Introduction
Back in early 2018, our family decided to take the leap and build our very first home in Australia.
As a migrant family, navigating the Australian property market and building process was a completely new experience for us. Looking back, it was an exciting journey, but it also involved plenty of waiting, unexpected decisions, and lessons that we only learned along the way.
We chose a house and land package, which allowed us to select a block of land and customise our home before construction began.
From speaking with land sales agents and mortgage brokers to choosing door handles, tiles, power points, and light fittings, there were far more decisions involved than we initially expected.
Here is our real-world experience of building our first home in Australia, including the government grant we received at the time, land registration delays, design decisions, construction payments, and finally getting the keys.
Note: The government grant amounts and eligibility rules mentioned in this article relate to our experience in 2018. Government programs and property rules can change, so always check the current Queensland Government requirements before making financial decisions.
1. Step 1: Mortgage Broker, Budgeting & Government Grant
Before visiting display homes, one of our first steps was speaking with a mortgage broker.
We wanted to understand how much we could realistically borrow before choosing a block of land or house design.
This was important because the advertised price of a house and land package isn’t necessarily the final amount you will spend.
There can be additional costs for:
- Site works
- Design changes
- Upgrades
- Landscaping
- Fencing
- Window coverings
- Air conditioning
- Driveways
- Electrical upgrades
- Council and other associated costs
First Home Owner Grant
Because we were eligible first home buyers building a new home in Queensland, we were also able to take advantage of the Queensland First Home Owner Grant (FHOG).
When we started the process in early 2018, the grant for eligible new homes was $20,000. The Queensland Government’s historical records confirm that the $20,000 grant applied to eligible contracts from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2018.
This was a significant amount of money for us at the time and formed part of our overall funding plan for building the home.
Updated Grants & Schemes: What Is Available Now?
Government assistance for first home buyers has changed considerably since we built our home.
If you’re planning to buy or build a home in Queensland today, there are several programs worth investigating.
First Home Owner Grant (FHOG)
The Queensland First Home Owner Grant is currently $30,000 for eligible contracts signed from 1 July 2026 onwards.
The grant applies to eligible new homes valued at less than $750,000, including land. There is no FHOG for established homes.
The grant amount and eligibility requirements can change, so always check the current Queensland Government requirements before including the grant in your budget.
Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme
The former Home Guarantee Scheme was renamed the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme in October 2025.
For eligible first home buyers, the scheme allows a home to be purchased with a minimum 5% deposit without paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), subject to eligibility requirements and location-specific property price caps.
The scheme can also be used for house and land packages and building on vacant land, which makes it particularly relevant to people considering the type of building journey described in this article.
Since October 2025, the scheme has no income caps, no waiting list, and unlimited places for eligible applicants. However, you still need to meet the eligibility requirements and the lending criteria of a participating lender.
Stamp Duty / Transfer Duty Concessions
Another important consideration is transfer duty, commonly called stamp duty.
Queensland introduced significant changes for first home buyers from 1 May 2025.
Eligible first home buyers purchasing a new home may qualify for a full transfer duty concession, meaning no transfer duty is payable on the eligible residential portion of the property. There is currently no value cap for the new-home concession.
The same general change also provides a full concession for eligible first home buyers purchasing vacant residential land on which they intend to build their first home.
This is particularly interesting for anyone considering a house and land package, because transfer duty can otherwise be a significant upfront cost.
However, eligibility requirements apply, and duty can still apply to any additional land that is not considered residential land.
My Advice: Check the Rules Before You Start
The biggest lesson from our experience is that government incentives can make a meaningful difference to your home-buying budget, but the rules change over time.
When we built our home in 2018, we were working with a $20,000 Queensland grant.
Today, an eligible buyer may potentially have access to a $30,000 FHOG, Queensland transfer duty concessions, and the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme.
However, these programs have different eligibility requirements and are not automatically available to everyone.
If you’re planning to buy or build your first home, I would recommend checking the official government websites before signing a contract, rather than relying on information from an old blog post, display-home salesperson, or social media post.
2. Step 2: Finding Land & Dealing With Registration Delays
Once we had a better understanding of our budget, we started looking at available land.
Eventually, we found a block with a size and layout that we really liked.
The sales team initially told us that the land was expected to be registered within around six months.
Because it was part of a new development stage, however, the land wasn’t ready for settlement immediately.
The Reality of Land Registration
Civil construction, infrastructure works, approvals, and other processes can affect the timing of new land releases.
In our case, the land was ultimately registered after approximately nine months rather than the original six-month estimate.
That meant a lot of waiting.
If you’re buying an unregistered block, one of the biggest lessons I learned is:
Don’t plan your entire life around the original estimated registration date.
Build some flexibility into your finances and moving plans because delays can happen.
3. Step 3: Customising the Floor Plan — The 1-Metre Decision
While waiting for the land to be registered, we worked with our chosen builder on the house design.
We selected a standard floor plan that we already liked, but we decided to make one significant change.
We extended the overall length of the house by approximately one metre and adjusted some of the bedroom layouts.
Was It Worth the Extra Cost?
The extension cost us approximately $5,000.
At the time, spending another $5,000 on a house that we hadn’t even started building felt like a big decision.
Looking back, however, it was one of the best decisions we made.
Later, we visited another completed home built using the same standard floor plan without the extension.
The difference was surprisingly noticeable.
That additional metre made the living areas feel more spacious and gave us more flexibility with furniture placement.
My Lesson
If you’re building a house, don’t only look at the initial price.
Think about how you will actually live in the space for the next 10 or 20 years.
Some upgrades are purely cosmetic, while others can have a meaningful impact on how comfortable the house feels every day.
4. Step 4: Colours, Fixtures & Interior Choices
One of the most interesting parts of building our home was the Colours & Selections appointment.
This was where we had to make dozens of decisions about things we had never really thought about before.
We had to choose things such as:
- Door handles and locks
- Window glass options
- Tiles
- Paint colours
- Taps and showerheads
- Kitchen finishes
- Electrical layouts
- Power points
- Light switches
- Downlights
It was surprising how many small decisions were involved in building a house.
What Would I Do Differently?
At the time, we tried to keep some of the electrical upgrades to a minimum to control costs.
For example, we didn’t add as many downlights and power points as we could have.
Looking back, I would probably add more during the initial construction.
Adding electrical points after the walls are finished can be much more difficult and expensive than planning them during construction.
This is one area where I would rather spend a little more during the build than deal with the inconvenience later.
5. Step 5: Construction & Progress Payments
Our home loan was structured to cover both the land purchase and the construction of the house.
Once the land was registered, the land purchase was settled.
The construction component of the loan then followed the builder’s progress payment schedule.
Rather than paying the entire construction cost upfront, payments were made progressively as different stages of construction were completed.
Typical construction stages can include:
- Slab
- Frame
- Lock-up
- Fixing
- Practical completion
The exact stages and payment arrangements depend on the building contract and lender.
For us, the process generally worked like this:
Builder completes a stage → builder issues progress claim → bank processes payment → construction continues.
This system helped us spread the construction costs throughout the building process rather than needing the entire amount available from day one.
6. Step 6: Construction, Final Inspection & Key Handover
Once construction was underway, it was exciting to see the house slowly take shape.
Our single-storey home was completed relatively quickly once construction was fully underway, and eventually we reached the most exciting part of the entire process: handover day.
Our handover took place on Christmas Eve.
We met the builder’s site supervisor, walked through the finished house, checked the rooms and finishes, completed the final paperwork, and finally received our keys.
After months of planning and waiting, we officially became homeowners.
It was an unforgettable Christmas present for our family.
Building Insurance
One important lesson from our experience was to make sure our building insurance was arranged before handover.
In our case, we needed to provide the relevant insurance documentation, including a Certificate of Currency, as part of the handover and financing process.
The exact insurance requirements can vary depending on your lender, builder, contract, and circumstances, so it’s important to confirm these requirements well before the handover date.
Don’t leave insurance until the last minute.
Final Documents Matter Too
At handover, make sure you collect and keep important documents relating to the house.
Depending on your project, these may include:
- Practical completion documentation
- Building inspection certificates
- Warranties
- Appliance documentation
- Electrical certificates
- Plumbing documentation
- Relevant service connection information
In Queensland, the QBCC also provides guidance on the handover process and documentation that should be provided to homeowners.
7. Step 7: Connecting Utilities Before Moving In
Another lesson I learned was that getting the keys doesn’t mean the house is immediately ready to live in.
Before moving in, you may need to organise services such as:
- Electricity
- Gas, if applicable
- Water
- NBN or another internet service
- Air conditioning installation
- Window blinds
- Fencing
- Driveway
- Landscaping
For our new home, some of these things were still unfinished after we received the keys.
So if you’re building a new house, don’t assume that everything will be ready on the day of handover.
Start arranging essential services and contractors before you receive the keys whenever possible.
What Building Our First Home Taught Me
Building our first home in Australia taught us several lessons that I still remember today.
1. Don’t rely completely on estimated dates
Land registration and construction timelines can change.
2. Understand your total budget
The advertised house price isn’t necessarily the final cost.
3. Spend carefully on things that are difficult to change later
Electrical points, lighting, structural changes, and certain built-in features are worth thinking about carefully during the design stage.
4. Don’t underestimate the number of decisions
Building a house involves far more small decisions than you might expect.
5. Keep some money aside for after handover
The house may be finished, but you could still need to pay for blinds, fencing, landscaping, air conditioning, furniture, and other essentials.
Conclusion: Getting the Keys Was Only the Beginning
Getting the keys to our first home was a huge milestone for our family.
But the funny thing about building a house is that handover doesn’t mean you’re finished spending money or making decisions.
When we received our keys on Christmas Eve, the house was standing—but we still had no blinds, no air conditioning, and the backyard was basically a large pile of dirt.
That’s when the next stage of our home-building journey began.
In Part 2, I’ll share how we handled the things that came after handover, including DIY landscaping, fencing with our neighbours, installing blinds, air conditioning, and the essential things we needed to set up our new home.
Part 2 : Post-Handover DIY Setup : Blinds, Air Conditioning, Fencing & Turf in Australia.
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