scenario no buyer expects, but one that can leave you with an unfinished house, money already paid, and a loan that still needs to be repaid.

In this episode, we break down what can happen when a builder collapses, why even large and well-established builders aren't immune, and how rising construction costs, labour shortages and fixed-price contracts can put pressure on building companies. We also explain why a cheap quote isn't always a bargain, and what buyers should look for before signing a building contract.

You'll learn how construction loans, progress payments and building insurance can protect you — and where those protections have limits. We also cover the warning signs to watch for during your build, including unexplained delays, unpaid trades, requests for early payments and communication becoming difficult.

Most importantly, you'll learn what you can do before signing and what steps to take if something starts going wrong, from checking licences, insurance and company records to keeping detailed paperwork and getting independent legal, financial and building advice.

Building your first home comes with enough uncertainty already. This episode will help you understand the risks, prepare for what could go wrong, and put better protections in place from day one.

01:49 – Why Builders Are Going Broke

03:34 – Why Builders Are Under Pressure

06:18 – What Happens When Your Build Stops?

08:36 – Why Building Insurance May Not Be Enough

11:36 – Warning Signs Your Builder Is in Trouble

15:15 – How to Check Your Builder Before Signing

19:01 – Your Builder Collapsed: What Should You Do?

23:29 – How to Protect Yourself From Builder Failure

• THE First Home Buyer Course is our Step-By-Step, No BS Guide to Every Stage of The Home Buying Process – It’s the next best thing to having your own buyer’s agent. With our expert guidance, you’ll know what to do at every step along the way. Become a home owner faster and easier. Click here: https://homebuyeracademy.com.au/YFHBG

If you enjoyed today’s podcast, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the show! There’s more to come, so we hope to have you along with us on this journey!

• Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFirstHomeBuyerCourse
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/your-first-home-buyer-guide-podcast/id1544701825
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7GyrfXoqvDxjqNRv40NVQs?si=7c8bc4362fab421f