Stylish and Affordable New Homes for First Home Buyers

Moving from renting to owning your very own new home is one of the greatest challenges young North Queenslanders will take on.

"Designer First Homes are helping first home owners do exactly that: Getting first home buyers into their own dream home sooner".

Getting started with your new home journey can seem overwhelming and stressful at first. At Designer First Homes we specialise in providing the right building advice, service and support making things that much easier along the way toward getting a new first home that is just right for you. Read more about us.

Our website contains lots of valuable information about our design service and building process for you to take away, should you not be able to get the answers to all you questions here, or you'd like to get started with your dream home journey this year please contact us for help.

$15000 Federal Government Home Builder Grant - Fact Sheet.

HomeBuilder is a time-limited grant program to help the residential construction market to bounce back from the Coronavirus crisis.

HomeBuilder will provide eligible owner-occupiers (including first home buyers) with a grant of $15,000 to build a new home where the contract is signed between 1 January 2021 and 31 March 2021.

HomeBuilder will complement the existing Queensland First Home Owner's Grant and stamp duty concessions for First Home Owners in Queensland.

See more of this home by downloading the illustrations and floor plan

Why Should I Build A New Home?

Buying an existing house might seem like the easiest option when you’re considering a new home. With an existing property, there are no major decisions to be made about design, materials and fittings; you simply walk in and make it your own, as best you can. While this is convenient, there are also many benefits to building, and if your next home is for the long-run it might be worth the extra effort because you will have something which is uniquely your own to suit you, your family and lifestyle. And besides, with the right builder, the whole design and building experience can be one to be enjoyed. Here are a few benefits to building:

Save Money

Designing and building your own home can be a cheaper option than buying an existing house. Often people are happy to pay big dollars for the convenience of a turn-key living solution, so if you’re willing to take on the challange of a new build without over capitalising, you’ll reap the rewards. To calculate just how much you can save, compare construction costs with existing homes in the same location that have similar features. This will give you an idea of how much potential gain you could make. Be realistic with your figures and don’t forget to factor in hidden building costs to get a true understanding of the savings. You can also save money buying a brand new home, because you only pay stamp duty on the cost of the land, not the building (unlike an established home).

It’s Made Just For You

A new home can be designed to suit your lifestyle and provide features that are important to you. Not all Cairns builders can offer this but at Designer First Home we can offer a full design service. It gives you the opportunity to put your unique stamp on your home and lifestyle, and also creates a great sense of ownership and accomplishment. Designer First Homes provide peace-of-mind to our clients by providing a virtual reality tour of your home design before we move to the construction stage, making it much easier to say yes.

Queensland First Home Buyer Grant

Are You Eligible for The First Home Grant?

Applying for a first home buyers grant to purchase a house and land in North Queensland is relatively straightforward but it’s always good to have access to experienced advice and assistance to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. A state government initiative to increase homeownership across the state, the Queensland First Home Owners’ Grant provides eligible home buyers with $15,000 towards the cost of buying or building a new house.

Privacy

Blocks tend to be smaller these days so it’s important that your home doesn’t feel overlooked. A Designer First Home can be designed to suit your block, ensuring that windows minimize views of the neighbors while framing scenery and making the most of natural light inside. We'll do a thorough site analysis of your block that takes into consideration natural factors like light, wind, rain, heat as well as slopes, council and any covenant requirements.

Energy Efficiency

The orientation of your new home can be planned in relation to sun and wind patterns, enhancing the energy efficiency of your new home. This can reduce energy bills substantially by making the most of passive heating and cooling. In tropical regions such as Cairns, houses should be angled to benefit from cooling breezes, funneling the breeze through the house.

Designer First Homes can be designed to run on solar-energy and have better quality windows and insulation to maintain the inside temperature. They can incorporate environmentally-friendly options such as water-saving devices, compost pits and indoor herb gardens. To make these kinds of adaptions in an existing home could be costly.

Quality Appliances and Fittings

This is one of the great advantages to building a new home; you aren’t forced to live with someone else’s choices. If you buy a house that doesn’t quite meet your standards, it’s easy to tell yourself it’s only temporary and you’ll update soon, at extra costs. The reality is that most new home owners don’t have any spare cash for several years to buy new appliances and make changes in design and layout. With a new build, you will get the appliances and layout that work for you without compromising, without waiting and without extra cost down the track.

Are You Looking for Land for Your New Home Build?

Buying land and building a new home can be a complex process involving multiple parties like builders, contractors, lenders, solicitors, accountants, quantity surveyors and our local council. With so many people involved in the new home building process, there is always the possibility of a communication breakdown or delays. Things may go wrong so make sure you accept the reality and the scope of the project by setting real expectations from the outset.

Most builders won’t want to talk to you before you have your land! Designer First Homes are happy to advise you on your land choices and how these may impact your house design and construction costs. We're happy to help with land advice before you purchase. Please contact us for help with your potential home sites short list.

Close To Buying Land?

Get our land buying check list.

Buying land is the first and most important step in the home building process. Before you buy, consider these factors to help you make the right choice.

If you are getting close to buying land for your new home consider your total budget and the land cost, the location and the details of what you can and can't do with your block before jumping in. Learn much more by getting out land buying guide.

Financing Your New Home: We Can Help

With interest rates at an all time low, the $15,000 Queensland Government grant for first home buyers and the recently announced First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, building a new first home has never been as affordable. However, getting approved for a building loan is not always a simple process. With some mortgage brokers and bank employees not always confident in the buying land and building process, you’ll need to have a specialist by your side!

Our mortgage and finance partners are on hand to guide you through various financial options and are confident with the new home construction process. If you’re eligible, they’ll also explain the steps to getting your first home buyers grant and help you find out what other benefits may be available. You can be confident our mortgage consultants will also help you find the home finance package that works best for you and they'll be there every step of the way of your home construction journey. Contact us to get the wheels in motion.

How Do Construction Loans Work?

Designer First Homes work closely with your preferred professionals and financiers and have the experience and existing relationships to help you with every aspect of your new home journey. If you’re buying the land and considering your construction timing, you may want to consider splitting the loan into a “land loan” and “construction loan”, meaning each will be advanced at a different time.

Learm more by reading our guide to our construction stages and how they work.

See more of this home by downloading the illustrations and floor plan