What does it cost to hire an architect for a renovation?

Renovating your house can be a small or a large project. Smaller jobs, like painting walls, updating fixtures, or replacing floors, you may be able to do yourself or with the help of a qualified tradie. But bigger jobs, like adding an extension or an extra floor onto your house, may require additional expertise, such as that offered by an architect.

Is now the time to buy an EV?

With petrol prices currently on the high side, some Australians may be considering if now is the best time to bite the bullet and invest in an electric vehicle (EV). But with EV production also being affected by global events, your decision may not be as easy as you’d hoped.

Do you need to be married to buy a house together?

The short answer to this question is… no. In Australia, as long as you and your spouse fulfil the mortgage lender’s eligibility criteria, you can buy a property and put both of your names on the title whether you’re married or in a de-facto relationship.

What is the average mortgage around Australia?

Australia’s first home buyers have been taking out bigger home loans, with average loan sizes reaching all-time highs in most Australian states and territories.

Shopping online can help Aussies save money

Australians looking to save money, whether to build up a house deposit or save for retirement, may be able to shrink their household spending simply by doing their weekly grocery shopping online.

House prices reaching possible peak in Sydney and Melbourne

New figures from CoreLogic show that the red-hot property markets of Sydney and Melbourne may have hit their highest prices, but dwelling prices were still found to be increasing in other capitals.

Some of the best home loans in March 2022

While the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) kept the national cash rate on hold this month, some lenders are forecasting that a rate hike could be on the cards as soon as June.

Sydney and Hobart are Australia’s least affordable cities for first home buyers

A new report has confirmed what many of us suspected - soaring property prices have made a significant impact on housing affordability for Australia’s first home buyers, especially in the capital cities.

How much equity do I need for a home loan?

Buying your first home involves paying a deposit on the property. Saving up this deposit can be a challenge, but once you have a mortgage, you can start building up equity in the property. This equity could eventually be used to refinance your home loan, access a line or credit, or even to take out a mortgage on a second property. So how much equity would you need to start building your property portfolio?

Fraud prevention tool to detect liar loans

If you’ve ever stretched the truth on a loan application in order to look better for a bank, your chances of loan approval may be shrinking, thanks to a tool used to detect “liar loans” from a new startup.