First Home Buyers | Fleurieu Peninsula, Adelaide Hills & SA | Lender Edge
First home buyers on the Fleurieu Peninsula and Adelaide Hills
First Home Buyers · Fleurieu, Hills & SA

Your First Home on the Fleurieu, in the Hills, or Anywhere in SA.

Most first home buyers think they need years to save a 20% deposit. That was true once. It isn't anymore. Here's exactly how much you need, which SA grants and guarantees cover the rest, and how we position you to get approved, not just apply and hope.

Book a 15 Min Discovery Call → Send us a scenario
5%
Minimum Deposit
$15K
First Home Owner Grant
“

The best part of our job, the part we absolutely love, is making the phone call that tells a first home buyer their loan has been approved. Their joy makes all the hard work worthwhile.

It's not a small moment. For most people it's the single biggest financial step they've ever taken, and the moment that "one day we'll buy a place" turns into "we're picking up the keys next month." We've been on the other end of that call enough times to know what it means, and it never gets old.

That's why we take the time to get it right. Not just to find you a loan, but to position you so the answer is yes, and so the loan you end up with is one that actually works for your life, not just the first one a bank was willing to offer.

If you're buying your first home on the Fleurieu Peninsula, in the Adelaide Hills, or anywhere across South Australia, we want to be the people who make that call.

The Real Cost of Waiting

What "Until You're Ready" Actually Costs.

Every month you wait to save more deposit, the gap between where you are and where you need to be gets wider, not smaller.

You pay rent that builds someone else's equity, not yours. SA property prices keep rising, pushing the deposit target further away. And the deposit you thought you needed three years ago might not even cover stamp duty by the time you get there.

Indicative Cost of Waiting 3 Years
Rent paid to landlord
~$93,600
Equity you missed
~$180,000
Total opportunity cost
$273,600
All figures indicative only. And at the end of those 3 years? You still don't own anything.
The Rules Just Changed

The 20% Deposit Rule Died in October 2025.

For 40 years, Australians were told: "Save 20% or pay brutal Lenders Mortgage Insurance penalties."

Then the government changed the rules. The First Home Guarantee now lets you buy with just a 5% deposit, with no LMI. The government guarantees the gap between your deposit and 20%. There's no cap on available places and no income cap.

In South Australia, the property price caps are:

  • $900,000 for properties in Adelaide
  • $500,000 for properties in regional SA, including the Fleurieu Peninsula and Adelaide Hills
For a $480,000 Fleurieu home
$96K
Old way
→
$24K
With FHBG
The difference between buying this year and waiting another five.

If you've been living on the Fleurieu or in the Hills for 12 months or more, you may also qualify through a dedicated regional stream of the same scheme, which gives you an additional pathway to approval.

The problem? Your bank probably hasn't told you about any of this. Because they'd rather you keep renting and saving with them, take longer to buy, and pay them LMI when you finally do. We show you the options they won't.

Local Specialist Knowledge

Buying on the Fleurieu or in the Adelaide Hills? Read This First.

If you're a first home buyer looking outside the metro suburbs, there are a few extra things worth knowing.

Not every lender treats lifestyle properties the same way. If the home you've fallen in love with is on a larger block, has tank water, unsealed access, or sits in a rural residential zoning, some lenders will say no without looking at your finances. The property itself fails their policy.

That's where we come in. Lender Edge is based in Parawa on the Fleurieu. Our director Simon Rowell lives on 50 acres. We know which lenders approve regional and lifestyle properties and which ones don't, and we match first home buyers to the right lender before the application goes in, not after it's been rejected.

If you're buying a standard home in one of the Fleurieu's towns or an Adelaide Hills township, we've got you covered too. But if the home you want is somewhere a bit different, on a bigger block, down a gravel road, or in a zoning your bank has never heard of, you want a broker who understands the territory.

Our Approach

What Happens When You Book a Call With Us.

We don't sell you a loan. We start by asking five questions, then we run your numbers against 35+ lenders.

  1. Your household income
  2. Your current savings
  3. Your target property price
  4. Any existing debts
  5. When you want to buy

We show you your options. You decide if it makes sense.

You'll walk away knowing:

  • Your exact borrowing capacity across 35+ lenders, not just one bank
  • The minimum deposit required for the property you want
  • Every SA grant, guarantee and exemption you could qualify for
  • Your actual monthly repayment, so you know if it's affordable before you commit

There's no cost for this and no obligation at any point. Then you decide: buy now with our help, wait 6-12 months and save more, or don't buy at all. We're fine with any answer. Our job is to show you the truth, not to sell you.

What's Available Right Now

SA First Home Buyer Help, All in One Place.

South Australia has more first home buyer support than most people realise. Eligibility criteria apply to each, and we check your qualification at no cost.

Most popular

First Home Guarantee

Buy with a 5% deposit, no LMI. Government guarantees up to 15% of the property value. $900K cap in Adelaide, $500K in regional SA. No income cap, no place limit. Regional stream available for 12+ month residents.

$15,000 grant

First Home Owner Grant

$15,000 for eligible buyers purchasing or building a new home in South Australia. No property price cap applies. Can be combined with other schemes.

Single parents

Family Home Guarantee

For single parents or legal guardians with dependents. Buy with as little as 2% deposit, no LMI, even if you're not technically a first home buyer.

$0 stamp duty

Stamp Duty Exemption

First home buyers purchasing or building a new home in SA pay no stamp duty at all, regardless of price. Existing homes up to $650,000 may also qualify for full exemption.

Up to $50K

First Home Super Saver

Withdraw voluntary super contributions (up to $50,000) to put towards your deposit. Tax-effective way to save faster than a regular savings account.

SA only

HomeStart Finance

SA government home loan provider with low deposit options and shared equity products. We can help you compare HomeStart against the 35+ private lenders we work with.

Common Questions

First Home Buyer Questions, Answered Honestly.

You can buy with as little as 5% deposit. If you qualify for the First Home Guarantee, the government guarantees the difference between your deposit and 20%, which means you avoid paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance entirely. On a $480,000 home on the Fleurieu, that means you need $24,000 rather than $96,000. We assess your full financial picture, including any grants and guarantees you qualify for, and show you the most realistic path forward.
South Australia offers several forms of support. The First Home Owner Grant provides $15,000 for eligible buyers purchasing or building a new home. The First Home Guarantee scheme lets you buy with a 5% deposit without paying LMI, with price caps of $900,000 in Adelaide and $500,000 in regional SA including the Fleurieu and Hills. First home buyers purchasing or building a new home pay no stamp duty in SA. The First Home Super Saver Scheme lets you withdraw voluntary super contributions (up to $50,000) towards your deposit. Eligibility criteria apply to each, and we check your qualification at no cost.
Yes, it is possible. Your borrowing capacity depends on more than just your salary. Lenders also look at your living expenses, existing debts, credit history, and the size of your deposit. On a $70,000 income with minimal debts and a 5% deposit, some lenders may approve you for a property in the $350,000 to $450,000 range. That opens up a lot of options on the Fleurieu and in the Hills. We compare across 35+ lenders because each one assesses borrowing capacity differently, and the difference between the lowest and highest approval amount can be significant.
Yes, but the lender needs to approve both you and the property. Many first home buyers on the Fleurieu or in the Adelaide Hills are looking at homes on bigger blocks, with tank water, or in rural residential zonings. Not every lender will approve these properties, even if your finances are fine. We know which lenders have flexible policies for regional and lifestyle properties and we match you to the right one before you submit an application.
LMI is a one-off premium you pay when your deposit is less than 20%. It protects the lender, not you. On a $400,000 loan with a 5% deposit, LMI can cost $10,000 or more. You can avoid it by using the First Home Guarantee (if eligible), by having a family member act as guarantor, or by saving a full 20% deposit. We always show you the LMI cost upfront and whether there's a realistic way to avoid it in your situation.
Yes. Pre-approval tells you exactly how much a lender is willing to lend you, gives you a firm budget, prevents you from falling in love with a property you can't afford, and makes you a more credible buyer in the eyes of agents and sellers. Pre-approvals typically last 90 days and can often be arranged within 24 to 72 hours. We handle the entire application and present it in the strongest possible way to the lender.
You'll generally need proof of identity (passport or driver's licence), your last two payslips or most recent tax returns if self-employed, bank statements from the last three months showing your savings history, details of any existing debts (credit cards, personal loans, HECS/HELP), and a summary of your regular living expenses. If you're applying with a partner, both parties need to provide their own documents. We provide a checklist at the start of the process so nothing gets missed.
When you go directly to a bank, you see only that bank's products and rates. A mortgage broker compares products from 35 or more lenders, including specialist lenders that only work through brokers. We are also legally required under Best Interests Duty to recommend the loan that genuinely suits your needs, not the one that pays us the highest commission. Our service costs you nothing; the lender pays our fee when your loan settles. For first home buyers especially, having someone who can navigate grants, guarantees, LMI, and lender policies across the full market is a significant advantage.
The timeline varies, but a typical first home purchase in South Australia takes around 8 to 12 weeks from your first conversation with us to settlement. Pre-approval can come through in 24 to 72 hours. Once you find a property and sign a contract, formal approval usually takes one to two weeks, and settlement is typically 30 to 60 days after exchange. We keep the process moving and flag any potential delays early.
Ready When You Are

Let's Make That Approval Phone Call One You'll Remember.

Book a 15 minute discovery call to talk through your plans. Or skip the chat and send us your scenario, and we'll come back with a clear view of where you stand.

Book a 15 Min Discovery Call → Send us a Scenario
Servicing the Fleurieu Peninsula, Adelaide Hills & Greater Adelaide · Based in Parawa