Buying your first home is exciting and stressful at the same time. One of the biggest hurdles is borrowing power - the amount a lender is willing to loan you. Knowing what lenders look at and taking a few practical steps can lift your borrowing capacity so you can shop with confidence.

Buying your first home is exciting and a bit overwhelming. Interest rates, deposits and loan types get most of the attention, but the features inside a home loan often make the biggest difference to how the loan actually works for you.

Before you fill out a home loan application, there are a number of steps you can take to strengthen your position as a borrower.