Thinking of Building in a New Estate? Here Are Our Top 10 Tips

Building in a new estate comes with a lot of huge benefits. It’s cost effective and gives you that new home feeling. But before you start building, there are a few things you need to know.

Read on to discover our top ten tips for building in a new estate.

1. Weigh up new vs established

The first choice is whether a new or established area is a good fit for you.

Established suburbs are older and tend to be pricier but they do have a lot of amenities around. If you love the idea of moving into a home that has never been lived in, you could build in an established area with a knockdown rebuild.

On the flip side, new estates are often more affordable than an established area and further out from Melbourne. New estates usually have essential amenities like shops, medical centres and schools ready to go or planned for the future, so with a little patience you won’t have to compromise.

2. Research utilities

When building in a new estate, you need to see whether utilities are set up on your land. Utilities include water, sewage, electricity, gas, telephone and internet.

If you buy in a new estate, the utilities will usually be hooked up and included in the price from the developer. But make sure to double check with your builder to avoid any unwanted surprises later down the track.

If you’re building by yourself, make sure you work out the costs of setting up utilities. These could be expensive, especially in regional Victoria and established areas.

3. Preview zoning

One of the main attractions of building in a new estate is the amazing community features.

If you’ve fallen in love with a new estate for its “personality”, make sure this appeal will still be there by the time you move in!

Look at the zoning within the area to see what works could be possible in the future.

4. Choose a trusted builder

Choosing the right builder will help you a lot with building in a new estate. An experienced builder will understand how new estates work and be better equipped to guide you through the building process.

5. Go for master planning

Just as the name suggests, master planned communities have excellent planning, designed to benefit you and your family.

A master planned estate is designed to maximise liveability and convenience. Here, you can be close to nature and essential amenities. You’ll have easy access to roads or public transport connecting you to centres of employment and education.

6. Inspect the estate

Visit a display home in your favourite new estate. There’s nothing like seeing the community for yourself to help you decide whether it’s a place you could call home.

7. Get a government grant

A huge drawcard for building in a new estate is the financial benefits. Not only is it cheaper than building in established areas, but you can also get government grants or concessions.

In Victoria, you could be eligible for the $10,000 First Home Owner Grant if you build in Melbourne, and the $20,000 grant if you build in Regional Victoria. There are also stamp duty concessions available for first home buyers, pensioners, and those who want to buy off-the-plan.

8. Energy efficiency

Make the most of your new home by building an energy efficient house. This will save you thousands in your power bill over the years. When looking at house and land packages in a new estate, be sure to check the energy ratings.

With many estates featuring extensive parkland, the community you live in can be a sustainable choice as well.

9. Set cost & streamlined process

Although building in a new estate may seem more complicated than buying an established property, it’s actually simpler in many ways.

If you buy a house and land package with a trusted builder, they will have their building process streamlined. That means they can clearly explain the whole process and all the costs.

Compare this to buying an established property. You may not have the specialised knowledge to understand what maintenance works are in store for you after purchase.

10. Guidelines and restrictions

Building in a new estate can come with certain rules. These help maintain the charm of the neighbourhood and prevent disruptions to you and your neighbours.

Check what types of restrictions are in place and how these design limits affect you. It could be a limit on the size of your house, your front landscaping design or facade.