Pressures First Home Buyers Face
When you're buying your first home, it can feel like everyone has an opinion on what you should do. Family tells you to "just get in." Friends share what worked for them. The media warns you about being "locked out" of the market. And somewhere in the middle of all that noise, you're trying to figure out what actually makes sense for you.
The pressure is real. And it shows up everywhere: from well-meaning parents, comparison with friends, headlines about rising prices, and sometimes the loudest pressure of all, the voice in your own head telling you you're falling behind.
What we see working with first home buyers every day is people feeling rushed into decisions, or second-guessing themselves because of all the external noise and conflicting opinions.
So in this resource, we want to slow things right down. We're going to talk through:
The common stories and opinions that get pushed onto first home buyers
How to handle other people's opinions and the fear of missing out
Practical ways to step back, get clear, and make decisions that actually support your goals and vision
This resource supports Episode 30 of the First Home Unlocked Podcast: Unlocking First Home Buyer Pressures.
The Pressures First Home Buyers Face
A lot of the pressure you're under comes from people who genuinely care about you: parents, friends, colleagues. And there's also pressure from media headlines. You'll hear things like:
"You need to get into the property market or you'll miss out"
"Rent money is dead money"
"Just buy something"
"We bought 30 years ago and it worked out for us, you'll be fine"
And it usually comes from a good place but the problem is, a lot of people have very confident opinions about property without actually being across:
Today's market conditions
Today's lending rules
Your goals, income, and timeline
Why This Creates Pressure
There are two big reasons these opinions create so much pressure.
First, many first home buyers are simply focused on getting into the market. There's anxiety around rental insecurity, feeling like you're starting later than you wanted to, and parents wanting you to have security and stability.
Second, there's a widespread belief that all property goes up in value. This assumption is often passed down from parents and grandparents who bought houses in capital cities decades ago and saw strong growth.
But today's first home buyers often can't afford houses in the same areas. They're buying apartments, townhouses, or homes in outer suburbs, which means the market isn't as forgiving as it used to be.
How to Navigate Other People's Opinions
Sometimes it can feel really overwhelming when people are telling you what you should do. One thing that can help is preparing yourself with some simple phrases so you don't feel put on the spot, something like:
"That's interesting, I'll look into it"
"I'll talk about that with my broker"
These responses can help create a bit of space. Then you can go away, think about it properly, and explore it in a much lower-pressure environment.
The Reality: Conflicting Views Are Everywhere
There are conflicting views not just from family and friends, but even from industry professionals. That's why it's so important to educate yourself and work with someone you trust and resonate with.
As mortgage brokers working with first home buyers every day, our role isn't about telling you what to do. It's about being a sounding board, talking through different scenarios, and helping you work out what actually makes sense for you.
The "Just Get In" Mindset and Why It Can Be Risky
One of the most common messages first home buyers hear is: "You just need to get in" or "Just buy something. You can always upgrade later." But the problem is, "just getting in" without thinking about what you're buying can create bigger issues later.
What We See When People Rush
The "just get in" mindset pushes people toward buying as cheaply as possible, just to feel like they've entered the market. But when people rush the decision, because you don't get a second chance at it, they often come back a few years later and realise:
They probably shouldn't have bought that cheaper investment property in an area they don't even know
They should have done more research on who they engaged with
They shouldn't have bought that high-density apartment or studio with no parking because they just rushed it
You still get a loan. You still get a property. But you don't get a quality asset.
Why Asset Quality Matters
Asset quality matters because your first purchase often sets up your entire property journey. It affects whether you can:
Upgrade later
Turn the property into an investment
Use equity to build wealth over time
If you buy a poor-quality asset:
Your property has less growth potential
Equity builds more slowly
You have fewer options for your next move
That's why we encourage first home buyers to shift the mindset from "buy as cheap as possible" to "buy the best quality asset you can, based on your situation and what feels comfortable in your budget."
A higher-quality asset is more likely to support future steps because it gives you a better chance of growth and flexibility.
The Real Cost of Buying Twice
There's a big cost to buying twice. Outgrowing a home too quickly and having to sell and buy again can add up quickly. You might be looking at:
Two sets of stamp duty (depending on your situation)
Selling costs
Agent fees
Buying costs
Moving costs
Plus a lot more stress and disruption
Sometimes waiting longer and buying once is financially and emotionally smarter than rushing into a stepping stone property you outgrow too quickly.
What Makes the Difference Long-Term
What builds wealth isn't paying off mortgages. What builds wealth is getting assets that go up in value. Saving money is hard, and yes, paying properties off builds money. But you could save money in the bank or put it into shares, and arguably that wouldn't be far off.
What makes the difference is when that property goes up in value. If you get that first decision wrong, you burn costs entering as a first home buyer, end up with an asset that doesn't grow in value, then have to pay seller costs. You get stuck, and you lose the opportunity.
Tthe buyers who make a better decision, maybe buy their future home or buy a quality asset, see it go up dramatically, and they're able to make their next decision with so much more opportunity down the line that they couldn't even imagine when they first purchased.
Coming Back to Asset Quality
This is where coming back to the asset quality principles we covered in Episode 6: Unlocking Asset Quality really helps.
Using our Asset Quality Checklist can help you pressure-test a property and focus on buying the strongest asset you can.
FOMO, Getting Locked Out, and The Future Self Test
A lot of the pressure turns inward with the fear of missing out. When that fear kicks in, people can make decisions they probably wouldn't make if they had more time and space to think.
So if you're feeling that rush, one of the most helpful things you can do is slow it down by talking it through with someone who isn't emotionally tied to the decision. Like your broker or a trusted professional who can act as a sounding board.
The goal isn't to rush into the market. It's to buy the right property, at the right time, for you and your future life.
The "Locked Out" Narrative
There's a lot of noise out there, especially in the media, about property prices rising and people being "locked out" if they don't act right now and hearing that over and over can feel really overwhelming as a first home buyer.
What You Can Control
A big part of responding to this pressure is coming back to what you can control, and building a plan around that. One of the most useful tools we use with first home buyers is getting clear on your goals and vision and doing a future self test.
This means: don't buy for where you are today, buy for where you want to be in 5 to 10 years. Think ahead to things like:
Family goals
Career changes
Lifestyle shifts
We've created a Goals and Vision Workbook that walks you through the kinds of questions worth asking before you buy. You can do it on your own, or together if you're buying with a partner. Once you're clear on your vision, you'll feel much more confident as a first home buyer.
(We've also covered this in detail in Episode 1: Unlocking Your Goals and Visions as a First Home Buyer.)
The "Rent Money Is Dead Money" Story
Let's address one of the most common opinions you'll hear: "Rent money is dead money." Here's the reality: interest is dead money too. If the property value doesn't go up, whether you spend money on rent (and it goes to the owner of that property) or you pay interest on a mortgage, it's the same outcome.
A Breakdown
Let's say you're looking at an apartment that costs $500 a week to rent. That's about $25,000 a year. If you buy that same apartment for $700,000 and you have to pay interest on a loan of $650,000 at 5%, your interest will be about $35,000 a year. Plus strata fees. Plus any other costs like maintenance. You might be at $45,000 a year.
So which is more "dead money"?
$25,000 to rent
$45,000 to own (interest + strata + maintenance)
The Benefit of Owning
Now the benefit of owning is the ability to access capital growth, which is the property going up in value, but that only happens if you buy a good asset.
Reframing the Question
So instead of framing this as "rent versus mortgage," a better question to ask is:
Does buying right now actually suit me financially and from a lifestyle point of view?
You also have to consider that purchasing a property is a huge commitment. You're not just paying back what you've borrowed, but also a significant amount of interest.
Other Common Pressures First Home Buyers Face
Beyond family opinions and media headlines, there are these final sources of pressure from brothers, sisters, and close friends. Sometimes the pressure from siblings can be even bigger than from parents.
A lot of parents learn to let their kids make their own lessons. But brothers and sisters, or your closest friends, are in your small network. When two of your friends have purchased and you just want to feel equal, that can motivate you more than it probably should. There's nothing wrong with that, but just be conscious of it and come back to your goals and vision around your first home.
Final Thoughts: It's About Awareness
We've talked about a lot of pressures you can face as a first home buyer, but the main message is it's about being aware that they're there, and then coming back to your goals and your vision.
The external noise will always be there. But when you're clear on what you want, you can filter out what doesn't serve you and focus on what does.
You Don't Have to Figure It Out Alone
Remember, you don't have to figure it out all alone.
We're mortgage brokers and we work with first home buyers every day. We've seen the pressures, the traps, and the patterns and we're here to help you step back, talk it through, and work out a plan that makes sense for you.
You can Book a Get to Know You Chat with us and we would be happy to help!
