Property & Housing
Buying a home: the first steps before you view anything
Work out what you can afford, what you must verify and who should be on your team before you fall in love with a property.
iLIVV Guides · 20 August 2026 · 5 min read
Know your numbers
Start with what you can pay as a deposit, what monthly repayment you can sustain, and the extra costs of buying: legal fees, agency fees, registration and stamp duties, and the cost of repairs or furnishing. Use the iLIVV mortgage tool to see how term and rate change a repayment.
Assemble your team
- A lawyer of your own to investigate the title and prepare the documents.
- A licensed surveyor where the land or boundaries are in question.
- A lender or mortgage adviser if you will borrow.
Verify before you pay
Check who really owns the property, whether it is subject to any dispute or government acquisition, and whether the seller has the right to sell. These are checks for your lawyer at the proper registry; do not rely on the seller's documents alone. Pay only against signed documents and receipts, to the account of the party named in the agreement.
Rules and costs differ by state and over time. Treat this as a map of the questions to ask, then get current advice for your location.