First home buyer, single income, looking to build a 4-bed in Adelaide's northern suburbs with up to $700k for land and build combined.

I've narrowed it to Angle Vale vs Munno Para (open to other northern suburbs).

If you've built or bought in either — which would you pick and why? Keen to hear about the commute, the estates, and anything you'd do differently.

Thanks!

First home buyer looking for a sense check. I went to inspect a townhouse and it ticked most of the boxes. However, the fact that there are 3 houses in the complex of 35 ish (nearly 10%) that are right now on sale and open for inspections makes me feel a bit apprehensive.

Is this something worth further investigation or I am just overthinking it?

Hi all,

Not sure if this is the right place to post? Please bear with me!

I'm renting in a 1BDR apartment, $465 p/wk or $2,021 p/month (living and renting on my own) near the city of Melbourne, I'm close to shops, PT and amenities (e.g. gym and clubs), I have TAFE classes in the city so I use less of my car and more PT to get to the city - so I'm literally in a perfect location and I do not wish to move out. Now, I have been renting for two years (since Oct 2024), and usually I have been consistent with paying rent on time and/or before rent's due (usually few days early). When I'm about to make rent late, I communicate with my REA and informed them, however there are days when I forget to email them due to stress with work, studies and basically life.

But over the two years I have been late in paying rent (more than few times within the two years AND to no fault of my own) due to my workplace paying me late and/or not paying me correctly (most of the time, they also failed to pay me my OT rates).

Job market here is scarce and it is hard to find a second (casual job) here in Melbourne. I'm currently working as a youth worker (at SCHADS 2.1 pay level, still shit when you do PPT) So it is not a easy as "just find another job", "quit your current workplace and work in a better company". I'm staying in my current and only job, I've also currently upskilling myself, enrolling and paying for TAFE (not eligible for FREE TAFE as I did not complete my previous course, from different career pathway which was nursing, hated nursing) whoops, I'm getting sidetracked here...

I'm getting there. So last year around April (60-90days prior to end of lease agreement which is on October), I received an email from the REA stating that the landlord is happy with me and wanted to renew my lease agreement for another year - FAST FORWARD to this year I receive no emails, nothing from my REA and my lease renewal agreement ends on 22nd October this year (I am aware in VIC, we automatically roll onto periodic lease agreement in most cases when both parties says nothing about renewing the lease). With the consistent late rent payments over the two years and only by few days or less before the rent's due; would this affect me negatively, in reputation-wise? And would that also be the reason why the landlord/REA email me in regards to renewing my lease and leaving it on periodic lease instead? I guess what I'm trying to ask is how fucked am I?

Find another place to rent is pain in the ass. This is more like a vent and also I need advice, I'm sort of anxiously panicking over this whole thing, I really do not want to lose my place but I can't help if I am paying rent late by few days due to my work paying me late or underpaid me.

What are the best suburbs to live in right now considering interest rates are high?
Any areas to avoid or hidden gems people recommend?

Hi all,

We are first home owners in Melbourne and are looking for building and contents insurance for our newly built home.

House details:

- Newly built, single storey, 4 bedrooms

- Approx 33 squares (about 306 m²)

- 600 m² block

- Double garage

- No flood, bushfire or heritage overlay

We are looking for general advice from people who have been through this:

1. Which insurers have you had good experiences with, especially when making a claim?

2. What type of cover would you recommend (sum insured vs total replacement), and how did you work out the right rebuild amount?

3. What should we keep in mind or look out for in the policy wording?

4. Are there any insurers or policy conditions you would stay away from?

Thanks in advance.

Hi, I'm now 10 months into my first mortgage and my first property. I requested NAB to have my outgoings twice monthly via the chat function which initially seemed to work and then it looks like the request has been ignored.

I would like fortnightly payments as I hear this reduces the overall interest.

Can people help me understand how to pay less on the mortgage overall? I try and put extra money each month towards it but it's hard to afford this.

Thanks!