Financial coaching that helps you save a house deposit and smash your mortgage in half the normal time


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Sometimes feel like you're screwed?


"First home buyers take 10 years to save for a deposit"


"60 per cent of first home buyers surveyed had received financial help from their parents"


"Australia's soaring interest rates have trapped mortgage prisoners into crushing repayments"

Save a house deposit faster

We help our clients save up a house deposit faster and smash their mortgage in half the normal time

We help you align your spending with your priorities and stick to your plan

Save faster

3x

more savings by aligning your spending with your priorities

Buy sooner

$50k+

of house price rises avoided by buying two years sooner

Avoid interest

$250k+

of interest avoided by paying off home loan sooner

Help others

10%

of your fee is donated to the Financial Counselling Foundation

How we can help

House Deposit Kickstart

$396

(billed at $66 per month over 6 months)

  • If you want to save up a house deposit fast
  • Avoid >$50k in house price rises
  • Avoid paying lenders mortgage insurance (LMI)
  • Get clear on where your money is going
  • Build solid plan for saving house deposit in less than 3 years
  • Identify government support available (e.g. FHSSS)
  • Confirm you can afford repayments, rates, maintenance, etc.
  • Put your savings on auto-pilot

Smash My Mortgage

$450

(billed at $75 per month over 6 months)

  • If you want to pay off your mortgage in half the time
  • Avoid >$250k in interest over life of loan
  • Get clear on where your money is going
  • Build solid plan for paying off your mortgage in 15 years
  • Identify practical savings strategies that work for you
  • Accelerate mortgage paydown

Your coach

G'day, I'm Damien!

I'm here to help you smash your house deposit and mortgage paydown goals while still living an awesome life. I love helping people see what's possible with their money and feel in control.

I've spent the last 16 years helping clients identify what goals really matter to them, cut out waste, and make big progress.

I have finance credentials (Bachelors of Commerce and Economics from the Australian National University), but more importantly I have proven our approach to money management works by achieving financial independence at 35 years old with my family.

You may have seen me in...

Frequently Asked Questions

While we both aim to help our clients achieve their financial goals, we differ in three key ways:

  1. With a financial coach, you always remain in control of your own money. With MyBudget, you're handing over day-to-day management of your money to someone else, which has its risks!
  2. We're not a generic money coach, we focus on helping you smash the biggest savings goal of your life: affording a house.
  3. We cost significantly less than MyBudget as we focus on building your financial skills and confidence, so you can take control of your own finances. MyBudget typically charge an establishment fee of $1,200-1,800 plus an ongoing administration fee of $45-60/week, so over $3,000 in the first year alone!

For more information, check out our detailed article on how MyBudget works and how much MyBudget costs.

No, we do NOT offer financial product advice.

Instead, we focus on your spending and saving habits as we believe these are the most critical factors in building a house deposit fast.

While investing is important in the long-term, returns can swing wildly in the short-term and tend to have a limited impact on how long it'll take to build your house deposit (on average)

No, we are independent and only accept payments from our clients, so we will always focus on what's best for you.

We may suggest contacting another professional (e.g. mortgage broker, financial advisor) for help with matters outside our areas of expertise, but we receive no financial benefits from these referrals. We simply refer when we think they may be able to help you in achieving your goals.

  • Align your spending with your priorities (e.g. trade-off between eating out, getting a new car and buying a house)
  • Develop a detailed achievable budget that includes regular savings towards your goals
  • Provide an accountability partner like a personal trainer, or gym partner
  • Identify ways to get the same outcome for less money
  • Identify ways to save money on your bills
  • Teach you how to slash your grocery expenses by focusing on in-season produce
  • Show you how to avoid paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) when buying your first home
  • Show you how to pay off your mortgage faster and save over $250k in interest
  • Design savings account system to better manage infrequent expenses (e.g. rego, insurance, health, etc.)
  • Demonstrate how to get value-for-money when shopping (e.g., best value protein powders, best value fish oils, etc.)
  • Avoid late fees (e.g., Afterpay), overdraft fees and interest by better managing your cashflow
  • Show you how to "pay yourself first" by automatically transferring your savings every pay
  • Identify the best banking apps for taking control of your finances
  • Change money habits that limit your ability to save

While it's likely the biggest purchase you'll ever make, you're surprisingly left to yourself to navigate the complex home buying process. That's why we've developed a step-by-step guide to buying a house in Australia from saving a house deposit to moving in.

How much rent you can afford depends on your income, lifestyle and goals. The simple "30% rule" suggests budgeting 30% of your after-tax income for rent, but this can be a bit too simplistic at times. If you have bigger goals than the average person, or a more expensive lifestyle (e.g., young kids in childcare), then this one-size-fits-all approach isn't going to work for you.

That's why we developed a more tailored rent calculator based on your income, lifestyle and goals. By factoring in your lifestyle and your goals, you get a truer picture of how much rent you can actually afford.

Absolutely, our House Deposit Kickstart program is all about helping you build up a solid house deposit by consistently putting away savings every pay day, which is basically what lenders want to see when they ask you to demonstrate your house deposit funds are "genuine savings". If you want more information, be sure to check out our Ultimate guide to genuine savings.

If you're already saving lots of money each month, then I would NOT sign-up for this program. Keep your money and keep it up!

If you're in financial hardship, then I also would NOT sign-up for this program. Get in touch with a free financial counsellor instead by contacting the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.

However, if you have a decent income and you're saving less than 10% each month towards a house deposit, then this program is designed for you. You'll save more than 10x the fee paid as you'll be able to buy a house years sooner, avoid LMI and avoid $50k+ in house price rises.

There are a range of budgeting services in Australia that can help you budget better. The best option for you will depend on your financial situation, whether you can DIY with a bit of guidance, and whether you're also seeking financial advice (e.g., investment advice).

Your options include:

  • Financial counsellors
  • Financial coaches (like Afford a House)
  • Household cash flow managers (like MyBudget)
  • Financial advisers

Please check out our guide on Who can help me budget my money? for a detailed comparison of the services available and how to know which service is right for you.

Yes - it might be simple, but it's not always easy, especially if you're feeling overwhelmed.

It's like getting fit, we know we need to exercise more and eat healthier, but for whatever reason, we often don't do it. Life gets in the way and we fall off the wagon, then we try it all again a couple of months later.

With a coach, you're more likely to stick to the plan and hit your goal sooner - I actually guarantee it!

Let's make this happen!

If you're keen to learn more, schedule a free 15-minute call now.

Our goal during this no-pressure chat is to get to know you, learn more about your financial challenges and goals, and answer your questions about how financial coaching can help you manage your money with confidence and smash your home ownership goals.

If you have any immediate questions, or need help with scheduling, please call us on 0422 025 499 or email us at info@affordahouse.com.au.