Step 1 · Tell us if anything has changed

Summer Headstart · Step 1 of 10 · Get ready

You've got a strategy, and maybe a pre-approval. Before you start making offers, there's one quick thing to do: tell us if anything in your life has changed since we last spoke.

Why this matters before Christmas

A pre-approval is a lender's view of you at a moment in time. It's built on your income, your savings, your debts and your plans as they were on the day we put it together.

Life doesn't stand still. A new job, a pay rise, a bonus, a new car loan or a dip in savings can all change what a lender will do. Most changes are fine. Some help. A few need a conversation before you bid.

The timing matters too. Lenders and conveyancers slow down from mid-December. If something needs sorting, the earlier we know, the more room we have to sort it before the market goes quiet.

What counts as a change

• A new job, a change of employer, or moving from salary to contract or self-employed
• A pay rise, a pay cut, a bonus, or fewer hours
• Any new debt: a car loan, a personal loan, buy now pay later, or a higher card limit
• Savings going up or down, including money from family
• A change in your plans: a different suburb, a bigger or smaller budget, or a different type of property
• A new addition to the family on the way

If you're not sure whether something counts, tell us anyway. It takes two minutes.

What we do

We already track your pre-approval and when it expires, and we'll let you know before it does. When you tell us something has changed, we check it against your strategy and the lender's policy, and tell you plainly whether it changes your number.

What you do this week

• Read back through your strategy and note anything that's different now
• Reply to any Alcove email, or call your Alcove contact, with what's changed
• Hold off on new credit (cards, car loans, buy now pay later) until you've bought

Watch

🎥 Chris Bates: first home buyers, upgraders and investors, what to do post-Budget

Next: Step 2 · Know your real budget, including upfront costs →

See all 10 steps

Want to talk it through?

Book a 30-minute chat with the team →

General information only, not financial or legal advice. Your situation is your own, so talk to us before you act.