How it works, step by step
Here's the whole thing, start to finish, with nothing hidden. But before the steps — let's answer the question almost everybody asks me first.
"How long is this actually going to take?"
It's the first thing nearly everyone wants to know, so let's not make you scroll to the bottom for it.
A straightforward purchase usually runs somewhere around six to ten weeks from our first chat through to settlement, and most refinances land in the four to eight week range. But those are averages, and averages have a habit of sounding far more rigid than they really are. Plenty of loans move a great deal faster than that.
So if you're in a hurry, please tell me straight away. An auction on Saturday, a finance clause quietly ticking, a settlement date already locked in — none of it worries me. It simply changes which lenders we approach, because some move much more quickly than others at any given moment, and I'd far rather choose with your deadline in mind than discover it halfway through.
What I'd hate is for you to read the timings below, feel your stomach drop a little, and quietly decide it's all too hard. Please ring me instead. Your situation may well be much quicker than the average — and that's a five-minute phone call to find out, not a six-week wait.
Got a deadline?
Ring me first and we'll work backwards from your date rather than forwards from today.
No rush at all?
Even better — starting early gives us room to tidy up anything that might hold you back later.
And here's the shape of it
Every application has its own personality, but it usually looks something like this. The timings beside each step are honest averages rather than best-case ones.
The first conversation
We talk about what you're hoping to achieve, where you're up to, and what you'd like life to look like on the other side of this. No documents needed, and nothing to commit to.
Gathering the detail
I'll send you a secure link and a short list of what I need, tailored to your situation. From there I build the full picture — what you can genuinely borrow, and any grants or concessions you may be eligible for.
Research & recommendation
I compare your options across my lender panel, then walk you through a shortlist in plain English — my recommendation, and why. The choice is always yours.
Application & pre-approval
I prepare and submit everything, and handle the lender's questions. Pre-approval gives you a realistic sense of what you can offer, though it stays conditional until valuation and final assessment.
Finding the property
The fun part — go and enjoy it. Just give me a call before you make an offer or bid, and we'll check together that the property, the price and the settlement terms all sit comfortably with your approval.
Formal approval
Once you have a signed contract, the lender values the property and finishes its assessment. I'll manage the valuation, answer the lender's conditions and keep your conveyancer in step, so nothing sits waiting.
Loan documents
Your documents arrive and we go through them together, so you know exactly what you're signing. Then it's certification, returning them, and locking in your settlement date.
Settlement day
Funds move, the property changes hands, and you collect the keys. I'll be in touch shortly afterwards to make sure everything landed exactly as it should have.
It can move quicker when it needs to. Lenders vary a great deal in how fast they assess, and some are considerably quicker than others at any given time. If you're working to a deadline, tell me at the very first conversation — knowing that upfront changes which lenders we approach, and it's much easier to plan around than to rescue later.
And how I'm paid
For most residential home loans the lender pays me a commission once your loan settles, so there's nothing for you to pay.
For some work — commercial lending, SMSF, or a situation that's genuinely complex — a fee may apply. If that's the case for you, I'll tell you the amount and the reason in writing before I begin any work, and you're completely free to say no thank you.
Either way, you'll never receive an invoice you weren't expecting. It's all set out in the Credit Guide and Credit Proposal you receive before you commit to anything.
Ready to start at step one?
A conversation about your goals. No documents needed, and nothing to commit to.