For many young couples, owning a home feels like a distant dream, something to work toward slowly, often pushed to the end of life’s long to-do list. For 28-year-old, Aseli Tuicolo, a Quarry Manager at Basic Industries Pte Ltd (a subsidiary of Fijian Holdings Limited) and his wife Jean Rose Tuicolo, a 27-year-old Software Engineer, that dream became a reality far earlier than they ever expected.

To them, owning a home means independence. It means freedom. After getting married, the idea of having their own space, where they could decide how to decorate, how to live, and how to truly make it their own, became deeply important.

The thought of homeownership had been with them for years. In fact, it started as early as age 21 for Mr. Tuicolo, when he began planning for marriage. Like many working professionals, he had always believed that buying a home was something reserved for later in life, often closer to retirement, once you had finally saved enough for a deposit.

That belief, however, began to change.

When Merchant Finance introduced its zero-deposit home loan product, it presented an opportunity to fast-track a goal that some people place at the very end of their financial journey.

“Most people see purchasing a home as the last thing to do because of how expensive it can be,” Mr. Tuicolo explains. “But once you can achieve it earlier, it opens up so many other opportunities, like starting a business or investing in other goals.”

A brief conversation with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Merchant Finance reinforced this shift in thinking. During that exchange, the CEO shared an interesting insight: many people are able to meet home loan repayments, but the deposit remains the biggest barrier to homeownership.

Alongside this, the young couple also learned that age plays a critical role in loan calculations. The longer one waits to enter the housing market, the more expensive homeownership can become over time. This realization put their own situation into a sharp perspective and strengthened their resolve to act sooner rather than later.

Mr. Tuicolo first came across the home loan product on Facebook during the lead-up to the official product launch in late January. Intrigued by the opportunity and ready to take the next step, he reached out to Merchant Finance.

“The turnaround time was impressive,” he recalls. “From start to finish, everything was handled efficiently. Within a month and a half, we had purchased our first home in Natabua Heights, Lautoka.”

That moment, walking into their home for the very first time, was unforgettable.

“It was a huge feeling of accomplishment,” said Mrs. Tuicolo. “We have seen so many people only manage to buy a home close to retirement age. We feel incredibly fortunate to own a home while we are still young.”

Grateful for the initiative behind the zero-deposit home loan product, they now find themselves sharing the opportunity with others quite often.

While some express concerns about the interest rates, Mr. Tuicolo’s response is always grounded in perspective.

“If you don’t start now, you’ll end up paying more later anyway,” he explains. “Either way, there’s a cost. And when the time is right, refinancing is always an option.”

For the Tuicolo’s, the decision to act early has already paid off, not just financially, but emotionally. Their home represents security, independence, and the confidence to build the rest of their future from a solid foundation.

Sometimes, the biggest step forward is simply realizing that a dream does not have to wait.