Gold Coast · Off-the-Plan Finance
Buying off the plan means your loan is decided at completion, not at contract.
I'm Rebecca Tickner, a finance broker who lives in Surfers Paradise. New towers here, in Broadbeach, Main Beach and Southport are often sold one to three years before they're finished. You sign and pay a deposit now, but the lender values the apartment when it's built and assesses you close to settlement. Planning for that gap is most of the work.
Last reviewed
Rebecca Tickner
Finance Broker · Maxfin
Sound familiar?
The problems I hear most often.
The valuation happens when it's finished
The lender values the apartment at completion, not on the day you sign. If the valuation comes in under your contract price, the loan is generally based on the lower figure and the difference has to come from you. New apartments can value below the price paid, so it's worth planning for that from the start.
A pre-approval won't last the build
Pre-approvals generally run for months, not years. On a long build the real application happens close to settlement, when your income, the lender's policy and interest rates may all have moved. Knowing early which lenders accept you and the building is what protects your position.
The building can narrow the field
Some lenders cap how much they'll lend in a single building or high-density postcode, set a lower maximum loan against apartments, or set a minimum internal size. A lender that's comfortable with the tower today may have reached its limit by completion, so I keep more than one option in view. All of it varies by lender.
How It Works
Five stages. Walked together.
The same client journey from your first call through to settlement... and the loan reviews that follow.
Tap a stage to explore
01.
Discover
- 15-minute discovery call
- Hello Pack lands in your inbox
- Click “Get Started” to begin your Fact Find
02.
Plan
- Your Fact Find returned
- I assess your servicing
- You receive your Game Plan with my recommendation
03.
Apply
- Game Plan signed
- I lodge your application
- We wait... lender may come back with clarifying questions
04.
Approve
- Conditional approval
- Final conditions satisfied (e.g. insurance)
- Formal approval
05.
Settle
- Loan documents signed
- Settlement booked, solicitor takes the lead
- Loan settled!
In Practice
With off the plan, the contract price is what you agreed to pay. The valuation at completion is what the lender agrees to lend against. Plan for the space between the two.
Rebecca Tickner
What you get working with me.
I live among these towers
Surfers Paradise is home. When we talk about a building, a street or a body corporate on the Gold Coast, it's first-hand.
Apartment policy, weekly
High-density security is routine work for me, so the questions that catch off-the-plan buyers out get asked at the start rather than in settlement week.
Completion risk, planned for
We talk about a valuation shortfall before it can happen, not after. You'll know the options for covering a gap well ahead of settlement.
30+ lenders, one standard
Major lenders and non-majors alike. I recommend the one whose policy fits you and the apartment, subject to lender criteria and individual circumstances.
Buyers living overseas
Many off-the-plan buyers live abroad. Expat lending has its own rules, and I work across timezones by email and video.
Investors and owner-occupiers both
An apartment bought to live in, to rent long term or to run as a holiday let is assessed differently. All three are everyday work.
A starting position today, before we plan for completion.
RBA rate update · 29 September 2026 applied
1 · What are you looking to do?
2 · Your details
Are you applying with a partner?
3 · Properties you already own
Do you currently own property?
4 · Core debts
Banks assess your limit, not your balance, at 3.8% of the limit per month, even if you pay it off each cycle.
Combined monthly repayments on personal and vehicle loans.
5 · Living expenses
I'll use average household living costs unless you enter your own.
Estimate only. Not a credit offer or pre-qualification. Subject to lender criteria, credit assessment, and a full needs analysis. Rental income and existing lending may be assessed differently by different lenders. Get in touch for advice tailored to your situation.
Questions
Frequently asked.
Can I get my loan approved now for an apartment that settles in two years?
Not in a form that lasts until completion. Pre-approvals generally run for months, so the formal application is usually made closer to settlement. What I can do early is confirm which lenders accept your income, the building and the apartment, so you go into the build period with a plan. Subject to lender criteria.
What happens if the apartment values below what I paid?
Lenders generally lend against the lower of the valuation and the purchase price, so a lower valuation increases the amount you need to contribute. Depending on the gap, options can include additional savings, equity in another property or a different lender's assessment. Subject to lender criteria and individual circumstances.
Will lenders finance a small or studio apartment?
Some will. Most lenders set a minimum internal living area, usually excluding the balcony and car space, and the threshold varies. A compact apartment narrows the shortlist rather than ruling finance out, which is why I check the size before you sign. More on apartment policy on my Surfers Paradise page.
What is a sunset clause and should I worry about it?
Off-the-plan contracts usually include a date by which the development must be completed, and what happens if it isn't. How that works in your contract is a legal question for your conveyancer or lawyer, and worth asking before you sign.
I live overseas. Can I buy off the plan on the Gold Coast?
Australian citizens living overseas are generally exempt from foreign investment approval under section 35(1) of the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Regulation. The finance side follows expat lending rules, where your income is converted and discounted for currency risk. My expat investors page and expat finance guide cover it in detail.
How much does a broker cost?
Generally, nothing. Lenders pay me a commission when your loan settles, and it doesn't change your rate or your loan amount. I act in your best interests when providing credit assistance to you.
Heads up: more complex or strategic work, like developments, house flips, or deals with claw-back risk, may involve an upfront fee. Always disclosed up front.
People reading this usually
Written & reviewed by
Rebecca Tickner
Finance Broker, Maxfin · Diploma of Finance & Mortgage Broking Management (FNS50322) · ASIC Credit Rep 571611 · MFAA Member
I built a seven-property portfolio with my partner. I structure clients' finance the same way I run mine.
More about Rebecca