Why this exists
Buying a first home in Australia means threading through more than 40 separate schemes, grants, and concessions spread across federal and state levels. The rules sit on different government pages, change at different times, use different income brackets, and are written for administrators rather than buyers.
Unpack Property exists to close that gap. The goal is a single place where you can model a realistic scenario in minutes: how much you can borrow, which schemes apply, what stamp duty looks like in your state, and what the total upfront cost actually is. The tools do not replace advice from a broker, agent, or planner. They get you to that conversation already oriented.
Who builds it
Unpack Property is built by an independent Software Engineer based in Australia. The project started as a set of personal spreadsheets built while working out whether and where to buy a first home. Over time the spreadsheets turned into calculators, and the calculators turned into this site.
The Software Engineer behind Unpack Property is not a licensed financial adviser, mortgage broker, real estate agent, or registered tax agent. Everything on the site is informational, backed by publicly documented data sources. For the legal position on what that means in practice, see the disclaimer.
What we believe
Free to use
Every calculator stays free. No paywall, no forced account, no gated results. If the site ever charges for something, it will be a clearly separate B2B product, not the public tools.
Partner-safe framing
The system is complicated. Individual professionals are not the enemy. Tools are built to help you arrive at a broker, agent, or planner better informed, not to replace their advice.
Data stays fresh
Every tool shows a 'Data verified' badge with the date we last checked the oldest data source it uses. Each source is rechecked on a set schedule, from monthly to yearly depending on how often it changes, so you can always see how current a figure is.
Tools before opinions
Calculators use official data wherever it exists (ATO, housing.gov.au, state revenue offices, RBA) and published market data, cited on each tool, where it does not. Commentary is kept light and always labelled.
How it's built
The site is hosted by Vercel and has no user accounts. Every calculator runs in your browser, so the exact figures you enter are never sent to our servers. What we do keep is the newsletter list with proof of consent, short-lived entries that prevent abuse, and analytics that receive rounded figures only. The privacy policy lists all of it.
Financial data comes from public sources:
- Tax brackets, Medicare levy, FHSS rules: Australian Taxation Office.
- Stamp duty tables and first home concessions: each state revenue office.
- First Home Guarantee, Help to Buy, Boost to Buy: Housing Australia and housing.gov.au.
- Reference interest rates, APRA serviceability guidance: RBA and APRA APG 223.
- General guidance and definitions: ASIC MoneySmart.
Accessibility targets WCAG 2.2 Level AA. See the accessibility statement for current conformance and known limitations. For how the project is funded and how that is kept separate from the tools, see the disclosure page.
How you can help
The project runs on my own time. If the tools saved you time or money, a few ways to give back:
- Subscribe to the newsletter on the home page. Low-volume emails about new tools and updates.
- Share the site with a friend who is looking at buying.
- Report a bug, a stale figure, or a broken scheme link to help@unpackproperty.com.au.
- Have an idea for a tool? Send it to feedback@unpackproperty.com.au.