Help & resources
Find answers, support, and guidance.
Getting pre-approval
Pre-approval shows how much HomeStart will lend you to buy a property, as long as the information you have supplied is correct and all conditions are met*.
With pre-approval you can:
- start looking for the home you want
- make an offer on a property with confidence
- have up to 4 months to search for your home
We can arrange pre-approval after your loan application has been assessed if you meet our eligibility criteria.
If it takes longer than 4 months to find a home, your Loan Consultant can reassess your situation to give you another pre-approval.
*A pre-approval is not a final approval. It is indicative of how much HomeStart may lend you, based upon the information you have provided. Formal approval is issued only when HomeStart’s eligibility and lending criteria and all terms and conditions are met. The specific details of your loan will be documented in your credit contract.
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Free home ownership seminars
Our online and in-person seminars will explain what’s involved in buying or building your home, giving you the guidance you need to feel more prepared and take the next step on your home ownership journey.
Frequently asked questions
General FAQs
HomeStart will obtain your consent to order a report from a credit reporting agency. This report may note any applications for credit that you may have made previously. It may also show credit defaults that have been recorded on your file, if applicable. A credit check may also be conducted with any existing Credit Provider that you have listed on your loan application.
Once the e-form has been submitted, you cannot change the information on the website. However, please contact HomeStart immediately and we will action any changes on your behalf.
You can cancel your home loan application at any time before approval by reaching out to your Broker or your HomeStart Home Loan Specialist, depending on who submitted your application. Alternatively, you can contact us and speak with one of our team members to request the cancellation.
Yes, a copy can be made available to you at any time and this can be emailed or posted to you. To obtain a copy of your application, please contact HomeStart.
When applying for a home loan, there are fees and other costs that you need to pay over and above the deposit, such as stamp duty, loan application fees, conveyancer fees, and building and pest inspection fees. Building insurance is also required to cover the property you wish to purchase, and you will need to provide us with a copy of the policy during the application process.
If you’ve recently moved to South Australia and want to buy a home, HomeStart can assist you in getting started. We offer options for refugees looking to settle down and skilled migrants entering the housing market.
Learn about the home buying process:
Attend a free Home Buyer Seminar in Adelaide or visit our News page for useful tips.
Access interpreter services:
You can use interpreter services during initial discussions over the phone and in person during your home loan appointment to help you understand how our home loans work.
Access to our Graduate Loan:
Skilled migrants may be eligible for our Graduate Loan, starting with a 2% deposit. Other criteria, terms and conditions will apply, depending on which home loan you choose. Contact us to find out more.
Useful Resources
Multicultural SA
News read our education blog about buying a home
Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia
Migration SA
First Home Owner Grant checklist
Revenue SA has information to help assess if you are eligible for the First Home Owner Grant.
If your annual income before tax is $115,000 or less (singles) or $150,000 or less (couples or families), the affordable homes program could help you find a home sooner. You can also register to receive email alerts when new properties are listed. Other eligibility requirements apply. Visit HomeSeeker SA for more information.
If you have a good repayment history and a reasonable amount of equity in your home, you may meet the lending criteria of other lenders and be ready to move on from HomeStart. You create equity in your home by paying off some of your home loan balance or when your home has increased in value. The more equity you have the easier it will be to refinance. Get more information here or watch this video.
Application FAQs
The time needed to assess loan applications depends on how complex your application is, how quickly you can provide the necessary information, and our current processing times. Your Home Loan Specialist or Broker will give you an indication of timings when working with you on your application.
Your home loan assessments may be delayed if we don’t have all the information we need. Providing the documents we request as quickly as possible will help progress your application through our assessment process.
Your Home Loan Specialist or Broker will let you know if you need a property valuation. If so, inform your real estate agent so they can arrange it as soon as possible.
Get in touch with your HomeStart Home Loan Specialist on 1300 636 878 or your Broker if you have questions about the status of your home loan application.
What you’ll need
The Verification of Identity (VOI) service will ask for primary identification documents such as:
- your passport
- your Australian Driver’s Licence
- your birth certificate
- a change of name or marriage certificate (if applicable)
What you need to do
As part of completing your loan application with HomeStart, you will receive an email from us with instructions for how to verify your identity. The Verification of Identity (VOI) is completed through ID Verse, an ID verification platform used widely by the financial services industry. Simply follow the prompts to complete the verification. For more details, click here if you are on mobile or click here if you are on desktop.
Important information
- You can only complete the VOI process on a mobile device with a camera (like a phone or a tablet). If you use a desktop and click ‘Verify’, you’ll see a QR code—scan it with your mobile device to start the process.
- Make sure you have two different forms of ID ready to go through the process.
If you require further assistance, call us on 1300 636 878 or request a call back.
We require information from your bank statements to assess your loan application. To make the process as quick and easy as possible for you, we use an automated bank statement retrieval service supplied by one of Australia’s leading credit bureaus, Illion. You can find out more about Illion’s service and security on their website.
You can track the status of your loan application on HomeStart Online. If you submitted your application directly to us, either online or with one of our Home Loan Specialists, you can log in to HomeStart Online to track your loan application status at any time.
If you submitted your application with a Broker, they will be able to inform you about your application status.
Your Home Loan Specialist will ask you to upload documents about your financial situation to support your loan application.
Follow the steps below to upload the relevant documents:
- Register for HomeStart Online
- Complete the Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
- Go to My Dashboard
- Go to Manage My Loan
- Select Upload Documents and upload all necessary documents to the correct categories
If you require assistance with uploading your documents, please contact your Home Loan Specialist.
If you submitted your application through a Broker, they will upload your documents to us on your behalf.
If your Verification of Identity (VOI) isn’t going through, it may be due to poor-quality or unclear ID images. This can cause delays in your application process.
This often happens when a photo of a physical ID (e.g. a driver’s licence) is saved to a device, then re-photographed from the screen. These “copies of copies” reduce image quality and make facial recognition difficult.
Here are a few tips to make sure your VOI goes smoothly:
- Physical ID: Take a clear photo of the original document – don’t photograph a screen.
- Digital ID: Upload a direct screenshot from the device (e.g. Digital SA Driver’s Licence or Medicare card).
- Check clarity: if the image looks blurry or unclear, please retake it before uploading.
HomeStart Online FAQs
If you’re a new customer applying for a home loan online, you will need set up your HomeStart Online account as the first step:
If you’re an existing customer and want to set up your account, you can register here.
The verification email may take 1 – 2 hours to reach your inbox depending on your internet provider. Please check your spam and junk folder in case it was delivered there.
When activating, if you try to reset your password before completing the email verification step this may result in your account being blocked. Please contact our Customer Service Team if this happens on 8203 4081 or email myloan@homestart.com.au.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an additional layer of security to ensure you and only you can access your online account. MFA requires two or more proofs of identity - a password and a verification code.
No, you each need your own unique email address to log in to HomeStart Online. If the email address you have previously provided is incorrect, please update with your most current email address.
No, you cannot have more than one email address registered with us. If the email address you have previously provided is incorrect, please call us so we can update your current email address.
Statement FAQs
While most lenders link repayments to interest rates, HomeStart repayments will usually adjust every 12 months based on inflation (the Annual Instalment Review), and not when interest rates change. So, if interest rates go down, you’ll pay off your loan faster and if they go up, your loan term will increase. Either way, you won’t have to stress about changing interest rates affecting your annually set minimum repayments.
The interest charged to your loan is currently greater than your repayment amount. This difference between the interest charged and your repayment causes your outstanding loan balance to increase. To reduce your loan balance, you can choose to increase your repayment amount or make voluntary repayment at no extra charge. Alternatively, you can wait until your repayment amount is adjusted, usually on the anniversary of your loan. This is called the Annual Instalment Review and is based on inflation, not when interest rates change. For more information about how this works, watch our video.
Privacy FAQs
When you use the HomeStart website, our systems record some basic and anonymous information about your computer including:
- Your IP address (unique signature)
- Your operating system
- Your browser
HomeStart uses this information to ensure that our website is compatible with the browsers and systems that our customers use. By using our site, you consent to the collection of this information.
HomeStart conducts surveys and marketing questionnaires so that it can better understand the needs of its customers. If you respond to a survey or questionnaire, we will use that information to improve our services and products available to our customers.
HomeStart uses industry standard security on its website and systems to help keep your information safe, but there are also some things you can do to enhance your security. We recommend that you:
- Take extra care if you use a public computer or free public Wi-Fi. Make sure your personal details are protected and log out when you’ve finished.
- Set a passcode or password on your computer or device and enable the option to lock the screen after a short period of inactivity.
- Don’t use the same password on more than one account, and don’t share your passwords.
- Make sure your computer or device has the latest security updates installed.
- When using the HomeStart online application always save and exit if you move away from your device/computer or after you have completed the application.
You can email privacy@homestart.com.au with any queries or contact HomeStart.
When you apply for a loan with HomeStart, you will need to provide certain personal information and documents relating to your circumstances, financial situation and identification.
At various stages of the application process, we will ask you for this information so we can complete our assessment of your application.
You can provide your information to your Broker or HomeStart Home Loan Specialist at your appointment.
Key Facts Sheet
The Key Facts Sheet is only available for the HomeStart Loan. This fact sheet contains important information about the loan product based on a loan amount you provide.
A PDF document will appear in a new browser. If you are using a mobile or tablet device, the PDF will start to download (ensure your browser allows pop-ups).
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