"After the owner signed the papers to sell her home, she changed her mind and did not want to sell anymore. After months of hard times with the lawyers, we persisted and won the case and are now living in our new home. Please note that scare tactics were used - don't be intimidated. Once papers are signed this is a binding contract."

"Although we’d been in rented accommodation since we got married, we had collected a lot of furniture and other belongings. So when we bought our first home, we really needed to get a removalist in to help us move. I’d heard a lot of horror stories about fly-by-night operators, so I asked all my friends and colleagues at work if they had any recommendations. I got the names of three companies and rang them all up to ask for quotes and check exactly how things would be managed. It was quite time-consuming, but I’m glad I did it. The removalist I finally chose was really good. They packed everything up, and moved us into our new home without a hitch. Buying a home is pretty stressful, but getting the right people to help you can really make a difference."

"Don't assume you can get what colours you want, ours were discontinued so we had to start from scratch, blah, it would've been a lot easier if I had 2 or 3 colour scheme's chosen to work from. As I had only chosen one and it was based on kitchen colour that I couldn't get it pretty much changed the whole colour scheme of our house and made it even more stressful as we were under a time limit to choose."

"Don't be to fussy when buying your first home, buy a slightly run down home and improve it, you'll be smiling at the end."

"Don't fall in love so much with a house you decide to skip the building inspection. We found out the hard way when we had to replace warped beams in our roofs, all our gutters and fascias plus we had to completely redo the plumbing. We will never make the same mistake again!"

"Don't set standards too high, see what you can afford don't lie, try to pay extra off it, cause it all helps every little bit, plan ahead kids and all, with a few good tips you can stand tall."

"I am 52 and have never owned my own home even though my story is a difficult because of a marriage breakup.This is so exciting and I feel proud that I could get a loan and will be buying my own home at my age."

"I have a great tip! When it is time to start paying off your first mortgage, ask to start paying it IMMEDIATELY - not a month later when it is due. I found we were ready to pay straight away and it meant that we were always at least one payment in advance on our loan."

"I have been looking for my first place for about 7 months now, and I have finally found a place that I have fallen in love with - I will be making my first offer this afternoon - so fingers crossed!"

"I sacrificed a year of going out, so save a deposit on my first home. With as little as $10,000 deposit, my home went up in value $100,000 in the first year. Well worth the sacrifice, don't you think? "

"I want to warn others to definitely have a structural and termite inspection done prior to buying a house. I know a person who recently bought a house in town didn't have one done and it is riddled with termites!! So spend the money on the inspections because couple of hundred dollars could save you tens of thousands and a lot of heartache!!! I had mine done on my brick house and I have peace of mind!"

"I worked hard, did my trade benefit from working hard earn more money. Starting a family. Need to find the right loan."

"I'll never forget the feeling of the first night in our own home, the rush of the moving day and everyone had gone and we just stood together in the quiet and dark and took it all in that this was it, our first home, all ours. It made the rush and stress of all of the saving and organising worth while just for that moment."

"I'm looking for a smaller home... to encourage the kids to FINALLY move out and start making their OWN way in the world!"

"I'm not worried about interest rates. Being only young, but a good saver, mum and dad say I'm welcome to move back home after the compulsory first home buyer's 6 months is up to rent out my place for a bit, to save a little more money."

"I’m really excited about the recent boost to the first home owner grant. I had some savings, but now I know I’ll receive $14,000 – I can start looking for my first home right now. A friend told me I should get a home loan pre-approval before I started looking, so I did some research on the internet and then went and spoke to a lender about my situation. He was really helpful. Now I know exactly how much I can afford to borrow and what my budget is. This week I got in contact with a few real estate agents – they seemed to take me more seriously once I told them I had my finance sorted out. I’m going to have a look at a few places this weekend – who knows? Maybe I’ll find my dream home straight away!"

"It is a very stressful time while the contract is being settled. However when your first payment comes out of the bank that stress goes and the feeling is of stability, accomplishment and security."

"It's such a liberating experience being able to walk into your first home after you officially own it. No more paying useless rent. Don't put it off for any longer."

"I’ve seen quite a few properties and even got as far as putting in an offer on one (someone else put in a higher counter offer – above the asking price, so I didn’t get it). But I hadn’t been to a property auction until last week. It was a 2-bed unit that I was really keen on, even though it needed some work. I thought I was well-prepared – I’d spoken to my conveyancer who’d followed up with the strata company, a builder friend had viewed the property with me and given me an estimate of what it would cost to get the work done. I’d spoken to the real estate agent and thought the unit was well within my price range. But when I got to the auction there were heaps of people there, and you could just tell that quite a few were professional investors. It all happened so fast and I didn’t even get to make a bid. The unit sold for $50,000 more than the maximum I could afford. At the time I was pretty disappointed, but now I’m thinking it was good to go and experience first hand what an auction is really like. Hopefully now if I do find another property I want to buy, and it’s up for auction, I’ll feel more prepared."

"Learn to live with a mortgage. Work out what you would be paying every month and save that, if not more, it will get you towards your deposit too! That way you get used to 'missing' the money."

"Me and my husband recently decided it was time to buy our first home. After considering and weighing up all the pros and cons of established vs build we decided to build. We found a builder after a couple months of looking at all the display villages and started to work from inner city out for an affordable development that met our needs. We found a development although not in the area we really wanted but has a lot of advantages. You need to keep in mind public transport, shopping, friends/family, countryside/beach/city, animals, body corp developments, etc. As excited as we were to have picked our new house and lot we also had the satisfaction of picking all interior details which we see as buying an established and renovating but cheaper and more government grant. The only problem is that all the options are not always what you expect them to be and you end up spending more on options. Also with electrical most developers do not include phone lines which you will need to pay extra to have installed as well as down lights. Make sure you get the exact details of what is included from lighting to what the bench and cupboard styles are (we found out that we do not get the waterfall edging on our kitchen island which was shown in all display homes). Keep a budget in mind and make sure that you stick within it. If you give your self an allowance and you still want to add more there are items that can be installed later like door handles, electrical extras, exterior items, etc."

"Me and my husband recently decided it was time to buy our first home. After considering and weighing up all the pros and cons of established vs build we decided to build. We found a builder after a couple months of looking at all the display villages and started to work from inner city out for an affordable development that met our needs. We found a development although not in the area we really wanted but has a lot of advantages. You need to keep in mind public transport, shopping, friends/family, countryside/beach/city, animals, body corp developments, etc. As excited as we were to have picked our new house and lot we also had the satisfaction of picking all interior details which we see as buying an established and renovating but cheaper and more gov grant. The only problem is that all the options are not always what you expect them to be and you end up spending more on options. Also with electrical most developers do not include phone lines which you will need to pay extra to have installed as well as down lights. Make sure you get the exact details of what is included from lighting to what the bench and cupboard styles are (we found out that we do not get the waterfall edging on our kitchen island which was shown in all display homes). Keep a budget in mind and make sure that you stick within it. If you give your self an allowance and you still want to add more there are items that can be installed later like door handles, electrical extras, exterior items, etc."

"Me and the boy aren't great with numbers so it was worth seeing a broker who wasn't biased towards banks. The service was free and we are comfortable that we choose a loan that suits our needs."

"My husband and I have five children and one of them has special needs. We would love our own home and at the moment are trying to save hard for a deposit. It feels like we have missed the boat, but we both know in our hearts the only way it will happen is hard work and savings which isnt easy with a big family. It is our dream to own our own home and I hope it comes true for us."

"My sister in law's trying to take advantage of the first home grant. She finally got the loan and after months of looking finally found a property she likes. Calling the realtor and giving her name she was told that it was sold. But in fact it was still on the market - the realtor was convinced that she was the woman her husband left her for 9years ago, abused her and refused to show her any apartments. Quite outrageous seeing as they have never met, yet entertaining. I think she's managed to get a formal apology and has finally found another cute apartment!"

"Never be afraid to dream, keep saving for that final day, remembering that having money in the bank is never a bad thing."

"Never ever rent your house to anyone, even family, if you have it on the market to sell. It's better to get a sale, than to have tenants and rental income. I know I sold 3 houses (2 tenanted) last year. The one that sold the easiest and quickest was vacant and set up with freedom furniture throughout."

"Our first home was literally the worst house on the best street. I knew that under that grubby facade there was a gem waiting to be uncovered. I am very proud of that house, it sold for a fantastic profit enabling us to afford a beautiful family home which we have now outgrown and are looking again."

"Owning a new home seems like a daunting task and big risk to take. The advice I can give is to think "What's the worst that can happen" Ultimately if you have problems paying for the house you have to sell it which means you are no worse off than you are today."

"Research, research and more research. We listed everything we wanted in our place, which included being near express city bus routes, so we photocopied maps of the area and put on the bus routes. Anything outside of this was excluded immediately. We also wanted 4 bedrooms, so it got rid of a few more. I think knowing what you want is half of it! We also spent a year before buying typing all sales results from the weekend papers in Excel so we had data on other houses in the street we were looking at. It really helped with bargaining. The secret to buying is being full of knowledge and being smart, not emotional."

"Start living like your paying off your mortgage a year beforehand. Put that money into your savings account. That way you get used to your "responsible" new lifestyle and you can show the bank you can save consistently. It certainly helped us adjust."

"The people we purchased our house from were a young family like us. They left us a lovely welcome note, bottle of champers and a feng shui plant. It made us feel welcome and we knew we had made the right decision. It was our home..not just a house!"

"Trust your instincts. When we bought our first home my mother was horrified and said "How can you take your daughter to a place like that"? Sure, we didn't have all the mod cons but we managed. That house is now in a trendy, sought after area and worth around $700,000.00! Wish we'd hung on to it!"

"Was living out of my car and started an online business that took off and gave me the ability to put my first deposit for a house. Very proud."

"We always thought that buying a house was out of our reach so 2 years ago we started a savings for holidays which we were too busy to take. This year when the interest rates started dropping we thought we would put our savings to use and got finance then found our perfect house. Everything fell into place and it just took a bit of sacrifice, patience and a lot of paperwork but totally worth it, no more inspections!!"

"We are in the process of trying to get a loan to build our first home. This should be an exciting time. We started this process back in late October / early November. We used a Mortgage broker who never told us anything and after all this time never actually advised us if we got a loan or not. We made many calls to this broker to no avail. We then took matters into our own hands just before Christmas and went and visited the IMB. It looks like that our own first home is going to be build and they have kept us informed every step of the way. If you are not happy with who you are using you do not have to stick with them. Go elsewhere and find the people who will work for you."

"We found our perfect home but is was missing any form of heating and riddled with fleas. Luckily the owners allowed us to install the heating and fumigate the house before we move in."

"We had been searching for our new home for about seven months before we finally found the right one. We had a very definite idea of what we wanted and this made it east to quickly identify whether or not a particular house was right got us. I was surprised at how quickly everything moved once we made an offer and I would highly recommend that prospective buyers make sure they have finance organised, and have a solid idea of the processes required prior to making an offer. I can't wait to move in."

"We have been looking to purchase our first property since the beginning of the year and so far have used a few different building and pest inspectors, but recently found David Hall Building Appraisals. They came out within a few days and were prompt and professional. We received a thorough and easy to understand written report, including photographs instead of the usual ticks and crosses that other inspectors seemed to use. Yes they were a little more expensive, but were worth the cost. We are finally very confident we can negotiate a better price and know what to expect when we finally move in."

"We knew the old adage "Buy the worst house in the best street" and that's what we did in Melbourne with a 2 bedroom timber frame house. The toilet window frame was held up by blu tac (it fell on me), the wallpaper was keeping the walls up (I thought so anyway), and the kitchen was something the 60's forgot. But it was in a good suburb and when it came time to sell on and get something larger 3 years down the track, we made a big profit! So stick to that adage if you can!"

"We scrimped, we saved It was a trial. Lived with his parents for a while. My wardrobe was filled with clothes I was loathing, The convicts arrived with nicer clothing. Stamp Duty caused pain, Money was scant, Until we were saved by the First homeowners Grant. Time has passed, It was worth the pain. No Rent inspections, ever again."

"We wanted to live on Phillip Island. My partner and I traveled most weekends to fish and enjoy the beaches. It took us 3 years of searching until we finally found a home in our we could afford. Don't give up on your dreams, a home is where you want to make it!!!!!!"

"We were renting to buy our first home...we signed all the legal documents and sorted out what was what...we put $10,000 in to renovations to the property and with our surprise the sellers cheated on us and pulled out...we were left with no house and no deposit..."

"We're in the final stages of getting our home loan. One short reflection on the first steps to buying your first home - do as much research as you can before hand, and have as much paperwork ready as you can well in advance. This will help to speed the process up. Also, be over prepared rather than under prepared. The more paperwork you have the better."

"We’ve been renting ever since we started living together. We had a deposit saved and both wanted to buy, we just couldn’t agree on where. I wanted to buy outside the city where we could have more space, but Rose wanted to stay closer to the CBD. Now we’ve compromised. We’re going to claim the first home owner grant and buy a city apartment. We will live in it for 12 months or so, then we’re going to rent it out as an investment property and rent a house for us to live in further out. That way we’ll get our foot on the property ladder now, and will both get a chance to live in the area we want."

"When building a new home look around at all the displays out there get inspiration and take photos of everything you like, bricks, tiles, layouts etc... this is easier to explain to people what you are after."

"When looking for your first home, make sure you check for signs of damp in rooms and water leaks in rooms that back onto bathrooms. It would have saved us the expense of a water leak if we knew the signs to look for."

"When we bought our first home, I bought it at auction - it was a terrifying experience as I was bullied by estate agents urging me to up my price. I took a friend who I told to keep me at my cut off price no matter how much I begged them - it worked! I stuck to my price, despite the bullying, and bought our first home! Be strong, be smart. Don't spend beyond your means. There will be a place out there for you."

"While deciding which loan to settle on, I noticed a lot of differences and not just the interest rate: If you are like me and have your pay deposited into the home loan to reduce interest, and want to redraw to pay off the monthly credit card living expenses, make sure you check whether redraw is free. A couple I’ve come across charge $50 each time! Still on redraw, don’t forget to double check the limit. No point them having a minimum redraw limit if you often need less than that amount. Pay attention to how long it takes also. Some say within 2 days, some are a week before your money comes through. Check the exit fees just in case you need to end the loan early. Some of the institutions waive the initial loan fee, but hit you with a bundle if you leave early! Check your statements! Do not assume they know what they are doing and they’re accurate. Ive found mistakes twice where interest rates weren’t changed ( interestingly when they were reduced! ) and in one instance I organised to pay weekly, and they were taking it weekly, but still billing me monthly. Hope this helps someone out!"

"With no money for extras I used a card table for a kitchen table, cardboard box for a bedside and shirt hanger for a wardrobe."