A comment like this comes up a lot:
“If you can’t scrape together $100K, you shouldn’t be buying a house.”
It sounds logical.
Responsible, even.
But in today’s market, it’s not always that simple.
Why this belief feels right
For a long time, the idea was straightforward:
Save a big deposit.
Borrow less.
Be in a safer position.
And in theory, that still makes sense.
A larger deposit can reduce your loan size and lower some upfront costs.
But the reality most buyers are dealing with today looks very different.
What saving actually looks like right now
For many people, the challenge isn’t affording repayments.
It’s saving a large deposit while paying rent.
When you’re covering $600–$700+ a week just to live, putting away tens of thousands of dollars can take years.
And during that time, life doesn’t stand still.
Rent can increase.
Expenses change.
And the property market keeps moving.
The part most people don’t think about
Here’s where things start to shift.
Imagine this:
You spend the next 3 years saving an extra $40,000.
You finally hit your deposit goal.
But the property you were aiming for has gone up $60,000 in that same time.
You’ve done everything right.
Saved consistently. Stayed disciplined.
But you’re still behind where you started.
That’s the part many buyers don’t expect.
A different way to look at it
Buying a home isn’t just about the size of your deposit.
It’s about what you can afford — and when you choose to start.
Because many buyers don’t wait until they have a “perfect” deposit.
They use what’s available to them:
- government schemes
- low deposit pathways
- different lending structures
Not to rush in…
But to move forward sooner, in a way that still makes sense financially.
The takeaway
Some people will save $100K before buying.
But not everyone needs to.
And for many, waiting to reach that number doesn’t make things easier.
It just delays getting started.
Because the real question isn’t:
“Can I save a bigger deposit?”
It’s:
“Does waiting for it actually put me in a better position?”
If you’re unsure what your position looks like — or whether you could buy sooner than you think — it can help to map it out properly.
Pre-qualify and see if you can own
