You’ve made the decision to buy a house and land package in Melbourne’s expanding Western corridor – great! The next step is to find the ideal development which meets your lifestyle needs.
Living in Melbourne’s West gives you the opportunity to create the lifestyle you’ve always wanted. The western corridor is rapidly growing with continuous investment in the region’s facilities and amenities. Living here gives you the freedom and space to move, without traffic congestion or the need to hurry. You’ll have more time with your family and friends or with yourself to do more of what you enjoy.
Asking the right questions up front leads to more informed decisions. Buying a home is a long-term investment so we’ve compiled a list of questions to ask builders when researching your house and land options in Truganina or Melbourne’s West.
1. What amenities and facilities are close by?Find out what recreation centres, sports clubs, aquatic centres and community centres are close by. What do you like doing – golf, swimming, running, bushwalking, or going to temple and church? Do your kids like netball or soccer? Are there parks nearby for small children to play and for picnics?
At Olivia: These amenities may also be within the development. Olivia has 6.5 hectares of open spaces including a future 4.5-hectare sporting ground, and 2 hectares of family-friendly landscaped parklands, only a short walk from each property.
A future interactive 1.27-hectare feature park is proposed at Olivia which will include a state-of-the-art playground for all ages and abilities.
2. What sort of education and schools exist today, and are proposed in the area?Ask about the education options in the area and whether they provide for all ages. Are there child-care centres, primary schools and high schools? Do you prefer public or private schools?
If they’re close to the development you’re interested in, your children might be able to walk to school. A walk to and from school can be an opportunity for kids to relax, breathe fresh air and enjoy time with friends.
At Olivia: There are four proposed schools within a 5-minute drive of Olivia. A state primary school is planned along Caulonia Drive directly adjacent to Stage 2 in Olivia. Another state primary, a non-government primary and a non-government secondary school are planned to be delivered to the east of Olivia. A selection of local schools can be found here.
3. Is the location close to transport and shops?How far do you need to travel to go shopping for groceries and can you shop for everything you need in your local area?
Depending on where you need to travel for your work or to see extended family and friends, find out about local public transport options. If you need to visit the CBD often, access is important as you don’t want to have to navigate traffic every day in a car.
Well thought out developments will provide for various transport options. How close is the development to the train station and is there parking? On a day to day basis, these conveniences make the difference between spending too much time in traffic or being at home with the family in time for dinner.
At Olivia: Olivia is just a 5-minute drive from the newly upgraded Rockbank train station and the Western Freeway for an easy commute into the city. There are also plans for another train station on Hopkins Road, 5-minutes east of Olivia.
Currently, there are four shopping centres in close proximity to Olivia with plans for two new town centres. The proposed Rockbank Town Centre will be less than 5km to the west of Olivia on Leakes Road. The town centre will span approximately 35,000 square metres and consist of an indoor shopping centre and village style high street, comprising specialty shops, supermarkets and cafes.
The proposed Mount Atkinson Town Centre will be the closest to Olivia, less than 3km east on Hopkins Road and the proposed Grand Boulevard. The town centre is planned to be anchored by a Westfield shopping centre.
4. Can I choose my own builder?Some developments can be locked into particular builders so if you have a preference for a building company, then ask this question up front. At Olivia, we have a range of builders who provide house and land packages offering excellent value for money.
And, at Olivia you can choose your own builder to develop your ideal home.
5. How do I know if I’m financially ready?Before you start looking for a new home, find out about your borrowing capacity. You’ll save yourself plenty of time with the hundreds of properties on the market by narrowing down your selection of house and land packages.
The major banks all have home loan calculators online that you can use to do some initial analysis. We’d recommend you speak to a bank home lender directly, or a local mortgage broker who knows the local developments, valuations and will help you determine your lending capacity.
At Olivia: If you’d prefer to speak with someone about your borrowing capacity both George and Tom are happy to have a chat.
George Tofa is a Mortgage Broker at Liberty. He can be reached on 0432 725 244.
Tom Kuo is a Mobile Lending Executive at Commonwealth Bank. You can get in touch with him on 0436 916 458.
6. How will I be kept informed of progress on my land?How does the developer keep you informed about development, construction updates, reaching milestones and settlements? If your settlement is a year or two down the track, you’ll need to know what’s happening with your investment over this time.
For example, at Olivia, we provide quarterly construction update videos on our website. We send out emails regularly that increase in frequency as titles approach which include information about progress, valuations, statement of compliance, titles and settlement, and other industry news relevant to Olivia property owners.
You can also follow us on social media to stay in the loop with all things Olivia. We’re on Facebook and Instagram.
7. What government incentives are available?Right now, there are several government initiatives that will help boost your investment in a new home. It’s money in your pocket to help you get a head start. Read our blog $35k+ worth of reasons to start building your dream home at Olivia in 2020.
The $25,000 HomeBuilder Grant – the government has provided a $25K grant toward the build of your new home in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The $10K First Home Buyers Grant– if you’re buying or building your first home in Melbourne valued up to $750,000, you may be eligible for a First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) of $10,000.
The First Home Loan Deposit Scheme – with this scheme you can buy a home with as little as 5% deposit if you are eligible.
If you have any other questions, please contact our Estate Manager Christian on 0422 871 939 or email [email protected]. You can also view our Frequently Asked Questions here.