Building your first home should be one of life’s most exciting experiences, but it can also be a smidge stressful along the way. After all, from saving a deposit to finding your perfect block and home design, there’s a lot to consider! Having said that, there are ways to smooth the process and make the experience an overall rewarding time.

Figure out your needs versus wants

When designing and building your first home, there are genuine requirements and there are ‘nice to haves’, and it’s important to know the difference.

If you need four bedrooms to accommodate kids or extended family, two bathrooms or a big kitchen for entertaining, decide on your priorities. Once these non-negotiables are resolved, consider what you’d like but can live without.

This clarity takes away confusion when it comes to design choices, and importantly, it will keep your first home affordable.

Set a realistic budget

Ensuring you have your deposit squirrelled away is hurdle number one when beginning the home buying journey, along with figuring out what you can afford when it comes to repayments.

Before you leap straight into design, take stock of your finances and consider what you can realistically afford. To do this, take advantage of free online tools to arrive at a budget estimate, before chatting to a mortgage broker for expert input.

Your mortgage broker or financial adviser will look at your financial position, make you aware of any grants you’re eligible for, and give you honest feedback about what you can afford. That way, you have real confidence in what you’re able to do.

Research and select a trusted builder

With the current pressures in the building industry, researching and choosing a long-established, trusted builder is essential for a smooth journey. Look at reviews, speak to others who have used them, visit display homes and only choose a builder that you’ve done your research on.

At Harlow, we’ve partnered with some of Australia’s best builders to offer homebuyers a wide variety of House & Land packages to suit all budgets. If you’re able to find something that suits your needs, a House & Land package is a fantastic way to reduce the stress of making so many decisions.

Understand the ins and outs

From design to construction and getting the keys, there is a lot to get your head around in the building process. A reputable builder should make every step as clear as possible.

There can be a lot of confusion in particular for first-home buyers with questions such as, “Why am I paying a deposit now? Why am I coming into a showroom to pick colours and upgrades? What does it mean when you say the frame’s gone up?”

Understanding all the steps will make the process much less overwhelming, so having simple, transparent communication from your chosen builder is important.

Design for your lifestyle

Selecting the design, floorplan and interior features of your first home should be fun, but there are a lot of decisions to make. To make it easier, think about the lifestyle you want to lead in the home today and in future.

Ask yourself, what might my life look like in two years? As an example, if you plan to start a family, you might want another room and some space for kids to grow up.

Researching online and visiting display homes and streets where your builder has already worked will help you get a real sense of your options.

Lean on the experts

Finally, the key to taking the stress out of your first home build is to remember that you don’t have to do it all yourself. There are experts ready and waiting to make it easy for you, like our dedicated Harlow team! If you have any questions about the purchasing process, what the difference is between a townhome and a house & land package is etc. our team is on hand to assist you. Reach out on 0419 174 696 or visit us at 860 Derrimut Road, Tarneit for a chat!