There are three vital steps in the process of home ownership and it’s important that they’re completed in the correct order. Many people choose their house design first, only to discover they can't afford the home they have fallen in love with or it doesn't fit on the block of land they’ve chosen. This often results in disappointment, and more importantly, unexpected costs for you.

WA Housing Centre have been helping West Australians get into their own home for over 20 years, and our experienced Home and Land Specialists are happy to guide you through the process.

The three steps are outlined below. If you have on questions on the information below, or want to start your road to home ownership, please contact us.

Step 1 – Finance

It's vital to establish which type of finance you qualify for and work out the repayment amount that fits in with your budget. At WA Housing Centre, we do our best to make sure that owning your own home doesn’t necessarily compromise your lifestyle.

There are a number of different finance options available, which will differ from lender to lender. WA Housing Centre, through our partnership with The Loan Company, can source the best home loan for your lifestyle - saving you both time and money.

To see what type of home loan you qualify for, click here.

Step 2 – Land

When choosing the location of your new home, it’s important take into consideration existing and future infrastructure that will potentially affect the value of your home over time. Facilities such as schools, shops and public transport are attractive to have nearby, so it’s good to know what’s coming up in the area you’re looking to build in.

You may also want to look into capital growth rates, as well as a detailed suburb profile of existing residences in the area. This information is available from many land developers, local councils and industry web sites.

Choosing your ideal homesite

As part of BGC, Australia's largest building group, WA Housing Centre have developed relationships with all of WA’s major land developers, allowing us to source exclusive land for our customers. We can advise you on which type of lot to select and the best performing locations, and secure your ideal homesite straight from the developer.

It's important to remember that a home is basically an improvement to the land it’s built on! In most cases, future growth will come from the land and its location, so it’s a good idea to allocate approximately 60% of your budget towards the purchase of land.

When selecting a lot try and choose one that is relatively flat and sandy. Sloping sites and different soil types such as clay will increase your site work costs significantly. The width and length of your lot will also determine what type of home you can build.

Step 3 - Home

There are a number of factors to consider before choosing the design of your dream home.

It’s a detailed process that requires a fair bit of knowledge and understanding of current regulations. Given that a home is the biggest investment most people make in their lives, decisions you make now may have an impact in the future. Your builder or designer should be able help you through this process, and give you information on what options are available to you.

When choosing a house design, it’s worth taking the time to consider the following:

• Building design guidelines and covenants set by the land developer
• Local government regulations
• Bank / lender inclusions
• Solar orientation of your home, to minimise the cost of heating and cooling
• Selling your home in the future
• How you will use your home now and in the future - are you downsizing, or will you need room for a family? Will you live in your home for ten years, or are you planning on using it as an investment property down the track?

It’s important to remember that not all builders are the same. A home is a handmade product that involves over 150 people in the design, implementation and construction process. Every builder has a different process and use different tradespeople and materials. It's imperative the builder you choose can demonstrate in writing their process and the materials included in your home.

WA Housing Centre is part of the BGC Group, Australia's largest home builder. We manufacture most of our materials, giving us direct access to top quality products – in fact, a lot of other builders purchase materials from us!

Our experienced team of professionals has been building homes for over 20 years and we can demonstrate exactly what has made the BGC Group the number one builder in Australia for the last 7 years.

For more information, or to talk to one of our Home and Land Specialists, please contact us.