[19/08/2019]

In today’s market its just as common to be a first home builder as it is to be a first home buyer. Building is a great way to get exactly what you want without having to shop around. It also comes with its own pitfalls. Here is some handy tips for those that are building for the first time!

Get your Home-loan sorted!

When you are first considering building a home be sure to contact your lender. This gives you a budget and also pre-approval, so you know you can purchase if you see the right property. But be sure to keep in contact with your lender, as most pre-approvals only last 90 days. If you can’t find something suitable in time you will need to get another. A lot can happen in the industry within that time.

Stick to your budget

Make sure you have strict a strict budget, or a buffer to take into account variances. Building a new home can come with lots of tempting options – but they can quickly add up. By all means add them into the costing – but filter them out to make sure you don’t go over budget. You don’t want to build your dream home, and then not be able to afford the repayments.

Consider the ‘extra’ costs

Don’t forget to add the ‘extras’ into your budget! If you are building, there can be so many ways that hidden costs can find you! Things like your soil type, and the slope of your block can incur extra costs to make your build viable. Things like soil testing and connection costs for your power all come back to you – so take these things into account.

Take advantage of your First-home owners Grants

These differ state-by-state, so check up on what you can take advantage of. It may affect what you are looking at in terms of building and it may help your affordability long term.

Think about the area

The house is perfect, but what about the area? Think long term when buying a property and look into surrounding planning permissions and council plans for your district. If you don’t yet have a family and it’s on the agenda, look at local schools and family friendly facilities. This may make or break whether the location of the property suits you.

So, in summary PLAN, PLAN, PLAN and RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH! The more you know, the more chance you have at getting it right the first time and making sure the process is as stress-free as possible!