Bougher’s top tips

1. Find yourself a great mortgage broker and other professionals.

2. Find out what purchasing power you have with the funds you have – and whether you can make that better by paying off some debt.

3. Before you start going to open homes, get your pre-approval sorted.

4. Wear shoes that are easy to take on and off for all those open homes – ‘‘I cannot stress this enough’’.

5. Remember that first-home buyers can purchase via auction, depending on your bank’s pre-approval criteria. ‘‘We were able to bid at auction as long as we had a 20 per cent deposit. We did not require a valuation if we had a minimum 20 per cent deposit.’’