Melbourne

Lots of good advice here already. I will add, if you haven’t already, get a spreadsheet out and make a budget to know exactly what your living costs are. Put in everything - food, car, entertainment, healthcare, insurances etc. Now add in the extra costs that you would have if owning a house - house insurance, rates, body corp if buying a unit. Then see what amount of money if left for repayments. Next, work out what size loan you can afford based on how much you can afford for repayments, but make sure to estimate at a higher interest rate than is current, because this a pretty much a certainty in the next year or two. Now you can start narrowing down what kind of properties and which suburbs to look in. Look in suburbs where you can afford the median house price. Don’t forget to factor in stamp duty into the purchase price. This will mean you are at least looking mid-market, so won’t be restricted to renovators delights. Good luck.