From Scrolling to Settling In: Your No-Stress Guide to Owning a Home

If you’ve been spending way too much time scrolling through house listings lately, picturing your couch in that sunny little nook or asking yourself if you’d actually manage to keep a fiddle leaf fig alive, it sounds like the homeownership bug’s got you good. It’s a big shift, the one that might stress you out a bit. Luckily, you don’t need to have it all figured out right now. Let’s walk through the basics, nice and easy.

Figuring Out What You Actually Want (and Need)

First things first, what does “home” even mean to you? Some people prefer a quiet Australian suburb to raise a family, others want somewhere to escape roommates or a landlord who’s a bit too chill about that leaking tap. Maybe you’re just sick of paying rent to someone else’s mortgage.

But before we go full real estate detective, get clear on your lifestyle. Do you want a backyard for a dog? Are you cool with a flat, or do you need a house-house? Are you willing to commute a bit for a better price? Think about all of it, even if it’s not super exciting yet.

Getting Your Finances in Order

Money is where things start feeling real. You’ll need to know what you can actually afford, not just in terms of mortgage repayments, but also all the sneaky costs that sneak up on new buyers. You’ll soon be dealing with stamp duty, lender’s mortgage insurance, building inspections, and a bunch of other not-so-fun things.

Talk to a mortgage broker or your bank and find someone who speaks fluent finance and won’t make you feel silly for asking questions. Besides that, have a look at your credit score. If it’s looking a bit tragic, it’s not the end of the world. Sometimes it’s just a couple of weird bills or timing issues. But it’s better to know now than have it derail you later.

The Hunt Begins: Falling In and Out of Love

This is the fun, but also the most exhausting part. You’ll go to open homes, take a hundred photos, and get weirdly attached to a place after one walkthrough, only to find out it’s got dodgy wiring and a suspicious smell.

Be prepared to compromise, but don’t settle for something you actively hate. It might take weeks, or it might take months. Unfortunately, sometimes you’ll lose a place you really wanted. Work with a real estate agency to narrow down your search. If you want a new house for sale in Mildura, they might already have property options and neighbourhood recommendations for this part of the country.

Loan Pre-Approval: The Big “Maybe”

Once your financials are sorted and you have a vague idea of what you’re looking for, it’s time to get pre-approval for a loan. Approval is not a promise, but it does make you look more serious to agents and sellers.

Also, it helps set boundaries. Without it, house-hunting turns into a fantasy game. You might end up falling in love with places you can’t afford, and that heartbreak is not fun. Pre-approval keeps you grounded, which is honestly underrated when emotions are running wild.

Making the Offer and Playing the Waiting Game

Once you’ve found the property you want to purchase, it’s time to put in an offer. Depending on where you are, this process is either very chill or very Hunger Games. Private sales let you negotiate, while auctions are more intense, and you’ll need nerves of steel.

Either way, your solicitor or conveyancer will help you here. They’re your legal hype team, making sure everything’s above board and you’re not accidentally buying a termite hotel.

Settlement: The Final Countdown

After your offer is accepted, you’re officially almost a homeowner. Now it’s paperwork time, but your broker and conveyancer will handle most of it. Your job is mostly to sign things, read the fine print and not spend all your savings on a new couch just yet.

You’ll do a final home inspection a day or two before settlement, making sure nothing’s broken or removed that shouldn’t be. And then the big day arrives. All you have to do is transfer the money, get the keys, and just like that, the property is yours.

Conclusion

Owning a home isn’t the end of the journey, it’s just a new kind of chaos. You’ll learn about council rates, water bills, weird plumbing quirks, and probably how to use a drill. It’s empowering, even when you’re cursing at a blocked gutter.