There is a version of the solo-buyer story that gets told a lot. It goes like this: the person wasn’t with someone, so they bought on their own. It has a slightly consolatory undertone — like a participation ribbon for not having a partner yet.
That is not the story I want to tell you.
Because the solo buyers I work with are not buying because they don’t have a partner. Some have partners who aren’t ready. Some genuinely prefer it. Some have done the calculation and realised that buying with the wrong person — or waiting for the right one — has a cost that isn’t showing up anywhere in the comparison.
The choice to buy alone can be strategic, not situational. That is worth saying plainly.
What You Control When You Buy Alone
When you buy with a partner, you have two incomes. You also have two sets of priorities, two risk tolerances, two ideas about timing, two credit profiles, and one decision that needs to satisfy both of you.
When you buy alone, you have one income. You also have full authority over every decision.
This matters more than it sounds. A significant number of property purchases stall not because of finance or market conditions but because two people couldn’t agree — on the suburb, the property type, whether now is the right time, whether the property needs to be in the right school zone or just strategically sound.
Solo buyers move when they are ready. No negotiation required. That is not a consolation. It is a structural advantage.
The Finance Side, Honestly
The main practical hurdle for solo buyers is borrowing capacity. One income tends to produce a lower ceiling than two. I won’t minimise this.
But the ceiling is often higher than people expect, particularly if you have been saving consistently, carry minimal debt, and have a stable employment history. Australian lenders assess individual income — they do not apply a penalty for buying without a co-borrower.
A few things that genuinely expand what is available to you: paying off car loans and personal debts before you apply, reducing credit card limits you don’t use, and working with a mortgage broker who understands single-income applications. The way income is assessed and presented to different lenders varies more than most people realise, and a broker who has navigated this before will find options a direct bank application often won’t surface.
What Government Schemes Are Available
| Scheme | What It Means for a Solo Buyer |
| First Home Guarantee | Buy with 5% deposit, no Lender’s Mortgage Insurance. Available to singles earning up to $125,000/yr (income caps apply). Requires purchase within scheme price caps by state. |
| First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) | Available in most states for eligible new home purchases. Amountvaries by state. Check current figures with your state revenue office. |
| Stamp Duty Concessions | Many states offer full or partial stamp duty exemptions for first-home buyers at qualifying price points. Thresholds change — verify current eligibility. |
| First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSS) | Save up to $50,000 within your super fund for a first-home deposit, accessing concessional tax rates. Requires pre-approval from the ATO before withdrawal. |
Eligibility criteria and price caps change regularly. A mortgage broker or the relevant government website is the right place to verify what applies to your situation right now.
What Solo Buying Actually Looks Like in Practice
The suburbs available on a single income may look different from what two incomes could unlock. That is a constraint worth planning around, not grieving over.
The practical question is: what can I buy now that sets up the next decision? Not: what is the ideal property at the end of my financial capacity? The ideal property comes later, built on the equity of the first one.
This is the positioning I see solo buyers get right when they approach it strategically. They are not trying to buy their forever home on a single income. They are buying an asset that works — a unit in a suburb with genuine rental demand and growth fundamentals, a townhouse in a corridor where infrastructure spend is committed, a smaller property in a market they have actually researched.
The first property opens the game. It does not need to be the most impressive move on the board.
The Advantage Nobody Talks About
Solo buyers don’t have to wait for alignment. They also don’t share the upside.
If you buy a property alone, the equity growth belongs entirely to you. The compounding is yours. You can sell, hold, leverage, or renovate on your own timeline, for your own reasons, without needing to convince anyone else.
The people I see who have built real financial security through property often started with one property, on one income, at a time when it felt like a compromise. It was not a compromise. It was a firstmove.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, single-person households are one of the fastest-growing household types in Australia, now representing approximately 25% of all households. The financial services industry has been slow to catch up with what this actually means for how people build wealth — but the strategies exist, and they work.
On Being Asked Why You Didn’t Wait
There is sometimes an undercurrent in conversations about solo buying that implies you should have waited. For the right partner. For the right moment. For it to feel less like a solo decision.
I will be direct: waiting for circumstances that might not arrive is a financial decision with consequences. Every year without buying is a year without building equity, without accessing capital growth, without letting compounding do the slow work it does.
That is not a reason to rush into a purchase that doesn’t make financial sense. It is a reason to take your own timeline seriously — and to stop treating the absence of a co-buyer as a reason to delay.
You don’t need someone else to make this a good decision. You need a clear strategy and the right team around you.
The Right Team Makes More Difference Here
Because you are navigating this alone, the quality of your team matters more than it does for buyers who have a partner to stress-test decisions with.
A mortgage broker who has worked with single-income buyers before knows which lenders are more favourable to your profile, how to present your application to best effect, and what your realistic ceiling actually is — not just what one bank’s calculator says. This is the first call worth making.
A conveyancer who explains what they are doing rather than just telling you when to sign provides exactly the kind of clarity you need when you are the only one at the table.
And a property coach who starts with your situation — not with a property to sell you — means you are not making a major financial decision in isolation. You have someone who benefits only when you make a decision that is right for you.
You don’t need a partner to have people in your corner. That is exactly what the right team provides.
The People I Send My Clients To
If you are buying alone, who is on your team matters. These are the mortgage brokers I trust with my clients — including single-income buyers. I refer them because of how they work, not the arrangement.
Rielle Berglund — Matilda Tree Finance, Melbourne
Rielle is exceptionally good with first-time buyers and people navigating the finance process on their own. She is patient, she explains everything, and she knows the schemes that matter for single buyers. Her clients come away understanding their situation better than when they arrived.
Irshad Hatami — Mortgage Broker, Melbourne
Irshad maps the full picture: serviceability, structure, what the bank is actually looking at. His clients come back better informed about their own financial position than they were going in. Rare, and worth it.
Connect with Irshad on LinkedIn
These are professionals I trust with my clients. If you choose to contact them, I may receive a referral fee if you proceed. That does not change what I tell you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy a house on a single income in Australia?
Yes. Lenders assess individual income, not household type. Your borrowing capacity depends on income, expenses, and existing debt commitments. The First Home Guarantee allows eligible single buyers to purchase with a 5% deposit. A broker experienced with single-income applications is your best starting point.
What deposit do I need as a solo buyer?
The standard deposit is 20% to avoid Lender’s Mortgage Insurance. With the First Home Guarantee, eligible buyers can purchase with 5% and have the government guarantee the LMI gap. Some lenders allow 10% deposits with LMI added to the loan. Your actual deposit requirement depends on your price point and eligibility for applicable schemes.
Is there a stamp duty concession for single buyers?
Stamp duty concessions apply to first-home buyers in most states, regardless of whether they are buying alone or with a partner. Thresholds and concession amounts vary by state and change regularly. Check your state revenue office for current figures before you budget.
What happens if I lose my income while repaying a solo mortgage?
This is the most important risk to plan for. Building a buffer of 3 to 6 months of repayments in an offset account reduces the exposure significantly. Income protection insurance is also worth discussing with a financial adviser. Most lenders will also consider short-term hardship arrangements if circumstances change.
Can I buy property on my own even if I am older?
Yes. Age is not a barrier to buying property. Lenders assess your income, serviceability, and the loan term relative to your retirement age. For buyers later in life, shorter loan terms or a larger deposit can address concerns about serviceability duration. A mortgage broker can help you understand what the numbers look like for your specific situation.
Related articles
What Is a Mortgage Broker? — How a broker works for you, what they cost, and why the right one matters more on a single income.
What Age Do Australians Buy Their First Home? (You’re Not Behind) — The data on first-home buyer age in Australia — and why the average is probably not what you think.
Is Property Investment Still Worth It in 2026? — An honest look at the current market fundamentals and what they mean for someone starting out now.
Sources & references
The following sources are relevant to the content covered in this article.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. Household and Family Projections — Single Person Households 2024.
Housing Australia. First Home Guarantee — Eligibility and Conditions 2026.
ASIC MoneySmart. First Home Buyer — Schemes and Grants 2026.
Australian Taxation Office. First Home Super Saver Scheme 2026.
Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI). Pathways to Home Ownership for Vulnerable Groups 2023.
Disclaimer
This article contains general information only and does not constitute financial, legal or tax advice. Please speak to a licensed financial advisor, solicitor or mortgage broker about your specific circumstances. Aimee Templeman is a licensed real estate agent however approaches property through the lens of learning and empowerment. She has decades of experience coaching and advising everyday Australians and executive decision makers. Book a conversation with Aimee at Contact.