There are a few key milestones in your life that will stand out as days you remember forever.
For me, one of those was picking up the keys to my first home. It didn't feel real that my dream of owning a corner red-brick apartment had finally come true.
Years of spending Saturdays running between inspections and missing out at auctions where the opening bid was more than I could afford, I was finally a homeowner. All on my own.
But while everyone talks about saving for a deposit, far fewer people talk about what comes next.
Once the paperwork was signed, I quickly discovered there was a lot more to think about than my carefully considered couch-to-coffee-table colour ratio.
Luckily, none of my mistakes were too catastrophic, and I'm still happily living in my inner-city bachelorette pad. But there are a few things I learnt the hard way I'd want to tell anyone considering being a solo homeowner.
I treated the deposit like the finish line.
Once you've transferred what feels like every dollar you've ever earned to purchase your property, you'd like to think the hard part is over, and you can figure the rest out paycheck to paycheck.
Incorrect! Because the first few months after I settled on my property were some of the most expensive of my adult life.
I'd budgeted for the obvious expenses: stamp duty, conveyancer fees and furniture, so I was feeling pretty confident I'd covered my bases.
But there are so many things you don't think about until you've moved in, especially when you're doing it on a single income.
In my case, I never noticed that my apartment actually didn't have curtains, or rods from which to hang them. So I had to buy curtains for each room from Spotlight, and find someone with a drill from Airtasker to have rods fixed into the wall.
Within a month, I realised my dishwasher was temperamental. To be honest, I still haven't fixed it because I wasn't expecting things to break so quickly.
If I could do it again, I'd create a separate "first three months" fund before settlement. Not for the exciting stuff, but for the boring-but-important, somewhat unexpected expenses that inevitably pop up once the keys are yours.
I didn't think enough about protecting my income.
Before becoming a homeowner, I was living on a month-to-month lease, and barely thought about the importance of my income beyond its ability to fund my penchant for a long brunch with the girls.
These days, I've had to think about what would happen if I suddenly didn't have the ability to work, and still had a mortgage to pay by myself.
It's only recently that I got my plan in place for how I'd manage financially if the unexpected happened, which began with researching insurance options. One of those life admin tasks I'd been putting off, but owning a home suddenly made it feel a lot more important.
Life insurance stood out because I wanted the peace of mind that if something happened to me, my loved ones wouldn't be left dealing with the financial impact alone. I liked Zurich Ezicover's simple life insurance options that you can organise directly from them just through an online application. (Handy if you know what type and amount of cover you need, to get it ticked off your list.)
It's easy to think you'll never need life insurance, but thousands of us make claims every year. In 2025 alone, Zurich supported 8,479 customers through life insurance claims, paying more than $1.3 billion in benefits. Zurich's approach is all about clear communication, practical guidance and access to additional support as part of their claims experience.
I also looked into home loan protection insurance, which can help support mortgage repayments in certain situations, such as if I'm unable to work due to illness, injury or involuntary unemployment.
Income protection insurance was perhaps the option that I was most interested in. This isn't just about mortgage repayments. It's about knowing there may be broader financial support available if illness or injury prevented me from bringing home a paycheck.
Because for me, it wasn't just about having something in place — it was about knowing that if something did go wrong, I'd have support to help keep things on track financially while I focused on getting through it.
I'd encourage other solo buyers to explore the different types of insurance available and get professional financial advice on what's right for you, before taking the leap.
Understanding my options, like life insurance, home loan protection and income protection has helped me feel so much more prepared for the unexpected.
I underestimated the emotional toll on me.
I moved into my home more than seven months ago, and I'm only just recovering from the burnout.
Between packing up my old place, coordinating the move, settling into a new neighbourhood and adjusting to a very different financial reality, I felt like I was carrying a hundred different responsibilities at once.
My biggest mistake was thinking I had to handle all of it myself, rather than saying yes to the help being offered by friends and family.
Ask your loved ones for recommendations for removalists or handymen they've used, and if they offer to come over and help unpack a box — you should damn well let them.
And if you can, have someone with you on that first night. Trust me, it makes all the difference when you're settling into a curtain-less room, sleeping on a mattress on the floor because you haven't had time or the hands to put the bed frame together yet.
I thought I had to have the Pinterest-perfect home right off the bat.
From the second I moved in, I was picturing the art I'd hang and the floor lamp that would perfectly complement my gold bar cart.
But in reality, that lamp is still yet to be purchased.
For ages, I felt awkward about having people over because the house wasn't completely 'done' yet.
But you 100 per cent should not feel that way. Half the fun of furnishing my home has been the weird and wonderful pieces I've found along the way as the vision slowly came together.
One of my favourite things in the house is a beautiful second-hand blue sideboard I found on Facebook Marketplace months after moving in.
It's great to have a vision, but give yourself and your bank account a break. Take your time gathering the pieces that make your place feel like you.
The bottom line is, homeownership is hard, but with a bit of planning, the right support and some grace for yourself along the way, it's also incredibly rewarding.
You've done this all on your own, and you deserve a big pat on the back. Or a very large glass of red wine if that's more to your liking.
I hope if that's your dream and it's come true, you pop your feet up on your carefully chosen couch and soak up the joy of knowing the living room you're relaxing in after work belongs to you.
Source: Monisha Iswaran for Mamamia
Any general advice in this article has been prepared by Zurich Australia Limited (Zurich) ABN 92 000 010 195, AFSL 232510. It does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. You should consider these factors and the appropriateness of the information to you. Consider seeking advice specific to your individual circumstances from an appropriate professional. You should also consider any relevant Product Disclosure Statement, Target Market Determination available at zurich.com.au before making any decisions.
Ezicover Life Insurance, Ezicover Income Protection and Zurich Home Loan Protection are issued by Zurich.
