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First home builders

Your first build, usually on an estate lot, usually with a grant or guarantee in play.

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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

The four things that most often cost people money on a first home job 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
Moncrieff	ACT Government	1
Taylor	ACT Government	3
Box Hill	The Hills Shire Council	2
Camden	Camden Council	2
Glenmore Park	Penrith City Council	2
Gregory Hills	Camden Council	1
Harrington Park	Camden Council	2
Kelso	Bathurst Regional Council	2
Leppington	Camden Council	1
Marsden Park	Blacktown City Council	1
Narellan	Camden Council	1
Oran Park	Camden Council	1
Riverstone	Blacktown City Council	3
Rutherford	Maitland City Council	1
Caloundra	Sunshine Coast Council	7
Glenvale	Toowoomba Regional Council	2
Griffin	City of Moreton Bay	3
Highfields	Toowoomba Regional Council	2
Kallangur	City of Moreton Bay	3
Pelican Waters	Sunshine Coast Council	6
Petrie	City of Moreton Bay	3
Thornlands	Redland City Council	6
Angle Vale	City of Playford	7
Evanston	Town of Gawler	8
Munno Para	City of Playford	5
Alfredton	City of Ballarat	6
Baranduda	Wodonga Council	8
Berwick	City of Casey	14
Clyde North	City of Casey	8
Cobblebank	Melton City Council	4
Craigieburn	Hume City Council	10
Delacombe	City of Ballarat	5
Kialla	Greater Shepparton City Council	10
Mernda	City of Whittlesea	8
Mickleham	Hume City Council	11
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
Alkimos	City of Wanneroo	0
Australind	Shire of Harvey	0
Aveley	City of Swan	0
Baldivis	City of Rockingham	0
Butler	City of Wanneroo	0
Byford	Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale	0
Eaton	Shire of Dardanup	0
Ellenbrook	City of Swan	0
Golden Bay	City of Rockingham	0
Harrisdale	City of Armadale	0
Morley	City of Bayswater	0
Piara Waters	City of Armadale	0
Somerville	City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder	0
Southern River	City of Gosnells	0
Waggrakine	City of Greater Geraldton	0
Wandina	City of Greater Geraldton	0
Wellard	City of Kwinana	0
Yanchep	City of Wanneroo	0

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

What to ask a builder about a first home job

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.