With so many housing options out there for first home buyers in Perth, it is often hard to make a choice. You can rent an apartment, buy a condo, purchase an existing house or even build your own home. If you are trying to find an ideal home for you and your family, nothing beats building one from the ground up. With a specific budget in mind, you can build a house according to your needs. Not to mention that the government also has some several grants and subsidies you can qualify for as a first time homeowner. That said, here are some tips to help you build the perfect home.
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When you buy house and land packages, you have to think about its real cost way beyond what is on the price tag. Maintenance, future renovations, and moving costs seem to be top of mind for most people in Perth. What they are forgetting is how much they will be spending on utilities such as electricity, water, and gas in the long run. One way to save up on money now is to make sure that your new house will be sustainable and environmentally friendly. Here are some sustainability essentials you should be looking out for.
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Buying a new home is always a big risk, especially for first-timers. It is, after all, a huge investment not only in terms of money but also time as well. Fear is often the main reason why people put off buying or building their dream homes despite the numerous benefits that come with a new abode. Obviously, building your own home gives you more control which will help you overcome some of those first homebuyer jitters. Top builders in Perth, WA such as BuzzHomes can help you build the property you want with less stress.
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The Australian government’s First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) has helped many citizens acquire their dream homes for significantly lower prices. Still, there are more steps you can take to further drive down the cost of your new home’s construction. If you are a first home builder in Perth, here are some cost-efficient construction tips to follow. Bedrooms and Baths The numbers of bedrooms and baths you decide to have in your home will affect its overall price. According to YourHome, a single bedroom costs about $900-$1500 per square metre, while an en suite bath costs $20,000. The best path to take is to consider what your requirements are now and in the near future. Are you planning on staying in this house for the next 20 years and raising a family? Are you looking to move on in the next 5 years?
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Thinking of building a home here in Perth but haven’t saved enough yet to qualify for a mortgage? The good news is that with Western Australia’s First Home Buyers Grant (FHOG), you can start building your home sooner than you think. Currently capped at $10,000, the FHOG can go a long way towards helping you pay for a home loan deposit, which is generally set at 5% of the total home loan. Note that only one grant is available per contract regardless of how many individuals own the property.
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Thinking of building a home here in Perth but haven’t saved enough yet to qualify for a mortgage? The good news is that with Western Australia’s First Home Buyers Grant (FHOG), you can start building your home sooner than you think. Currently capped at $10,000, the FHOG can go a long way towards helping you pay for a home loan deposit, which is generally set at 5% of the total home loan. Note that only one grant is available per contract regardless of how many individuals own the property.
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Moving into a big city like Perth, WA could be a little scary as well as exciting. Everything is new and it would take quite a while to become familiar with the neighbourhood. If you’re serious about moving into that nice suburb you’ve picked out, you should take some time to get to know it before you give the builders the green light. Here are some tips that will help you ease into a new neighbourhood in no time. Do Some Online Scouting Reading up about your desired location is the essential first step that is also arguably the easiest. Go online and do a quick search of the suburb. Find out what people are saying about it on multiple channels. Try looking into social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter or online forums.
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Sustainability is not a new concept for home builders in Perth, but it seems that some home buyers are only just catching on. Aside from the obvious benefits of having an environmentally sound home, adapting sustainable design and architecture will make for a physically comfortable life. Here are some handy tips from a home builder for people who want to build a sustainable house they would be proud to call a home for many years to come. Choose a Plan Many home builders in Perth today have several display homes for sale lined up for you to check out. When looking at these display homes, take time to imagine what your life will be like in such a residence.
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So you find the prospect of buying a house and land package in Perth, WA appealing? Well, how you choose your builder will spell the difference between owning the home of your dreams and seeing your bank account drained by costly maintenance and renovations. The reference check is a crucial step in finding the right builder. A prospective builder should be able to provide at least three references, preferably pertaining to projects comparable in scope and scale to the one you have in mind. A clear sign of a dependable builder is a well-maintained website where you can find past client recommendations, credentials, and other vital information. Ask a potential builder to provide you with a complete list of references and try to contact some of them.
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More often than not, choosing the right builder is the core of every home building project. After viewing a number of new homes for sale you should be ready to make a decision on your choice of builder. You’d want a home builder who is not only fully licensed and insured, but also one you feel comfortable with and whose honesty and integrity you can count on. While reputable local builders in Perth such as BuzzHomes will strive to accommodate your every request, you can also contribute to the success of your entire home building experience by doing your part.
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Buying or building a home for the first time can be exciting, especially when you’ve found a great location. Perth, for instance, offers nice residential prospects thanks to its pleasant Mediterranean climate and a thriving central business district (CBD). At any rate, first home buyers must keep in mind that owning a home entails many considerations. Financing is undoubtedly the foremost of these concerns. Mortgage payments are important to think about, but the costs of home ownership go beyond the monthly fees. Some people, especially those who are buying a home for the first time, make the mistake of thinking that they have nothing to worry about as long as they can afford the recurring payments. To avoid any snags down the line, be sure to keep in mind these other home ownership costs.
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When you are in the process of determining where to buy or build the home of your dreams, you’ll need to factor in the location first and foremost. After all, location significantly contributes to your lifestyle and overall satisfaction for many years to come. You’ll find that most leading developers allow you to choose lots in and around major metropolitan areas such as Perth. Many of the suburbs around Western Australia’s capital city are considered ideal locations for first home buyers in search of house and land packages. The following places come to mind when talking about favourable residential areas.
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Buying a home is a crucial financial decision, and the experience can prove overwhelming for first home buyers. As reported in a RealEstate.com.au article, Mortgage Choice cites that for every five people buying a home for the first time, four don’t feel informed enough. Whilst a home purchase is not as simple as buying something from a store, the process does not have to be fraught with pitfalls. Here are a few tips on how to make a smart home buying decision.
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Purchasing a home is a major financial decision for most families, especially for first-time buyers. Fortunately, many viable choices are open to buyers in Perth and other areas of Western Australia. Take house and land packages, for instance. These packages include both the new house and the parcel of land where it is built. The details go beyond that, however; a Home Improvement Pages article notes that not every package is the same. In some cases, a single builder or developer may offer different varieties.
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Choosing where to lay the foundation for your first home is a matter of priorities, needs, and lifestyle preferences. If you’d like a taste of the city life, there’s nowhere better to settle in than the coastal city of Perth, WA. With its famed beaches, pleasant Mediterranean weather, job opportunities, and love for the outdoor lifestyle, Perth is the place to be for many West Australians. The city is pretty big, however, and each area has its unique charms and advantages. Home builders recommend that you get the lay of the land first before construction of your new home begins to ensure a good lifestyle fit.
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Building your own home has a lot of benefits. For instance, you can have complete control over the design, location, budget, and your choice of home builder. Believe it or not, building a home from scratch in Perth—or anywhere else in Australia, for that matter—may actually be a more economical choice than buying a pre-existing one. Choose a competent and competitive builder, and you’re looking at a lot of savings that could go to other important things you may have lined up for the future. Here are a few ways building your dream home can help you save big.
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The First Home Buyers Grant, also referred to as the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG), is a one-off, genuine grant funded by the Western Australian Government. You can take advantage of it should you decide to purchase your very first house and land package here in Perth. Full information is available through the Department of Finance website. Meanwhile, here is a preview of three little-known facts about the FHOG application process.
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If you ever decide to purchase an established home, the entire amount of the loan will be drawn to pay for the property as soon as the contract is signed. You simply have to make monthly repayments until the loan is fully paid off. If you opt to build a property, however, as in the case of house and land packages, this kind of setup is considered less than ideal. Amongst other things, you will have to pay for the loan on the finished property even though it is still under construction. To avoid having to pay a high interest rate, you might want to obtain a construction loan.
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According to banking analyst Martin North from Digital Finance Analytics, a good number of first home buyers (FHBs) are purchasing their first ever homes not as owner-occupiers, but as investors. Speaking at the release of the latest J.P. Morgan Australian Mortgage Industry Report, North said that oversaturated markets in Australia—where owner-occupier loans are virtually impossible to obtain—have forced FHBs to get interest-only loans for investment properties backed by rental income. FHBs are being denied access to the residential property market in past decades because the average price-to-income ratio in Australia has now ballooned by a factor of 9 (a few decades ago, the multiplier was as low as 3 times). Yet instead of being frozen out of the residential property market, young FHBs are simply switching how they penetrate it to take better advantage of tax privileges widely available to investors.
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First home buyers are widely perceived to be people in their mid to late 20s. However, that conception may need to be re-evaluated, considering that surveys from 2011 onwards have shown that an increasing number of Australian first home buyers are well over their 30s. More recently, a report by realestaview.com.au uncovered that over 60 percent of first home buyers are now aged between 30 and 49 years old. Some industry groups and analysts have attributed the trend to more people saving for longer and purchasing later in life when they are in a better financial position. This theory appears to coincide with the reasons given by those surveyed: Financial security via the property ladder was the greatest motivator for most first time buyers.
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When it comes to stepping on the property ladder, it’s important to start off on the right foot. First home buyers in Perth may find the latest real estate market reports, industry news, and expert tips frankly confusing. Yet certain pieces of advice have real merit and will genuinely help you secure a home. Avoid these common slipups so you can step up with confidence on the property ladder very soon. Losing Sight of Your Goals, Straying from Your Priorities First, determine your goals and set priorities. Write down everything you want to see in the home you are building, and make it a priority to save for a deposit. Along the way, you may have to cut down on your leisure travel, luxuries, and other non-essential spending so you can reach your goals on time (or even earlier than expected).
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You’re single, you have a sizeable savings account, and you’re excited to start a new chapter in your life. Would you rather be buying a house or travelling the world? Not all people in their 20s accomplish both goals before turning 30, which many Australians dream about and consider rites of passage. In Perth, many single persons tend to opt for home ownership rather than one-way tickets to other countries. In fact, about one in four first-time buyers—or a little less than 25 per cent of that population—gets a mortgage and buys a property. The number of these single-person households is expected to grow in the coming years.
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It pays to consider sustainability and environmental responsibility in every choice you make these days. You can feel good knowing that you are helping the environment on some level and at the same time take delight in all the health and economic benefits that come with sustainable living. If you are in the market for a house and land package in Perth, then adopting a more sustainable lifestyle can help you enjoy those same rewards for years or even an entire lifetime. With a new home construction, you can have more control over the outcome and ensure that the property has zero negative environmental impact. The same may not be true of existing homes that may have been built at a time when sustainable and green designs were not as highly valued as they are today.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/how-home-builders-in-perth-wa-help-you-live-a-sustainable-lifestyle/

A new set of data shows that housing block sizes in Perth continue to shrink. According to the Herald Sun, data from the Urban Development Institute of Australia (WA) shows that the typical housing block size is now smaller, on average, by 123 square metres from seven years ago. Industry experts say this is not necessarily a bad thing. For one, most homes are now being built to maximise the use of space. In response, home buyers’ preferences are shifting towards houses built bigger in relation to block size.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/home-builder-considerations-and-saving-money-on-a-new-home-in-perth/

If you are considering having your new home built in Perth, you’re probably aware of what house and land packages are and how the First Home Buyers Grant (also called the First Home Owners Grant or FHOG) helps make a property more affordable. This government-supported source of funding can give you more financial breathing room, provided you are eligible. The FHOG was initiated by the Federal Government to help offset the effect of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which first home buyers in Perth and in other states have to pay when purchasing a previously owned residence or building one from scratch.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/financing-your-home-building-in-perth-via-the-first-home-buyers-grant/

Many first-time homeowners find the prospect of building their homes from scratch more appealing than buying pre-owned properties for one simple reason: They get a deeper sense of ownership. If you’re currently exploring the Perth property market, you’ve probably already come across house and land packages. For first-time homeowners, house and land packages make ideal purchases because these remove the need for arduous searches and intricate paperwork that usually characterise the path to home ownership. For instance, builders such as BuzzHomes offer a comprehensive range of services, from financing and design down to the actual construction and turning over of keys. Additionally, such firms build in well-managed, convenient, and peaceful communities.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/house-and-land-packages-in-perth-tips-to-avoid-unnecessary-costs/

Open floor plans are available in many new homes for sale in Perth today. Basically, it combines the main rooms (dining, living, and kitchen) into a single area to optimize the use of space. It gives more square footage to move around and lets in more natural lighting to brighten up the home. An open floor plan is also ideal for families and social gatherings. For instance, a parent can watch over the kids or entertain visitors in the living room even when performing some kitchen chores.

The opportunity to build your own new home is an exciting prospect indeed. Instead of purchasing an existing house that would typically require some remodelling or repairs, you get to have a brand-new home with all the features you want. It will take a lot of preparation, though, to ensure that you truly get the most out of your new home. Consider the following pointers while you plan for a house to be built:

When purchasing house and land packages, your builder will have numerous floor plans for you to choose from. The key here is identifying a good floor plan for your family. A good floor plan infuses harmony from room to room. In fact, a well thought-out floor plan can even bring your family closer together. With that in mind, here are a few tips to help you do just that:

House and land packages are an attractive option for those living in Perth. After all, who can resist the idea of owning both their own home and the land the house is located?

More and more Australian first-time homebuyers are becoming eco-friendly consumers. Are you one of them? How do you make your new home purchase more energy efficient and sustainable? Here are some of the home construction details you’ll need to discuss with your Perth house and land package specialist. Waste Minimisation Building waste comprises 42 percent of Australia’s solid waste. It’s disheartening to see how most manufactured materials that took considerable energy and resources to produce just end up in a landfill. To minimise waste, the three Rs’ of waste minimisation—reduce, reuse, recycle—must be observed throughout the planning and construction process.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/perth-house-and-land-package-ensure-your-new-homes-eco-friendliness/

A new home construction can be an exciting time for you, but if you are not prudent, you might struggle to stay within budget. Nobody wants to buy something and regret it afterwards, especially a huge investment like a new home. You don’t have to be a financial guru or real estate expert to know how to save money. Here are a few tips from Good Financial Cents that can help keep your budget intact as you start building your dream home. Visit display homes. You can envision how you want your dream home to look like, but does your vision consider the plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and rainwater drainage systems? If not, you might want to talk to a friendly home builder in Perth and ask to see their display homes or on-going projects for clients in different areas. Their newly constructed properties can give you a lot of fresh ideas. This leads to the next point.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/new-homes-for-sale-in-perth-4-easy-ways-to-save-on-home-construction/

Numerous Aussies have taken advantage of the First Home Owners Grant (FHOG) to supplement their budgets when purchasing a home for the first time. The good news is that you can still qualify for up to $10,000 in government assistance when you build a new home as this provision has not been stricken from Western Australia’s state budget for 2015-2016. Moreover, stamp duty concessions and land tax for family homes remain as is. Plenty of home loans are also being approved within the state, as noted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. From 53,811 approvals in February, loan approvals in March rose to 54,686; total housing loans financed were valued at $31.62 billion. It is interesting to note that a 1.6 per cent increase in housing loans was tallied for owner occupiers. The figures are in accordance with the Reserve Bank’s move to lower the official cash rate to 2.25 per cent and exceed the expectations of local economists.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/how-parents-can-help-first-home-buyers-in-perth-step-into-the-market/

Foreign investors are snapping up residential properties in Western Australia. According to the NAB’s survey last March, these investors accounted for about 15.6 per cent of new home sales across the country and spend within $500,000 to $1 million on average. One in five people who purchase in WA (mostly in the inner city areas) aim to redevelop the property. Apart from these investors, there are, of course, Aussies who buy homes in Perth, that they themselves will occupy. Whether you’re migrating to Perth, transferring from a nearby rental place, or moving out of your parent’s home, you need to pick your suburb smartly and find a suitable home that suits your lifestyle. Here are a few tips for first-time buyers of house and land packages in Perth.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/house-and-land-packages-in-perth-which-suburb-should-you-select/

When buying a home, you’ll be making a lot of decisions. One of them is whether to buy a new home or a pre-owned home.

Buying a new home as opposed to a used one has a number of advantages. Obviously, the home will really feel “yours” if no one has lived in it before. Moreover, you can personalise certain aspects of the design. You can customise it to have a good resale value or make it really your own by applying your personal preferences—or try to strike a balance between the two.

Breaking into the real estate market is a good investment for the young people out there who want to make a profit. Granted that it is a naturally competitive market, it could prove to be a little stressful for first home buyers. Financing is a huge concern for young investors primarily because it is a little more risky, but there are several ways for you to improve your credit record to impress lenders:

Now that you’ve made up your mind to build a house in Perth, the next step is to choose a location for it. Location encompasses a wide range of factors that can affect your living comfort and the property’s future saleability. Needless to say, you’ll get tired of a place that can’t meet your needs, and chances are future buyers will too. So consider location carefully if you want to get the most out of your investment.

The floor plan is among the primary considerations when having your home built for the first time in Perth. Your home’s layout may spell the difference between comfort and future necessary renovations if it fails to meet the household’s needs. Whether you’re drawing the floor plan from scratch or studying that of a home model being presented to you, here are some important things to consider:

New homes for sale in Perth are ripe with design opportunities, and with their contemporary layouts and features, you can easily turn any of them into a designer home after the construction phase. You won’t have to splurge on luxury brands, though; you just need to keep a few pointers from home design experts in mind.

There would always be a lot of considerations that need to be pondered by first home buyers direct from Perth companies offering residential property loans. You may have been given several options on how your mortgage will work and how you can repay it. Sure, you can stick to the standard or minimum requirements and pay it off on time (in 30 years, perhaps), but you can finish the repayment more quickly, which can give you financial freedom earlier as well.

When buying an established home, you’ll need the entire amount of the loan withdrawn at once. This is in stark contrast to buying a home that is built from scratch, as construction takes place in phases, and paying a loan for a finished house when it is actually under construction is less favourable to the borrower. For future homeowners who prefer to have their home built, they can turn to a construction loan.

After you invest in that house and land package in Perth, moving into a new house in a new neighbourhood can be an exciting time—but it can also be intimidating. To be truly happy in your new home, get ready to spend some time outside it and get to know the neighbourhood. Jog in the morning and bid the people you meet a good day. Walk around in the evening and take in all the sights and sounds. 

You now have a stable job and a bright future ahead. If there is one thing your friends and family will keep pestering you about (apart from asking how soon you are getting married), though, it would be whether you already have your own home. Hopefully, you are reading this because you’ve carefully weighed your options and are now ready to take the first steps towards your first-ever home purchase. Western Australia: A vibrant first-home purchase environment A study from Mortgage Choice identifies Queensland and Western Australia as the two Australian states with the highest first home buyer activity. According to the study, first home buyers from these states accounted for almost 20 per cent of the loans for February this year. In contrast, borrowers from New South Wales accounted for less than 5 per cent of the month’s total.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/house-and-land-in-perth-nows-a-good-time-to-purchase-your-first-home/

According to a recent study by the National Australia Bank (NAB), first home buyers, even those in their 30s, are increasingly turning to their families to get on the property ladder. From 4.8 percent in 2010, 6.7 percent of first home buyers today are opting to use the NAB Family Guarantee. In the 2015 fiscal year, 73 percent of the total number of NAB Family Guarantee users belonged to the 20 to 29 age bracket. Twenty-one per cent of the users were between 30 and 39. Even teens were in on the action, with 3 per cent of the users ages 19 and below.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/perth-home-builder-on-being-a-guarantor-for-your-childs-first-home/

Mark Bouris, executive chairman of Sydney-based wealth management company Yellow Brick Road, recently shared some advice regarding first-time home ownership: “Do what you can.” Market forces will either play in or against your favour, and there’s nothing you can do to change that. If house prices are on the rise, Bouris writes, worrying won’t get you anywhere. Instead, focus on the things you can control—like adjusting your savings strategy and getting a more suitable mortgage—than try to change things you can’t.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/wealth-management-pro-tells-perth-first-home-buyers-do-what-you-can/

The Australian dream, i.e. the privilege of owning one’s own home, remains very much alive. Indeed, REMAX Western Australia managing director Geoff Baldwin recently urged renters to take advantage of the spike in housing inventory by acquiring affordable house and land packages in Perth. According to Propertyology, the winding down of the region’s mining industry reallocated labour towards construction, which helped pave the way for an increase in Perth’s housing supply. Propertyology also highlighted the Perth market as having the most active first-time homebuyers in Australia. However, as far as property choices go, more first-time homebuyers are eager to build their own homes than buy existing structures. The significant bulk of leverage rests on grants and other local and federal housing programs.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/nows-the-best-time-to-invest-in-house-and-land-packages-in-perth/

Aussies who want to climb the real estate ladder as homeowners are getting younger and younger. If you’re one of them, do you know where to get help yet? Do you know what kinds of assistance are available for you to take advantage of? Let these give you an idea:

Family First!

Several first home buyers find their parents and relatives instrumental to their purchase. Aside from financial gifts, their family members can also help them secure loans by being a guarantor. Don’t hesitate to ask for help but make sure you’re responsible for repaying your debt.

For years, you’ve laboured to save money for a deposit on your first-ever home. Now, you finally have your target amount, and you’re eager to get the purchase process started. However, perhaps you only looked at the purchase price and didn’t consider additional costs. According to experts, generally, you should expect to pay 10 percent more than your home’s listed price. It’s important to include these additional costs in your computation to avoid headaches later on.

Home loan costs

Lenders typically charge a fee for arranging a home loan. Some of these fees include settlement costs, establishment fees, and services. If you opt to lock your rate, you may have to pay a fixed-rate lock fee as well.

After ironing out every necessary detail, you finally reached the last step in the process: building the home itself. While you can rest easy at this point, knowing that construction is left in good hands, it pays to check on the project every now and then, wherein homebuyers often have last-minute changes to make at this point of the project.

Sustainable design isn’t limited to the design itself, but highly depends on the builder making that design a full-fledged reality. In building a sustainable home, the builder must also think the same and do everything he can to fulfil that objective. Some examples include using recycled materials, waste and sediment control, and utilising eco-friendly building methods.

It’s no secret that bathrooms are high-traffic areas in any home, which is why they receive utmost consideration during the construction phase. These days, an earthy-looking bathroom with features inspired by nature is what most new homeowners want to see in their new homes, and Perth, WA builders, designers, and renovators are quick to adapt to this trend. With this in mind, here is a list of what to consider when planning or building your dream bathroom for your new home: Natural Lighting Natural light shining through your bathroom windows not only makes for a cheerful environment, it also ensures that your bathroom is a healthier place to be in. A dark and dank bathroom is prone to mould growth, which can be hazardous to one’s health. By making sure your bathroom receives plenty of natural light, you significantly reduce the risk of mould and mildew growth.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/home-builders-in-perth-wa-fulfil-3-essentials-for-bathroom-happiness/

There’s a lot to be said about owning a new home, which often causes confusion among first-time homebuyers; however, if you’ll take it nice and slow, you’ll find yourself holding the keys before you even realize what’s right before you. While the law might require you to finish construction as soon as possible, don’t be in too much hurry.

To start things off, ask yourself where you’ll get the money. Homebuyers will need every source of cash they can secure to pay off every penny. For this matter, your bank savings may not be enough. You’ll need the government’s help—and they can provide it to you through a grant.

In any construction project, balancing considerations such as budget, time, and aesthetics can be a challenge. When building a new house, therefore, be sure to include environmental considerations in your plans and preparations. The products used to build, furnish, clean, and enhance your home must be a part of the greening process. Why go green, you may ask? Thanks to more efficient materials and systems, you can enjoy lower utility bills today and higher resale values later. Likewise, you can contribute to global sustainability efforts that yield long-term economic benefits.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/perth-home-builder-eco-friendly-building-options-for-your-new-home/

PM Tony Abbott thinks using superannuation to fund first home buyers in Perth is a “perfectly good and respectable” idea, but he also admits that such a proposal entails several issues that need to be addressed. Although Mr Abbott was open to debating superannuation’s pros and cons, various groups, experts, and even members of his staff believe it would bring more trouble than good. Under the national retirement savings policy, which collects 9.5 percent of an employee’s salary, the super fund can only be accessed upon retirement (between 55 and 60 years old) or reaching 65.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/hands-off-the-super-fund-young-perth-first-home-buyers-advised/

According to a Perth Now report, builders all over the region remain cognisant of the rising demand for homes built with wireless technology and custom spaces in mind. This trend comes as no surprise, given that a lot more people these days can’t do without their wireless gadgets, digital multimedia collections, and Wi-Fi connectivity, among other creature comforts. For first-time home buyers, it pays to know that affordably priced custom house and land packages in Perth from trusted builders such as BuzzHomes enable one to enjoy the best of what modern living has to offer. Buyers can, for example, choose from a variety of home designs with gorgeous floor plans, remote-control garages, 31 course ceilings, liveable spaces, and tasteful interior features. With both aesthetics and functionality duly covered, homeowners can then turn their attention to other elements.
http://www.buzzhomes.com.au/house-and-land-packages-in-perth-can-accommodate-the-modern-lifestyle/

A lot of new home listings in Western Australia seem to be for single-storey properties. Do these homes offer more benefits to first home owners than double-storey houses?

Today, it's virtually pointless to argue that one option is better than the other. Instead, buyers are advised to consider their needs. Here are the distinct features either floor plan offers.

Single-Storey for Retirees

Perth must soon cater to an ageing population, which is expected to increase by up to 20 percent in 20 years. Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi has, in fact, placed housing as one of the top priorities in future preparations for an age-friendly city. As single-storey homes don't need staircases, seniors don't have to worry about mobility and safety.

Double-Storey for Must-Go-Big Buyers

The average lot size in Perth has shrunk to 415 square metres in 2013, but more new homes are just registering at below 200 square metres. For nuclear families, a single-storey home with these dimensions might not provide enough living space. Double-storey homes provide living space by expanding vertically instead of horizontally, helping with zoning compliance.

Whichever type of home you prefer, be sure to put your budget and needs first. A reliable home builder can shed light on your possible options based on your preferences.

When you’re starting from scratch, any effort to save for your first home deposit can seem gargantuan. Buying a home is the single biggest financial commitment you are bound to make, after all, so you certainly have your work cut out for you. If you’re currently working towards a down payment for your new home, here are a few simple tips that may help you save more money and reach your target faster.

Set up a high-interest savings account

Once you’ve identified your down payment amount, start a high-savings account that’s independent from your household expenses. Calculate how much of your monthly earnings you can spare, then set a weekly or monthly deposit goal that you can stick to.

Reduce or eliminate debt

Eliminate your use of credit cards. If that’s not possible, have your credit limit reduced. Pay your debts on time, and avoid accruing them. Set your down payment as your primary financial goal (apart from necessities, of course).

Apply for a Grant

The First Home Owners Grant can help you out immensely when you’re saving for a down payment on a new home. As of September 25, 2013, first homeowners planning to purchase or build a new home can apply for a grant of up to $10,000.

Building and owning a home is one of the biggest investments you’re likely to ever make. If your income is just about sufficient to make ends meet, you would do well to consider your options when it comes to house and land packages in Perth. You also need to sort out your finances, choose the right home builder, and think of how to make the home more cost-efficient.

Here are some ways to make building and owning your home more affordable:

·         If it’s your first time to own a home, see if you are eligible for the First Home Owners Grant worth up to $10,000. This amount should give you a head start and enable you to realise your dream of homeownership.

·         Shop wisely for loans, and make sure that the monthly repayments are within your means. Make sure you still have enough for your daily living costs and other expenses after money due to your lender is taken from your income.

·         Evaluate your lifestyle and see if your new home can accommodate it. For instance, your home should be large enough for your family’s needs but not too spacious as to make maintenance rather taxing, not to mention costly. If you plan on having children in the future and have a spare bedroom in the meantime, see if you can rent that room out for extra income.