Funding Your Property
Home Equity Access Options in Australia: Complete Comparison (2026)
Six ways to access home equity compared — reverse mortgage, HEAS, home reversion, fractional funding, refinancing and downsizing — on cost and protection.
Marcus Chun
Co-Founder & Head of Growth, MyBrix
Marcus Chun is the Co-Founder and Head of Growth at MyBrix. He drives MyBrix's partnerships and marketing, and the mission to make property investment accessible to more Australians.
LinkedIn profileMarcus writes general information only — not personal financial advice.
Articles by Marcus
First Home Buyers
What Happens If Settlement Is Delayed by the Buyer or the Seller in Australia?
What happens when a buyer or seller delays property settlement in Australia — penalty interest, notice to complete, and each side's remedies.
First Home Buyers
How Do I Set Up Water, Gas and Electricity After Moving Into My First Home?
How to organise water, gas and electricity around settlement day when buying your first home — timing, what varies by state, and what to compare.
First Home Buyers
What Are the Ongoing Costs of Owning a House vs Renting in Australia?
The ongoing costs of owning versus renting a home in Australia, compared side by side — mortgage, rates, insurance, maintenance and rent.
First Home Buyers
How Long After Settlement Do I Get the Keys to My New Home?
Settlement day usually means key day too, but there's no fixed rule. What decides the timing on the day, and what can push a handover back.
First Home Buyers
What Is a Pre-Settlement Inspection and What Should I Check?
What a pre-settlement inspection covers, when it happens and what to check before settlement — and how it differs from cooling-off rights.
First Home Buyers
When Should I Arrange Home and Contents Insurance When Buying a House?
There's no single date — it depends on when contract risk passes to you, which varies by state. What to check before you buy.
First Home Buyers
How Much Cash Buffer Should I Keep After Paying My Home Deposit?
No single figure exists for a post-deposit cash buffer — the settlement costs it usually covers, and the factors that decide how much you need.
First Home Buyers
What Are Settlement Adjustments (Rates, Water) and Who Pays Them?
How settlement adjustments split council rates and water charges between buyer and seller, and who ends up paying what.
First Home Buyers
When Do I Pay the 10% Deposit After Signing a Property Contract?
The 10% deposit is due at exchange of contracts, not later — how exchange, trust holding and cooling-off risk work, and what still varies by state.
First Home Buyers
What Is Settlement Day and What Happens During Settlement in Australia?
What happens on settlement day when buying a home in Australia — funds transfer, the title transfers, and what to check beforehand.
First Home Buyers
What Is Combustible Cladding, and How Do I Check an Apartment Building for It?
What combustible cladding is, why it's a fire-safety issue in apartment buildings, and practical ways to check before you buy.
First Home Buyers
How does buying 'off the plan' work, and what are the risks in Australia?
How an off-the-plan purchase works in Australia, plus the risks — sunset clauses, valuation shortfalls, duty and grant rules — before you sign.
First Home Buyers
Can a Seller Pull Out of a Contract of Sale After Exchange in Australia?
Once contracts are exchanged, a seller is legally bound to sell. What can let them withdraw, and what happens if they refuse to settle.
First Home Buyers
What is the cooling-off period in NSW, VIC, and QLD?
How many days you get to change your mind after signing a home contract in NSW, VIC and QLD, and when no cooling-off period applies.
First Home Buyers
Can I use a subject to finance clause when buying at an auction?
No — an auction contract is unconditional once the hammer falls. Why a finance clause can't attach, and how to get finance certainty before you bid.
First Home Buyers
What does 'buying at auction' mean and how do I prepare?
What buying at auction means, why NSW, VIC and QLD sales have no cooling-off, and how first home buyers can prepare.
First Home Buyers
What Is a 'Subject to Building and Pest Inspection' Clause?
A subject to building and pest inspection clause lets a buyer inspect after signing and act on what's found before the sale becomes unconditional.
First Home Buyers
What Is a 'Subject to Finance' Clause and Why Is It Crucial?
What a subject to finance clause protects in an Australian property contract, how it works, and when it isn't available.
First Home Buyers
How Do I Make an Offer on a Property Under Private Treaty in Australia?
How making an offer under private treaty works in Australia: the steps, common conditions, cooling-off periods by state and what to check first.
First Home Buyers
What Are Body Corporate/Strata Fees and How Do They Affect My Budget?
Body corporate and strata fees are a real, recurring cost of buying a unit or townhouse — what they fund and how to budget for them as a first home buyer.
First Home Buyers
What is a strata report and what should I look for in it?
What a strata report covers and what to check on finances, by-laws and disputes before buying strata title property in Australia.
First Home Buyers
What a building and pest inspection costs
No government body publishes a cost figure for a building and pest inspection. What drives the price, combined vs separate reports, and inspection timing.
First Home Buyers
What Is a Building and Pest Inspection, and Is It Mandatory?
A building and pest inspection isn't a legal requirement anywhere in Australia — what it checks, and how buyers actually arrange one before settling.
First Home Buyers
How Much Do Conveyancing Fees Cost for a First Home Buyer in Australia?
There's no published figure for conveyancing fees in Australia — what actually drives the cost, and how to get an accurate quote.
First Home Buyers
What Does a Conveyancer or Solicitor Do When Buying a House in Australia?
What a conveyancer or solicitor actually does when you buy a house in Australia — contract review, title searches, adjustments and settlement.
First Home Buyers
What Are the Hidden Costs of Buying a Home in Australia?
Beyond the deposit: stamp duty, conveyancing, inspections, registration and loan fees, LMI and moving costs — what else buying a home actually costs.
First Home Buyers
Does Pre-Approval Guarantee That the Bank Will Lend Me the Money?
No — pre-approval doesn't guarantee a home loan. Why valuation, final checks and changed circumstances can still affect the bank's final decision.
First Home Buyers
What Is Home Loan Pre-Approval and How Long Does It Last in Australia?
What home loan pre-approval means, why it's conditional rather than a guarantee, and why how long it lasts is set by each lender, not one fixed rule.
First Home Buyers
What Are the Step-by-Step Stages of Buying a House in Australia?
The stages of buying a house in Australia, from budget and pre-approval to settlement, and how the order shifts between private treaty and auction.
First Home Buyers
Can I get a home loan with a non-bank lender as a first home buyer?
Yes — non-bank lenders hold an Australian Credit Licence and follow the same responsible-lending rules as banks. What differs, and what to check first.
First Home Buyers
What fees are associated with switching home loan lenders in Australia?
Costs to weigh before switching home loan lenders — discharge fees, new-lender fees, government charges, break costs and LMI — no invented figures.
First Home Buyers
What is a home loan comparison rate and why does it matter?
A comparison rate combines a home loan's interest rate and most fees into one figure lenders must advertise — what it includes, and where it falls short.
First Home Buyers
What Is a Basic Home Loan vs. a Packaged Home Loan in Australia?
Basic vs packaged home loans compared — the bundled features, the annual fee structure, and how to weigh whether the bundle pays for itself.
First Home Buyers
Can I Negotiate My Interest Rate with a Major Australian Bank?
Yes, you can ask a bank to lower your home loan rate — what lenders may weigh when you ask, and why any outcome is at their discretion.
First Home Buyers
Should a First Home Buyer Choose a Fixed, Variable, or Split Home Loan?
There's no single right loan type — the factors are rate-certainty needs, extra repayments, risk appetite, and whether a split suits you.
First Home Buyers
How Do Mortgage Brokers Get Paid, and Is Their Service Really Free?
How mortgage brokers are paid in Australia — upfront and trail commission from the lender — and what 'free' really means for the borrower.
First Home Buyers
Should I Use a Mortgage Broker or Go Directly to My Bank?
A broker compares multiple lenders; going direct means one lender, possibly one you already know. The factors to weigh, with no single right answer.
First Home Buyers
How Do I Find the Most Competitive Interest Rate Without Hurting My Credit?
Comparing rates or getting a broker's assessment is a different step to a formal loan application. What the distinction means for your credit file.
First Home Buyers
Are Online Lenders Safe to Use for a First Home Loan in Australia?
Online lenders sit under the same licensing and lending rules as banks. What that means for safety, and how to check a lender's credentials.
First Home Buyers
How does a principal and interest loan compare to interest-only for a first home?
Principal and interest repayments reduce your loan balance; interest-only doesn't during the IO period. How both structures work, factually compared.
First Home Buyers
What is the difference between an offset account and a redraw facility?
Offset accounts and redraw facilities both cut loan interest, but through different mechanisms — how they compare on access, structure and tax.
First Home Buyers
What is an offset account and how does it save me interest?
An offset account is a transaction account linked to your home loan that reduces daily interest — how it works, and the trade-offs before choosing one.