159suburbs mapped for this jobWe read the planning data for each one, so the match is against the block rather than a postcode.

Service

First home builders

The contract sum is not the move-in cost. Driveway, landscaping, fencing and blinds are routinely excluded, the developer's covenant is enforceable, and the display home you walked through was fully upgraded — the base house is a different house.

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2,361Construction companies entered external administration in 2024–25 — more than any other industry in Australia (ASIC)

159Suburbs where we have read the planning data and this kind of job is what the area is mapped for

52Councils covered across those suburbs, each with its own lodgement process and its own timeline

When this is the right path, and when it is not

Suits you if

You are buying and building for the first time and the thing you most need is a price that does not move.

Think again if

Be careful with advertised base prices, thin site cost allowances and estates where titles are not yet registered.

How the job actually runs

01
Sort finance before you fall in love
A construction loan works differently to a normal mortgage — it draws down in stages and you pay interest on what has been drawn. Understand it before you sign anything.
02
Check what you are entitled to
Grants and guarantees for first home buyers vary by state and change. Check the current position with your state revenue office rather than with a salesperson.
03
Compare on inclusions, not the headline
The advertised price is a base specification. Get the upgrade schedule priced before you commit.
04
Ask what happens if titles slip
On an unregistered lot this is the main risk to your price, and the answer belongs in writing.

Where these jobs go wrong

What most often costs people money on a first home specifically.

Budgeting to the contract sum
The contract sum is not the move-in cost. Driveway, landscaping, fencing, blinds and letterbox are routinely excluded and routinely required.
Not reading the developer's covenant
It can dictate materials, roof pitch, fencing and a deadline to complete landscaping. It is enforceable.
Taking the display home as the spec
Display homes are fully upgraded. The base house is a different house.
Skipping independent inspections
Stage inspections by someone who does not work for the builder are inexpensive relative to what they catch.

What moves the price

No figures — a number without your site and your specification is a guess. For a first home job, these are what actually move it.

Site costs and soil classification
Upgrades beyond the base specification
Driveway, fencing and landscaping
Window furnishings and floor coverings
Titling delays against a fixed price
Council and developer contributions

Where we cover this, and what the planning data says

Mapped constraints is the control that most often decides how a first home job runs. Read from state planning data.

Suburbs covered for First home and their mapped planning controls
Suburb	Council	Mapped constraints
Casey	ACT Government	3
Franklin	ACT Government	3
Gungahlin	ACT Government	5
Harrison	ACT Government	1
Moncrieff	ACT Government	1
Taylor	ACT Government	3
Appin	Wollondilly Council	3
Austral	Liverpool Council	4
Badgerys Creek	Liverpool Council	1
Bardia	Campbelltown Council	1
Bargo	Wollondilly Council	2
Bella Vista	The Hills Shire Council	3
Blackheath	Blue Mountains Council	4
Blaxland	Blue Mountains Council	1
Box Hill	The Hills Shire Council	2
Bringelly	Liverpool Council	2
Camden	Camden Council	2
Casula	Liverpool Council	1
Cobbitty	Camden Council	1
Cranebrook	Penrith City Council	2
Douglas Park	Wollondilly Council	2
Glenmore Park	Penrith City Council	2
Googong	Queanbeyan-palerang Regional Council	2
Gregory Hills	Camden Council	1
Harrington Park	Camden Council	2
Katoomba	Blue Mountains Council	5
Kellyville	The Hills Shire Council	2
Kelso	Bathurst Regional Council	2
Kemps Creek	Liverpool Council	2
Lapstone	Blue Mountains Council	2
Leppington	Camden Council	1
Leura	Blue Mountains Council	3
Luddenham	Liverpool Council	2
Marsden Park	Blacktown City Council	1
Medlow Bath	Blue Mountains Council	2
Mulgoa	Penrith City Council	2
Narellan	Camden Council	1
Norwest	The Hills Shire Council	1
Oran Park	Camden Council	1
Orchard Hills	Penrith City Council	1
Picton	Wollondilly Council	3
Prestons	Liverpool Council	0
Riverstone	Blacktown City Council	3
Rouse Hill	The Hills Shire Council	3
Rutherford	Maitland City Council	1
Schofields	Blacktown City Council	2
Silverdale	Wollondilly Council	1
Tahmoor	Wollondilly Council	3
The Ponds	Blacktown City Council	0
Wallacia	Liverpool Council	4
Warragamba	Wollondilly Council	2
Wilton	Wollondilly Council	3
Banksia Beach	City of Moreton Bay	4
Beachmere	City of Moreton Bay	5
Beerwah	Sunshine Coast Council	7
Bongaree	City of Moreton Bay	6
Bray Park	City of Moreton Bay	3
Caloundra	Sunshine Coast Council	11
Doonan	Sunshine Coast Council	5
Flagstone	Logan City Council	7
Glenvale	Toowoomba Regional Council	2
Griffin	City of Moreton Bay	6
Highfields	Toowoomba Regional Council	2
Kallangur	City of Moreton Bay	6
Maleny	Sunshine Coast Council	3
Mooloolah Valley	Sunshine Coast Council	4
Pelican Waters	Sunshine Coast Council	10
Petrie	City of Moreton Bay	6
Thornlands	Redland City Council	6
Yarrabilba	Logan City Council	7
Aberfoyle Park	City of Onkaparinga	7
Aldinga	City of Onkaparinga	9
Angle Vale	City of Playford	7
Chandlers Hill	City of Onkaparinga	5
Christies Beach	City of Onkaparinga	3
Concordia	The Barossa Council	9
Evanston	Town of Gawler	8
Flagstaff Hill	City of Onkaparinga	7
Gawler East	Town of Gawler	11
Golden Grove	City of Tea Tree Gully	8
McLaren Vale	City of Onkaparinga	10
Munno Para	City of Playford	5
Old Noarlunga	City of Onkaparinga	10
Two Wells	Adelaide Plains Council	8
Aintree	Melton City Council	7
Alfredton	City of Ballarat	6
Bacchus Marsh	Moorabool	8
Baranduda	Wodonga Council	8
Beaconsfield	Cardinia Shire Council	13
Berwick	City of Casey	14
Beveridge	Mitchell Shire Council	13
Broadford	Mitchell Shire Council	11
Broadmeadows	Hume City Council	12
Brookfield	Melton City Council	7
Clyde North	City of Casey	8
Cobblebank	Melton City Council	4
Craigieburn	Hume City Council	10
Delacombe	City of Ballarat	5
Diggers Rest	Melton City Council	12
Epping	City of Whittlesea	13
Kialla	Greater Shepparton City Council	10
Mernda	City of Whittlesea	8
Mickleham	Hume City Council	11
Officer	Cardinia Shire Council	13
Pakenham	Cardinia Shire Council	15
Strathfieldsaye	City of Greater Bendigo	10
Strathtulloh	Melton City Council	5
Sunbury	Hume City Council	11
Tarneit	Wyndham City Council	8
Wallan	Mitchell Shire Council	12
Weir Views	Melton City Council	4
Werribee	Wyndham City Council	9
Wollert	City of Whittlesea	10
Wyndham Vale	Wyndham City Council	9
Alexander Heights	City of Wanneroo	1
Alkimos	City of Wanneroo	1
Anketell	City of Kwinana	7
Armadale	City of Armadale	5
Ashby	City of Wanneroo	2
Atwell	City of Cockburn	2
Aubin Grove	City of Cockburn	2
Australind	Shire of Harvey	4
Aveley	City of Swan	2
Baldivis	City of Rockingham	5
Banjup	City of Cockburn	10
Banksia Grove	City of Wanneroo	1
Bateman	City of Melville	0
Beckenham	City of Gosnells	3
Bedfordale	City of Armadale	7
Beldon	City of Joondalup	1
Bertram	City of Kwinana	5
Brookdale	City of Armadale	1
Bull Creek	City of Melville	0
Bullsbrook	City of Swan	10
Burns Beach	City of Joondalup	1
Butler	City of Wanneroo	2
Byford	Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale	5
Calista	City of Kwinana	3
Camillo	City of Armadale	1
Cardup	Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale	1
Carramar	City of Wanneroo	1
Champion Lakes	City of Armadale	4
Clarkson	City of Wanneroo	3
Coodanup	City of Mandurah	2
Eaton	Shire of Dardanup	2
Ellenbrook	City of Swan	2
Forrestdale	City of Armadale	10
Golden Bay	City of Rockingham	2
Harrisdale	City of Armadale	7
Morley	City of Bayswater	3
Muchea	Shire of Chittering	10
Oldbury	Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale	7
Piara Waters	City of Armadale	7
Somerville	City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder	5
Southern River	City of Gosnells	5
Waggrakine	City of Greater Geraldton	2
Wandina	City of Greater Geraldton	0
Wellard	City of Kwinana	7
Yanchep	City of Wanneroo	7

Suburb-level, read from state planning data. Not a report on any individual block.

What to ask a builder about a first home

Specific to this kind of job. The general list is in questions to ask a builder.

What is excluded from this price that I will still have to pay for?
Is the site cost allowance provisional, and what is it based on?
What is the deposit, and how does it sit against what my state permits?
What is the payment schedule, and does each stage represent completed work?
What happens to my price if my titles or my finance are delayed?

Questions people ask

What grants am I eligible for?

That depends on your state, the price of the build and whether you have owned before. Check with your state revenue office — the rules change and salespeople are not the authority on them.

How does a construction loan work?

It draws down in stages as the build progresses, and you pay interest only on the amount drawn. Your repayments rise through the build. A broker will explain the cash-flow shape.

What is not included in the price?

Commonly: driveway, landscaping, fencing, blinds, floor coverings in some cases, and site costs beyond an allowance. Ask for the exclusions list in writing.

The mechanism

One recommendation, not six quotes

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