Benefits of purchasing a house and land package from a developer

How does a home newly built just for you sound? Now we know that’s pretty tantalising already, but let’s also throw in the dream of that modern home resting in a friendly, thriving neighbourhood. It’s surrounded by parks, thoughtfully designed roads, a bunch of amenities, and oh what the heck, let’s chuck in some public transport links and free community events too!

If this sounds like the dream, buying a house and land package from a well-regarded developer like Satterley might be a wise move.

QUICK OVERVIEW: THE BENEFITS OF A HOUSE AND LAND PACKAGE

The big advantage of buying a developer’s house and land package is that it makes building your own home really easy. Find a community that you want to join, buy a lot, then a home builder helps you find the ideal house for it. Everything is packaged together, simplifying the process.

TOP THREE REASONS TO BUY FROM A DEVELOPER

1. YOU’LL HAVE A CLEAR OVERVIEW OF CONTRACT INCLUSIONS

When you buy from a developer like Satterley, your contract should make it clear to you what is and is not included. What we mean by that is all those finicky little details like “does this include a driveway?” or “are there estimated costs that might sting me later?” should be written down before you sign. This allows you to think carefully about the package on offer and whether you believe you’re getting the right deal for your needs. You can set your budget appropriately, and work out any extra costs for items not present in the contract.

Compare this to an architect-designed house where you have to go back and forth about every niggly detail, or an existing house where you can’t customise a thing before the sale.

What are common package inclusions?

1. Driveway.
2. Front landscaping.
3. Side and rear fencing.
4. Window treatments.
5. Floor coverings.
6. Light fittings.
7. Kitchen fittings (including bench tops).
8. Air conditioning

Wall paint is one inclusion that might be a part of your house and land package.

What are the ‘estimates’ we just mentioned?

Some contracts include estimates, known as ‘provisional sums’. For example, if the builder can’t guarantee how much your siteworks will cost (i.e. the work required to flatten your land, etc.), they may include it as a provisional sum. In this case, the final price could go up or down depending on the extent of the job.

While these might sound scary, estimates aren’t going to blow your budget if you’re prepared. Talk to your land developer about the trustworthy builders they recommend, probe them with questions about their service to get an idea as to what these provisional sums will hinge on, and then pack extra breathing room into your budget as a just-in-case measure.

Getting financial incentives

One other benefit that may be included in your house and land package is the possibility of financial incentives. Developers and their partner builders occasionally offer incentives such as discounts or bonus inclusions for those who choose their service. While reputation, quality and trust should be your core deciding factors when choosing a developer and builder, financial incentives are an added bonus that may help keep a few costs down.

Developers aren’t just subdividing lots and selling them off – they’re creating entirely new neighbourhoods.

2. YOU’LL BE LIVING IN AN INTELLIGENTLY DEVELOPED COMMUNITY

This is one of the big benefits that will impact your comfort when living in this brand new house of yours, and could make a huge difference to your family’s life too.

House and land package developers like Satterley aren’t just subdividing lots and selling them off – they’re creating entirely new neighbourhoods, right down to the roads and lamp posts. Everything is designed with the community at heart, to try and ensure that residents will have everything they need for a happy life.

Things to expect in many masterplanned communities include:

1. Thoughtful design: Think public transport links, proximity to essential services such as schools, hospitals and shopping districts, proximity to employment hubs or leisure activities for the weekends, etc. If these things aren’t built right there inside the community, the community may be situated as close as possible to maximise convenience.
2. Green spaces: Green spaces have positive mental and physical health benefits. This is why developers try to include them as much as possible in their communities, which means your house and land package may be neighbours with conservation areas, parks and playgrounds, beaches, walkways, and/or cycle paths.
3. Community events: Fun events can turn a neighbourhood into a community. Imagine living somewhere with regular workshops, movie nights, markets and more hosted a mere stroll from your front door.

A perk of buying from a developer vs. custom building: Community events.

3. IT’S EASIER THAN BUYING LAND AND BUILDING A CUSTOM HOME

Yes, house and land packages do come with fewer customisation options than if you were to approach an architect and pull a design out of thin air. However, it’s important to note that customisation options do exist to a degree and, quite honestly, taking all of this extra hassle out of the design process makes it so much easier to reap the benefits of living in your own new home.

This is especially true for people finding their land-buying feet for the first time. Some of the complications of going the architect route include:

1. The financial process is more complex: When you buy land and build a home, you need two loans – a home loan for the land, and a construction loan for the build. The latter is offered to you in chunks instead of a lump sum. However, while this is still technically true of a house and land package, they are typically lumped together into one so you only need to sort out a single loan – not two.
2. It’s slower: There are many steps to the custom build journey. First you’ll need to find an architect, then you’ll have to work through design options, approve every tiny detail, then get council approval (fingers crossed it goes through first time!). If you’ve bought land during this process, any delays extend the time you’re paying off your mortgage without being able to live in the property yet. With a house and land package, a lot of this is already done for you (i.e. designing the house) so the process is streamlined and there will likely be less time waiting for construction to finish.

Basically, a house and land package will get you the same outcome – a brand new house that’s freshly yours.

So, if this is your dream, it’s time you start taking some next steps. You’ll need to talk to a financial adviser about your mortgage, but in the meantime have a look at land for sale in WA, VIC and QLD to find a community near you!