News Articles & Media Releases

19/03/11
Popular with first-time buyers
Writer: Gemma Nisbet
Publication: The New Homes Guide – The West Australian

It’s no secret that smaller homes on narrow lots are being touted as one way of tackling housing affordability and leading the charge in Perth is first-homebuyer specialist Homebuyers Centre.

With house prices driven up over the past three or four years, Homebuyers Centre had started to look at ways to build homes that were affordable for first-time buyers, sales and marketing manager Jared Stone said.

The builders first step was developing its Flutes range of homes, which were designed to fit 7m-wide green titles blocks, reaching boundary-to-boundary so that no space was wasted.
The Flutes designs come in three-bedroom, two-bathroom configurations and typically have 105sqm of living space on 210sqm blocks, with prices starting from $319,000.

The range has been such a success that Homebuyers Centre has now built more than 400 of them, enabling the builder to perfect the building style involved and allowing developers to become aware of their benefits.

“Now all the developers understand that they can help first-homebuyers by producing smaller lots and come straight to us for advice on which size lots and have been referring people to us to build their houses for them,” Mr Stone said.

The most recent addition to the Homebuyers Centre stable of narrow-lot designs is the recently launched Primo Collection, a range of terrace-style homes designed to fir 5m-wide, 150sqm blocks.

“We took it one step further and said ‘this is all about affordability, what we can do to make this more affordable’,” Mr Stone said of the idea behind the new range.

The Primo homes have about 100sqm of space including a single garage, two bedrooms and one bathroom, plus finishes such as floor coverings, stone benchtops, internal painting, landscaping and fencing so buyers can move straight in.

“We chose to have 2 sets of double-leaf walls and what that does is eliminate the first issue that comes to mind, which is ‘Will I be able to hear the people next door’,” Mr Stone explained.

With prices starting at $268,000, Mr Stone said that the first release of Primo homes at Ellenbrook hold sold out within the first week, with another 50-plus to be released in stages at the estate.

“These are perfect for first-homebuyers but we also have a lot of empty-nesters buying and a lot of investors.”

Given the level of interest, Mr Stone said Homebuyers Centre was currently working with developers to include Primo homes in estate north and south of the river, while Flutes homes continued to be available throughout the metropolitan area.
Buyers are able to view the two Primo display homes and the Flutes display at Ellenbrook. The builder also has a good selection of 12m and 15m cottage lot designs, which Mr Stone said continued to make up 20 to 30 per cent of its business, including the 15m four-bedroom, two-bathroom Vista display at Ellenbrook.