Everything you need to know about finding the right home for you

UNO home loans

The search for that perfect piece of real-estate can be exciting – but also insanely stressful. Even before you start house hunting, there are multiple things to consider.

Finding a property

The search for that perfect piece of real-estate can be exciting – but also insanely stressful. Even before you start house hunting, there are multiple things to consider. What sort of home am I looking for? Will I live in it or treat it as an investment? How many bedrooms do I want? How many bedrooms do I need? Which area do I want to live in? Where can I afford to buy? Is it even worth buying or should I rent forever? Of course it’s worth buying! The list goes on, but here are just a few of the major things to think about before taking the plunge into real-estate.

Questions to ask:

Is it a home to live in or an investment property?
What can I afford?
Which area should I buy in?
Do I need help from an expert?

A home to live in or an investment property?

There are some key differences between buying a home to live in and buying it as an investment. For one, you’ll need a slightly larger deposit if you’re buying an investment property (usually at least 10% of the value of the property), whereas you’ll only need a 5% deposit (although a larger deposit is better) if you’re buying the place to live in. If you’re buying as an investment, there’s also a whole bunch of stuff you’ll need to know about capital gains tax and negative gearing. Man scratching his head

What can I afford?

Before you start searching, it’s important to work out how much you can afford to pay. Read our comprehensive guide, How Much Can I Borrow?You also need to consider what sort of home you’re looking for: a house, townhouse or apartment, for example. Houses tend to cost more than townhouses and apartments (when comparing property in the same suburb, for instance), however most townhouses and all apartments will be strata title, meaning you’ll need to factor ongoing strata costs into your budget.

Which area should I buy in?

When it comes to choosing the best area to buy in, there’s much to consider. Do you want to be close to work, for example, close to the city, your family – far away from your partner’s family? Proximity to amenities such as public transport, schools, shops and hospitals is also worth considering, as is access to parks, the beach or pools, cafes, restaurants and bars if you’re into that sort of thing; churches if you’re not. These things are important to consider not only to ensure you enjoy living in the area you choose to buy in, but also as a long-term strategy. If you plan to sell your property in the future, or rent it out to others, the things that appeal to you are likely to appeal to others too.

Defer to the experts

As a start, check out industry websites such as realestate.com.au, domain.com.au and real estate agents’ websites. For help with buying property, you can also use a buyer’s agent. A buyer’s agent can look for off market properties that fit within your budget and fulfil your needs. Book in a quick call with our customer care teamBook a call in with UNO

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TESTIMONIALS

What our customers are saying

Rebecca David

April 2, 2026

I can’t recommend my mortgage broker Jessica Southerwood and the UNO team highly enough. From start to finish, they made what felt like an overwhelming process so much easier for me. They took the time to truly understand my situation and worked tirelessly to refinance my Investment home loan and consolidate debts into a structure that actually works for me and my family. Not only did they secure us a great rate, but they also gave us clarity, confidence, and a clear path forward with our finances. Their communication was outstanding throughout and always available to answer questions and explain things in a way that made sense. Thanks to their expertise and dedication, I am now in a much stronger financial position and can focus on what matters most for our family. If you’re looking for someone who genuinely cares and delivers results, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Jess and the UNO team. Thanks again.

Laura

March 31, 2026

After owning my property for a few years undertaking substantial house renovations I found myself in a situation where I had run out of cash to finish due to rising building costs at the time. I wanted to refinance to free up equity from my home to ultimately finish my house renovations and give me an extra cash buffer. I honestly thought it would be out of reach for me and the sole home owner and was going to be pretty much impossible. However, Mike Parsons from Uno Home Loans found a way to make it happen. He was incredibly thorough and really took the time to explore every option instead of just going with the obvious ones, which made a huge difference to me in the end. Not only that, he also kept me in the loop the whole way through— always checking in, explaining things clearly, what the next steps would and generally made the whole process feel way less stressful than I expected. Thanks to Mike, I was able to free up equity when I didn’t think it was on the cards at all. This has since allowed me to complete some more home improvements which is not only a great feeling but has added more value to my home and my living situation in general. On top of that it has also provided me the extra comfort of having additional cash to support rising monthly living costs. If you want someone who genuinely cares and will go the extra mile to get you a result, then Mike Parsons is your man! I cannot recommend him enough!

Bryan Custodio

March 30, 2026

Complex self-employed deal done incredibly fast. I’m a commercial finance broker myself and have dealt with a lot of brokers. Scott is easily the best I’ve come across. My situation involved multiple businesses and low documentation, which is usually where things get messy, slow, and dragged out. Scott handled it seamlessly. He knew exactly how to structure everything from the start and was clear on what would be needed at each stage, which meant no unnecessary back and forth with the lender. The whole process was smooth, efficient, and far quicker than I expected given the complexity. If you’re self-employed and want someone who actually understands how to get these deals approved without the usual headaches, I’d strongly recommend reaching out to him.

Mirinda Smith

March 23, 2026

Nathalie Pelissier is fantastic! Her attention to detail, prompt communication and advocacy has blown me away. Very happy I found her and am in good hands. Thank you!

Kylie McCarthy

March 20, 2026

I have no words for how incredible Nathalie was. She kept me updated every step of the way and worked as hard as anyone could to get me the loan required for my settlement even though my financial record wasn't great. She got the loan sorted incredibly fast, and to be honest, is an absolute angel. I would recommend her hands down to absolutely everyone.

Georgina Brooks

March 19, 2026

I wish the 5 star rating was out of 100 because I would’ve given it 100/100 star rating. My husband and I have been clients of Jess for a good 3 years now and Jess has been the absolute best to us. She is so reliable, patient, knowledgeable, approachable and beautiful - the list goes on! She exceeds expectations. She has been through the ups and downs and has helped navigate throughout the way. Most importantly as this is our first home, she has educated us on so much that happens in the buying market. I 10000000% recommend her to be your broker. She is like no other. So thank you Jess for everything you have done for Mitchell and I, you don’t realise how much we appreciate everything you have strived for us.

Jayne Calam

March 4, 2026

I honestly couldn’t recommend Jake de Ruyter more highly! From start to finish, he was absolutely amazing. He made the entire process smooth, stress-free, and easy to understand. His communication was excellent, he was incredibly quick to respond to emails, phone calls, and messages. No matter what we asked, he got back to us straight away and explained everything clearly, which made the whole process feel so much less stressful. Thank you for such an outstanding experience!

Anna Webb

February 26, 2026

Scott and his team has been absolutely wonderful to work with from start to finish. What could have been a very stressful experience was made so much easier thanks to Scott’s support and dedication. I truly appreciate all the hard work he has put in to help me secure the best outcome possible. I would highly recommend Uno Home Loans to anyone looking for reliable and knowledgeable financial assistance.

Michael

February 13, 2026

I contacted Uno on a whim about refinancing a small loan. Once I was in communication with Mike Parsons, I knew I was in safe hands. He was patient throughout the process and I appreciated his personalised, purposeful and professional service, especially the following up when it was required. Mike also comes highly recommended for his knowledge.

Desert Rose

February 4, 2026

I reached out to Mike Parsons and he was knowledgeable, tailored his advice to my specific situation and offered options which were aligned with my goals. Above all he was understanding and professional.The whole process was smooth and stress-free. Mike offered exceptional service and kept me updated throughout the whole approval process.

Mac

February 4, 2026

I highly recommend Mike Parsons from Uno Home Loans. He is a clear, patient communicator who made the complex loan application and settlement process easy to understand. Mike is very thorough and reassuringly meticulous with documentation. He was generous with his time, always prompt with answers, and handled multiple applications and extensions for us seamlessly, while giving useful advice on loan options along the way, even if it meant more work for him. Most importantly, Mike secured us a great loan when other brokers couldn't. I’ve already recommended him to friends and will continue to do so. The best broker I have used out of the several i have interacted with.