For most of us, renting property is one of our first steps to independence. It's flexible, short term, and you can up and leave almost as quickly as you moved in – perfect for our free-spirited younger years. But, eventually, we find ourselves lusting after fancy laundry liquid and being more interested in a night in with our house plants than a night out on the town. This, my friends, is adulting. If you've reached a point where you're starting to get a little hot under the collar looking at kitchens – like the ones at Civic Heart, goals – and starting to have a preference for what type of towel rack sparks joy, it could be time to start thinking about buying. Here are 8 tips to help you buy your first home before 30. Start Saving Earlier Than You Think Start saving for a home long before you're actually ready to buy. A huge mistake young people make is deferring the responsibility of saving for a home until we actually want to move. Soaring house prices and salaries that aren't budging are leaving us stuck waiting years between deciding we want to buy and actually being able to. Start now! Set A Percentage-Based Budget Percentage-based budgets mean that every single paycheck that hits your account is treated equally, no matter whether your income goes up or down. Work out a consistent percentage of your income that you could stash away towards your first home goals, and apply that to every single pay, to keep your savings advancing with you. Shop Around For Savings Rates Interest rates are historically low, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't still be shopping around for the best deal. If you're going to be stashing upwards of $50,000 in a bank account, that teeny tiny 1.6% you could get on some accounts is a tasty $800 a year. Not bad! Picture What Kind Of Life You Want To Lead Working out what you actually (realistically) want your life to look like will not only help you connect to your goal on a deeper level, but help you in the buying process too. There's a lot of choices out there and where you buy will impact the life you lead. Do you want a modern, amenity-packed lifestyle on the city's edge, while still being close to nature, like Civic Heart Perth? It's important to consider the location of your new home for every aspect of your life such as work, friends, and family.

Plus, close proximity to everything means saved costs on transport costs like parking, Ubers, and petrol — winning. Consider The Perks Of Apartment Living If you're not ready to give up on the idea of buying and living in your dream suburb, buying an apartment is a much more affordable way to live in inner-city suburbs for less. With apartments in Civic Heart starting from $400,000* and the median house price starting at $1,150,000 — we can think of 750,000 reasons to opt for a bougie apartment. Consider The Financial Benefit Of Buying Off The Plan Buying apartments off the plan means you can put down a 10% deposit while still having time up your sleeve to get yourself in a solid financial position before moving in. Plus, the more money you have saved the lower interest rate you'll be able to score from the bank when you take out your mortgage — saving you even more money in the long run. Anything that can help young Aussies to enter the property market is a big yes from us. Make Sustainable Cut Backs Saving for a hefty deposit for your first home does unfortunately mean cutting back on some things. Make these cutbacks sustainable and play the long game. Don't give up everything you love all in one hit, because it's totally unsustainable and will make your home buying journey a total misery. Instead, look for cheaper swaps, get an accountability buddy to keep you on track, and look at optimising your existing spending rather than cutting out every single joy in your life. Plus, if you're moving into an apartment with epic amenities like a gym, spa, sauna, and dog wash, you'll be able to save loads of extra dosh on unneeded expenses. Just think — you can skip the $12 popcorn and $20 ticket and host your very own movie night in the theatre or ditch the $22 cocktails and host drinks with friends at the Sky Deck on level 37. That's a return on investment we can get around. Look Into First Home Buyer Schemes Free money? Yes please. Check out first home buyer schemes in your state and see if you could get a chunk of Government-funded cashola towards getting you onto the ladder. Plus, you can also receive a 75% stamp duty rebate on Civic Heart apartments up to $50,000*, before construction starts. Like we needed more convincing to buy one of their stunning apartments? If you don't make it in before construction starts, never fear, you can still score a 75% rebate capped at $25,000* — a huge saving that would usually eat into your deposit.

Ready to give renting the boot and make owning your own space a reality? Get in on the action and consider making Civic Heart by Finbar your next home. With insane rooftop views, next-level amenities and sustainable systems—this is the place to be putting down roots in Perth.

*Price and availability subject to change. Applying for government grants is the responsibility of the buyer. Information is accurate as of 20/09/2020.