First Home Buyer Checklist for North Brisbane

Six steps to your first home loan

1. 1. Confirm eligibility for QLD schemes

   Test your eligibility for the Queensland First Home Owner Grant or FHOG ($30,000 on eligible new builds), the QLD first home concession on transfer duty, and the federal First Home Guarantee. The FHOG guide walks through the detail.

2. 2. Run a real borrowing power number

   Open the borrowing power calculator for an instant range, then book the free 30-minute review for a lender-specific figure. Read the borrowing power guide for the why behind the math.

3. 3. Save genuine deposit and document it

   Lenders need to see 3-6 months of deposit history. Even with a guarantor or scheme, document everything. Keep statements clean - lifestyle expenses are scrutinised.

4. 4. Get pre-approved before open homes

   Pre-approval tightens your offer and avoids the heartbreak of a contract you cannot fund. Most pre-approvals come back inside 5 business days. We submit alongside the FHOG application.

5. 5. Lock the contract and the cooling-off plan

   Use a building and pest inspection during cooling-off. Confirm the property is FHOG-eligible if applying. Coordinate the deposit and unconditional date with us before signing.

6. 6. Settle and review annually

   Standard contract-to-settlement is 30-45 days. We coordinate the lender, the conveyancer and the agent. After settlement, we run an annual rate review on every loan and re-test the market for you.

What documents to gather

• Two recent payslips per borrower
• Three months of personal account statements
• Photo ID (driver licence + Medicare or passport)
• Any other property loan or rent statements
• Latest credit card and personal loan statements
• For self-employed: 1-2 years tax returns and BAS
• Savings statements showing genuine deposit history

We send a tailored checklist after the form submission. This is the typical baseline.