How to Secure a Rental Property Even on a Low Income

Securing a rental property in the current property market, with constantly increasing prices and high demand can be tough, especially if you're on a low income, Centrelink or have a large family.

A few things that can make a big impact include:

• Registering properly for the open home and completing as much of your application online through the preferred platform for that property before the open home.
• Dressing well and having a clean car because the real estate is assessing you and how you keep your things to see if you will take care of the property. The better you present, the higher your chances of your application being looked at and considered.
• Be memorable. If you can, talk to the property manager a little, connect with them and be memorable or stand out in some way.
• Include a cover letter or a letter to the landlord detailing your lifestyle, why and how you will take care of the property and why you want it.
• Highlight all sources of income and aim to have more than one for more security. Do what you can to increase your income (e.g. use these tips to double your income or try some of these side hustles) and show evidence of that.

Find more tips to help you create the best rental application you can here.

How to Buy a Home

Buying a home feels out of reach for many people now but if it is something you want to achieve, here are some tips.

​How to afford a house was written a few years ago and includes all the expenses you need to consider, tips to make more money and how to purchase within your budget.

​How to increase your borrowing power for a mortgage includes tips from a few experts to help you secure your first home.

​How to use your home to pay your mortgage has tips based on a house I lived in to help you make your home pay for itself.

How to Set Up Your Home on a Budget

I have moved all over Australia and spent time overseas so I have set up a home from scratch a few times. Most recently, we were all prepped to move, I sold off virtually everything we had then 2 weeks before we were meant to move, we had to postpone it.

My pregnancy got complicated so moving Sydney to Perth wasn't possible and we can't until the end of the year now so my eldest can complete year 12.

We had no beds, no lounge, no TV or anything really except a few mattresses, the fridge and washing machine.

Yet, I was able to get pretty much everything we wanted or needed for free.

When setting up home in Noosa, Shellharbour, Melbourne and Canberra, here are the things I did to manage it on a budget and with what I wanted.

Know What You Need and What You Want

Create a list or spreadsheet to outline what you need in each area of the home and list what you want as well.

With the needs, try to be descriptive so you know exactly what you are looking for and will be happy with the items rather than getting anything just because it's free or cheap.

Work out which items need to be secured first and try to get them in order.

It's easy to get distracted and want everything all at once but that is also how you blow your budget.

Once you know what you need and want, have a look at prices for new vs second hand. Decide what you want brand new and what you are ok with being second hand before buying anything.

Doing this makes it much easier to find what you need and set your home up much cheaper and more efficiently than doing it without a plan.

Also, if you secure items carefully, that have been well taken care of, when it comes time to move you might be able to sell them for more than you got them for. I've done this successfully with each move. Picked up items for free or cheap, used them for the few years we were in the area then sold them for the same price or more.

Facebook Marketplace

We got amazing beds, bedside tables, an entertainment unit and numerous other things we love and were exactly what we wanted for free on marketplace. It can sometimes take a while to find the right items and you need a trailer or roof racks so you can get the items quickly but it has worked well for us.

Moving from Noosa to Shellharbour, I checked marketplace first and saw I could sell what we had and get most of it for free or similar pricing instead of moving it all, so we did that.

You might be surprised at what's available, especially from people who need to move quickly or live in wealthier areas and simply want to clear it out.

Also check Gumtree, local buy sell swap, pay it forward and similar groups on Facebook.

Let People Know

Our neighbours knew our situation so offered things like chairs they had in their garage, a spare table etc to use until we move.

At other times, friends and family knew we were setting up a new home so if they had items they no longer needed or used, they offered them. Plus if we let them know what we were looking out for, sometimes someone they knew were getting rid of something and we were able to pick it up that way.

It has been truly amazing the things we've been able to use or been given.

Clearance Sections, Closing Down and Sales

We got an amazing lounge suite from Harvey Norman at a fraction of the retail price simply because it was ex display. It was over $8,000 and we paid $1,500. We used it for 3 years then sold it.

All furniture stores have clearance sections with ex display or slightly damaged stock. Some of the damage is fixable or not even visible so it can be worth it to have a look.

Everything goes on sale at some point so there is no real need to pay full price for items.

There are also businesses that are closing down and clear out their stock at low prices. If you see any of those, try your luck.

​Use these tips to get a discount on everything, which could save you thousands when setting up your home.

Gifts, Celebrations and Competitions

If you have a birthday, Christmas, wedding or another celebration coming up that aligns with setting up your house, you could do a gift registry or suggestion list. It doesn't mean people have to buy those things specifically but it can help you get set up and make it easier for them to know what to buy you.

At the same time, enter competitions because you never know what you might win. Check out this article for tips on entering and winning competitions.

Op Shops, Warehouse, Estate Sales etc.

Second hand shops as well as scratch and dent showrooms, warehouses and similar can be treasure troves for bargain items.

Everything from home decor to fridges, lamps, bedding, books, all of it can be sourced here but you need to know your prices.

Some second hand stores charge more for items than they cost new in store so make sure you know how much things are worth.

Auction houses, estate sales and garage sales can all be great places to score bargains and more unique items too.

Your Garden

When setting up your home you might want to overhaul the garden. We were able to redo everything for almost nothing thanks to free plants on marketplace, cuttings, growing some seeds and growing from scraps e.g. herbs, celery, spring onion etc.

Work out what plants you want, pavers, pots etc then see if you can find them on marketplace for free. Almost everything we got was from there or the Bunnings clearance section where we saved numerous plants reduced to $1 ot $2 and revived them.

We love indoor plants so learnt how to propagate and I got heaps of plants from my sister when she moved states and couldn't take them (I paid her for them). When we had to sell everything to move, I was amazed at how quickly the plants sold and the prices I got.

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Discounts and Cash Bonuses For You!

Here are a selection of popular discounts and cash you can get now.
​$100 from ING​
​$15 instantly from UP​
​$30 from Ubank with a few steps​
WeMoney is a budgeting app that can help you improve your financial situation. Get $5 when you sign up here.
Get $10 worth of Bitcoin when you deposit $10. It is volatile but a great way to see how you feel about crypto.

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Use the code eats-kyliet591ue when you download the Ubereats app and make an order to get $10 off.

We have a full list of over 50 birthday freebies and discounts for Australians here.

​How to get freebies, discounts and vouchers, state by state and nationwide information.

The Thrifty Issue Community

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