How to minimise the stress of buying a home

Whether you are buying your first home or have prior experience, the process is likely to be emotionally charged and stressful. But you can certainly minimise your stress levels with the right amount of preparation and research.

Home inspection guide

You could be searching for your first home, upgrading from a bachelor pad to a family home or downsizing after the kids have moved out – whatever your circumstances, visiting countless open houses can leave you suffering sensory overload and feeling confused.

Apartments on the rise

As most would-be homebuyers know all too well, Australia suffers from a housing supply shortage, which experts cite as one of the reasons property prices are among the highest in the world.

Property predictions for 2014

It’s been quite a year for the Australian property market – with buyers out in record numbers, investors getting in on the action, prices continuing to gain momentum and record auction clearance rates contributing to a market recovery following a sluggish 2011. So what can we expect for 2014?

The real cost of smoking

Close to 24 percent of Australians smoke, with the average pack-a-day smoker spending up to $6000 a year on cigarettes. And yet despite the health risks associated with smoking, smokers are not taking out life insurance at the same rate as non-smokers.

Avoiding the rental trap

With property prices across Australia consistently rising rather than falling, buying your first home may seem discouragingly out of reach. However, new research shows that rents are creeping up at a faster-than-usual rate may prompt some tenants to swap renting for home ownership.

Why you shouldn't be seduced by low rates

While interest rates are attractively low at the moment and therefore tempting to borrow more when buying a home, it is important to remember that a mortgage is a long-term commitment and rates can rise.

Buying a home with friends

Despite record low interest rates, housing affordability remains a concern for a majority of Australians. The median house price in Sydney, the most expensive city in Australia, is $640,000 and figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that prices grew 6.1 percent in the year to June 2013.

Don't blow your holiday budget

Australians are renowned travellers but if new research is anything to go by, we're not so good at keeping a lid on holiday spending.

Tricks and traps when buying property

Finding a low-priced mortgage is only one piece of the puzzle facing first time home buyers, who must contend with a raft of expenses such as stamp duty, insurance and mortgage establishment fees which can quickly add up.