As a house hunter, do you ever wish there was a catalogue of homes and floorplans that you could simply pick your house from and that be the end of your search? Well, when it comes to home and land packages — it’s that simple.
If you want a brand-new home, a home and land package is the easiest and most cost-effective way of making it a reality.
Essentially, a home and land package is a serving suggestion of what it would cost to build a home in a particular estate. A benefit of a home and land package is that there is the flexibility to change the home or select another block that may be more suitable.
But before you click on the home and land section of our website and start your search, there’s a little more you should know about home and land packages.
Choose your home first
You might think that you have to find a block of land first before you start building. However, at Geelong Homes, we suggest you choose your floorplan first. Why?
You don’t want to be lured in to buying a cheap block of land to realise that it’s actually very limited in what can be built on it. Or that the orientation of the block means you can’t build the house you really want on it. Seeking out land for our clients is part of our service, so if you know which home you want and you’re sure of what estate or area you want to live in, then let the Geelong Homes new home consultants help you in your search.
Our new home consultants are friendly and knowledgeable and can easily tell you if a block will suit the home you want. And if the block you’re looking at doesn’t suit the home you want, our new home consultants can find you the block that has the right orientation for that design.
Recently, we were able to help clients achieve this. The couple had fallen in love with one of our homes but were still on the search for land. So when one of the estates released a new stage of land — our new home consultants jumped on the chance to take a first pick of the best blocks to suit the client’s dream home! It’s all part of the service.
And speaking of blocks…
To be clear, when Geelong Homes offers a home and land package — we don’t own the block of land. We’re just showing you available blocks that suit our designs — meaning there is flexibility to change the home element of the package.
Blocks either come titled or untitled. A titled block of land means that it has been registered with the Land Registry and is ready to be built on. Oakdene Estate in Ocean Grove is one estate that only releases titled blocks, allowing buyers to start building as soon as possible.
If the block of land hasn’t been titled — which is common among greenfield estates and land releases — it means it hasn’t been developed and doesn’t have an official record. Land titling can take a few months or sometimes it may be more than 12 months. To buy a piece of land with no title, you will have to sign a contract of sale and pay a deposit through the developer. The land sales agent will be able to provide you with a rough timeframe for when the land you’re purchasing will title. But be prepared that there can sometimes be unexpected delays with titles. A longer wait for your block to be titled can be a good thing if you’re not in a rush, as it allows you to secure your piece of land while continuing to save up for your home.
Whether your land is titled or not, there will be two contracts, one with the estate developer to purchase the land and the other with Geelong Homes as your builder.
Don’t be alarmed if this seems confusing, our Geelong Homes new home consultants can guide you through this process. We have excellent relationships with the land sales teams at various estates across the Geelong and Surf Coast region and we also understand the different requirements and deposits required for each estate.
So once you’ve chosen the home and land package, you can feel assured that our new home consultants will guide you all the way through till construction begins.
Understanding the Costs Upfront
When you purchase a home and land package with Geelong Homes, you have a clear understanding of the finished price upfront. Once you know your pre-approved budget, you can look at the packages that suit your financial situation.
A bonus of building a new home is that you only pay stamp duty on the value of the land component, not the house. This can equate to a saving of tens of thousands of dollars that can be put towards the build of your home!
In addition to that, there may be Government schemes, concessions or subsidies you might be eligible for. Currently, first homeowners will receive $20,000 for new homes in regional Victoria valued up to $750,000. Just be aware, this current scheme ends in June.
Also, as a first home buyer, you’re entitled to a stamp duty exemption or concession depending on the value of your property.
You can also save on stamp duty through the State Government’s off-the-plan concession. This duty concession applies to off-the-plan property that’s either a house and land package or a refurbished lot.
There’s also the Federal Government’s First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSS), which was introduced in 2017. The scheme allows first home buyers to make voluntary concessional and non-concessional contributions into their super fund that they can then release to help purchase their first home.
And the Federal Government’s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, which helps a limited number of eligible first home buyers purchase a house with a deposit as low as 5 per cent. So make sure you do your research and find out what you are eligible for!
In summary
If you want a brand-new home, a home and land package is the easiest and most cost-effective way of making it a reality. A home and land package is a serving suggestion of what it would cost to build a home in a particular estate.
At Geelong Homes, we suggest you choose your floorplan first and allow our new home consultants to help you find a block of land that best suits that home. We believe this ensures you’ll be getting the home you’ve always wanted!
When you purchase a home and land package there will be two contracts, one would be with the estate developer to purchase the land and the other would be with Geelong Homes as your builder. However don’t feel confused, our new home consultants can guide you through this whole process.
Plus, when you purchase a home and land package, you have a clear understanding of the finished price upfront. An added financial bonus is that you may be eligible for Government schemes, concessions and subsidies – so make sure you do your research!
So if you have a pre-approved budget, you can look at the packages that suit your financial situation, right now.
