Home Loans
Home Loans for Australian Buyers
40+
Lenders compared
95%
Max LVR options
48hr
Pre-approval turnaround
$0
Cost to you
First Home Buyer Support
We map out every grant, stamp duty concession and guarantee scheme you may be eligible for in your state.
Sharp Rates & Structure
Fixed, variable or split — with offset and redraw structured around how you actually use your money.
One Contact, Start to Finish
You deal with Ned directly. No call centres, no being handed between departments.
Pre-Approval You Can Bid On
Properly assessed pre-approvals so you can make offers and bid at auction with confidence.
Short-Term Property Finance
Bridging Loans
Buy your next home before your current one sells — without the stress.
A bridging loan covers the gap between purchasing your new property and selling your existing one. It gives you the funds to complete the new purchase while your current home is still on the market, so you don't miss out while waiting for a buyer.
Interest is usually capitalised during the bridging period, meaning you don't make regular repayments until your old property sells. Once it settles, the proceeds pay down the bridging loan and the remaining debt becomes your standard home loan.
Most lenders cap the bridging term at 6–12 months and require realistic sale expectations for your existing property. We help you compare bridging products and structure the loan so you're not overextended during the transition.
How a Bridging Loan Works
- Peak debt = new purchase price + existing mortgage balance
- Ongoing debt = remaining loan after your sale proceeds are applied
- Interest is typically capitalised during the bridge period
- Terms usually range from 6 to 12 months
Who It's For
- Upgraders buying before selling their current home
- Buyers who want to avoid a contingent offer
- Vendors whose settlement dates don't line up
- Borrowers with sufficient equity in their existing property
Not sure whether bridging finance suits your situation? Book a free consult and we'll run the numbers across 40+ lenders.
First Home Buyers
Support Built for First Home Buyers
From accessing the First Home Guarantee Scheme to keeping your rate sharp after settlement, we guide you through the full journey.
Access the First Home Guarantee Scheme
The strongest first-home deals are usually with the select lenders who participate in the government's First Home Guarantee Scheme — allowing eligible buyers to purchase with as little as 5% deposit without paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance. Every participating lender is on our panel, so we compare them side-by-side and negotiate the sharpest rate and structure for your situation.
- 5% deposit, no LMI for eligible buyers
- Compare all participating lenders
- Find the best rate within the scheme
Ongoing Rate Reviews & Interest Savings
Your first home loan shouldn't be set and forget. We keep working with you after settlement through regular rate reviews, interest-saving strategies, and refinancing checks so your loan stays competitive as your life and income evolve.
- Annual rate review reminders
- Offset and redraw optimisation
- Refinancing check when rates shift
Your Borrowing Power Rule of Thumb
As a general guide, most first home buyers can borrow roughly 5 times their gross annual income. For example, an $80,000 salary may support around $400,000 in borrowing power. But overtime, allowances, commissions and partner income are all assessed differently by each lender, which is why we run your exact numbers across 40+ banks before you start house hunting.
- Rule of thumb: 5× gross annual income
- Overtime & allowances assessed lender-by-lender
- Pre-approval based on verified numbers
Deposits, Duty & Scheme Caps
Deposit, Stamp Duty & Guarantee Scheme Caps
A quick guide to what first home buyers need upfront. Figures below reflect the expanded Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme (from 1 October 2025) and current state duty rules — we confirm the live thresholds with the lender and revenue office before you make an offer.
How Much Deposit Do You Need?
Most first home buyers need at least 5% of the purchase price as a genuine deposit. Under the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme (formerly the First Home Guarantee), eligible first home buyers can purchase with just 5% and pay no Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). There are no income caps and no limit on places. If you have 20% or more, you avoid LMI outright and usually unlock a sharper rate. Remember to budget for stamp duty, legal fees, inspections and lender fees.
- 5% deposit, no LMI, no income cap and unlimited places under the scheme
- 20% deposit to avoid LMI and access the sharpest rates
- Upfront costs vary by state and property type
5% Deposit Scheme Property Price Caps
The scheme caps the property price you can buy under, based on location. Both the purchase price and the valuation must be at or under the cap. For house-and-land packages, the land price plus build cost combined must be under the cap.
- NSW: $1,500,000 (Sydney, Illawarra, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie) / $800,000 elsewhere
- VIC: $950,000 (Melbourne, Geelong) / $650,000 elsewhere
- QLD: $1,000,000 (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast) / $700,000 elsewhere
- WA: $850,000 (Perth) / $600,000 elsewhere
- SA: $900,000 (Adelaide) / $500,000 elsewhere
- TAS: $700,000 (Hobart) / $550,000 elsewhere
- ACT: $1,000,000
- NT: $750,000 (Darwin) / $600,000 rest of NT
Stamp Duty Waivers & Concessions
Every state and territory offers first home buyer duty relief, but the thresholds and structures are very different — and they change with each state budget. We check your exact location and purchase type so nothing is missed.
- NSW: full exemption up to $800,000; concession to $1,000,000
- VIC: no duty up to $600,000; concession to $750,000 (vacant land assessed on land value only)
- QLD: nil duty on a new or substantially renovated first home with no value cap (contracts from 1 May 2025); first home and vacant land concessions apply otherwise
- WA: no duty up to $600,000, concession to $800,000; vacant land nil to $450,000, concession to $550,000
- SA: stamp duty relief on new homes and off-the-plan apartments for eligible first home buyers
- TAS: first home buyer duty concession on eligible purchases — thresholds change regularly
- ACT: no stamp duty for first home buyers from 1 July 2026
- NT: house-and-land and territory home owner concessions apply in place of a general waiver
Construction Loans & QLD Stamp Duty
Building a new home or doing a knock-down rebuild? With most construction purchases, stamp duty is only calculated on the land value — not on the build contract. In Queensland, the First Home Vacant Land Concession can reduce or eliminate the duty on the land component, and a completed new first home can attract a full nil-duty concession, which is why first home buyers often save more stamp duty when building than when buying established. Every state treats construction differently, so we structure your loan around the local rules.
- Stamp duty usually applies to the land value only for construction
- QLD vacant land concession can reduce or eliminate land duty
- Rules and caps vary by state and territory
Who we help with home loans
How It Works
Your path to approval
Free Discovery Call
We map your deposit, income and property goals — no obligation.
Borrowing Power
We confirm what you can borrow and which lenders suit your situation.
Pre-Approval
We lodge and chase your pre-approval so you can start making offers.
Settlement
We manage the lender, solicitor and paperwork right through to keys.
Let's get your finance sorted
Free consultation · No obligation · 40+ lenders compared
Frequently asked questions
Local expertise
Home loan advisors on the Cairns Northern Beaches
FundUp is Cairns-based. Each suburb guide covers what lenders look at locally, from unit and short-stay policy to flood and storm-tide searches, before you make an offer.
Explore more services
Related guides
Plain-English explainers with sources, if you want the detail before you talk to us.
- Queensland First Home Owner Grant: who qualifies, how much, and when the money arrives
- Lenders mortgage insurance explained: what it is, what it costs and the legitimate ways around it
- The First Home Super Saver Scheme and your home loan: getting the timing right
- Home loan pre-approval explained: what it is, how to get it and what can void it
- No deposit home loans: what is actually possible in Australia