 Right now we're heading over to Property Advice. Now along with Private Property, we're going to be helping you out through everything you need to know when it comes to buying your dream home. Starting the journey to buying your first home can be a rather daunting experience but being prepared and getting the right advice can make the world of difference. Together with the country's leading property website, Private Property, we're guiding you through the finer details of being a first-time buyer and what you should be prepared for before you buy. Simon, I'm looking to purchase my first property. I think it goes without saying that preparation is very important. How do we go about building that platform? The property for you is an incredibly personal thing. A lot of us have different reasons for getting into the property market. The family is expanding, maybe there's a new job, we're moving to a new city, we're looking to invest in property, perhaps as a second home. In your case, you want to get off the rental market and onto the property ladder and I think that's a really exciting process for a lot of people but it does tailor the requirements for your next home and it's really important to understand what those personal features are that are best for your property choice. So you're probably looking for things like lock up and go, secure, convenient and easy to maintain and absolutely you're looking for something that's affordable because it's often a shock when you move from renting to buying your first home. I've been renting for a number of years now. How do I know when I'm ready to purchase? It's a big question that I mean we often get asked rental versus buy and I think that's it's really important to understand when it's right for you. So I mean first of all on to the personal questions around are you happy to be in one place for a while? Is it the right time financially? Have you got other commitments and stresses that you're not taking account of that you need to sort out first? But then you look at the market and you say okay well we're going to have to cover interest, we're going to have to cover maintenance, we're going to have to cover levies and rates. These are things that you're not used to as a tenant so the capital growth in the asset is going to need to be great enough over a period of time to make those costs make sense. So you're looking for neighborhoods that are going to appreciate, neighborhoods that are going to grow and you certainly want to buy at the right price. Financially how important is it to have a financial plan and what are some of the requirements we need to be aware of? You know planning for your first home starts a long time before you jump on the property website like ours. You know you you want to start saving from as early as you can. You want to get that discipline of saving because once you move from that rental apartment to your new home you're going to have to cover those costs and then another thing that a lot of our customers don't figure out is how important your credit history is, how important your credit score is. If you have a credit card or a retail account and you pay that account off regularly you start to build up a positive history and that makes your chances of getting a mortgage so much better. While you're evaluating your financial situation and preferences you can start researching properties online. Make notes of the homes you like and prices to get a sense of the trends in your desired areas. Before you start looking for your dream home take the time to write down exactly what your needs are that way it will help you make your final decision. For more information and expert advice visit privateproperty.co.z Whether it's your first apartment in the city, a trendy suburban townhouse or that dream family home on a gulf estate there's a home for everyone on private property.