Resources | Tools, Guides & Checklists | Benchmark Loans
Free Tools, Guides & Templates

Resources to Help You Buy, Build & Finance Smarter

High-intent calculators (lead magnets), practical checklists, and Perth-focused guides—built for first home buyers, refinancers, investors, builders, and business owners.

Clear guidance | Simple tools | Zero jargon

Tools, Guides & Checklists

Search the library or browse by category.

Tip: Search “checklist”, “guide”, “calculator”, “template”.

Calculators & Planners

These drive action—fast, useful, and easy.

Borrowing Power Calculator

Estimate how much you can borrow based on income, debts and expenses.

Open Calculator Hub

Stamp Duty Calculator (WA)

Estimate WA transfer duty and understand what impacts the total.

Open Calculator Hub

LMI Estimator

Ballpark LMI cost based on LVR and deposit—useful for planning.

Open Calculator Hub

Deposit + Upfront Costs Planner

Set a savings target and estimate fees (duty, conveyancing, inspections).

Open

Construction Progress Payment Planner

Stage-by-stage drawdowns + suggested cash buffer.

View Construction Loans Page

Refinance Savings Calculator

Model rate changes + fees to see if refinancing stacks up.

View Refinancing Page

Grants, Guarantees & Getting Ready

Plain-English explainers and practical steps.

Complete FHB Guide

From pre-approval to settlement—costs, steps, pitfalls and timeline.

Open First Home Buyers

First Home Owner Grant (WA) Explainer

Eligibility, property types, common gotchas, and how it applies to builds.

Open

First Home Guarantee / Family Home Guarantee

How low-deposit guarantees work, who qualifies, and lender realities.

Open

Rent vs Buy Guide

When buying makes sense (and when it doesn’t) in Perth markets.

Open

Guarantor (Family Pledge) Guide

How guarantors work, risks, exits, and what banks actually accept.

Open

Upfront Costs Checklist

Conveyancing, inspections, lender fees, moving costs—everything in one list.

Open

Checklists to Avoid Expensive Mistakes

WA-specific where it matters.

Offer & Acceptance Checklist (WA)

Clauses, settlement terms, conditions and “don’t forget this” items.

Open

Building & Pest Inspection Guide

What’s checked, what reports miss, and how to read findings.

Open

Strata / Apartment Due Diligence Guide

Minutes, reserve fund, defects, levies, insurances—what to look for.

Open

Settlement Timeline (Step-by-Step)

What happens from offer accepted to keys in hand.

Open

“What Documents Do I Need?” Pack

PAYG vs self-employed document lists to speed approvals.

Open

Build Smarter. Reduce Variations. Protect Yourself.

Helpful even before you pick a builder.

Construction Loan Guide

Progress payments, valuations, contracts and timelines.

View Construction Loans Page

Recommended Perth Builders

Vetted builder list + what to ask before you sign.

Open

Builder Contract Checklist

What to review before signing a fixed-price contract.

Open

Variations & Cost Blowouts Guide

How blowouts happen and the best ways to prevent them.

Open

Site Costs Explainer

Earthworks, retaining, service connections—what drives site cost surprises.

Open

Knockdown Rebuild Guide

How financing and timelines differ for knockdown rebuilds.

Open

Owner Builder Guide

Lender realities, documentation, and higher deposit expectations.

Open

Build Insurance / Builder Insolvency (Plain English)

What protections exist, what they don’t, and what to verify.

Open

Yield, Structure & Cashflow Planning

Build a clean strategy, avoid rookie errors.

Investment Loans Overview

Start here for investment loan basics and common strategies.

Open Investment Loans

Rentability Checklist

Yield, vacancy, strata fees, maintenance—what actually matters.

Open

Negative Gearing vs Cashflow Guide

Pros/cons, who it suits, and how lenders assess the numbers.

Open

Investment Loan Structure Guide

Offsets, splits, IO vs P&I—how to structure for flexibility.

Open

Depreciation Schedule Explainer

When it matters, what it costs, and how it impacts cashflow.

Open

Investor Checklist

Quick checklist for due diligence and finance readiness.

Open

Commercial Lending Resources

If you’re pushing the commercial pillar, these convert well.

Commercial Finance Overview

Commercial property, business loans, SMSF, development finance and more.

Open Commercial Finance

Commercial Finance Guide

How approvals work, what lenders look for, and key terms.

Open

Low-Doc / Alt-Doc Commercial Guide

When it works, common documentation, and who it suits.

Open

Equipment Finance Guide

Vehicles, machinery and equipment—how approvals and GST work.

Open

Development Finance Overview

Basics of construction funding, feasibility and lender expectations.

Open

Commercial Property Due Diligence Checklist

Leases, outgoings, zoning, valuations and risk checks.

Open

SMSF Property Guide

LRBA basics, contributions, deposits, and lender policy differences.

Open

Commercial Loan Checklist

Docs and prep steps to speed up business/commercial approvals.

Open

Plain-English, Skimmable References

These reduce friction and boost conversions.

Glossary of Common Loan Terms

LVR, LMI, offset, redraw, fixed vs variable—simple definitions.

Open

Case Studies / Success Stories

Short, skimmable examples across buying, building, investing and business.

Open

FAQ Hub + Most Asked

Jump to the answers people actually want.

Open FAQ

Spreadsheets & PDFs

Useful templates you can keep and reuse.

Budget Spreadsheet (Template)

Track deposit, fees, buffers, and repayments.

Download

Checklist Pack (PDFs)

Buyer, investor, construction and commercial checklists in one place.

Download

Start Here (Site Hubs)

These link to your live pillar pages and directories.

Our Services

Quick overview of all loan types and who each suits.

Open

Perth Suburbs Directory

Explore suburb guides across Perth and surrounds.

Open

Meet the Team

Get to know your brokers and local specialists.

Open

About Benchmark Loans

How we work and what to expect.

Open

Loan Calculator Hub

All calculators in one place.

Open

Direct Links

These were specifically requested—kept here as a single list.

Recommended Perth Builders

Directory + selection checklist.

Open

Construction Loan Guide

Build process, payments, approvals.

View Construction Loans Page

Builder Contract Checklist

What to check before signing.

Open

Commercial Finance Guide

Commercial lending basics.

Open

SMSF Property Guide

LRBA + policy differences.

Open

Commercial Loan Checklist

Docs + prep steps.

Open

Complete FHB Guide

Start-to-finish buying guide.

Open First Home Buyers

Refinance Guide

When and how to refinance.

Open Refinancing

Investor Checklist

Due diligence essentials.

Open

Buyer Checklist

Inspection and buying steps.

Open

Riverside Corridor Guide

Perth riverside lifestyle buying guide.

Open

Where a dedicated resource page isn’t published yet, the links use the recommended /resources/... slug so you can create them later without updating this page.

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