New home buyers are breaking through the rent trap with affordability a key factor for families purchasing within Stockland’s Sienna Wood community at Hilbert.
Sienna Wood is currently Stockland’s most affordable community in Western Australia, with home sites starting from $133,500 and house and land packages starting from $280,003.
First home buyers Sam and Erica Bosveld are planning for construction to begin on their new home after watching the first land being developed at Sienna Wood in 2015.
“My wife and I have been following the community for years – we’d drive past all the time and comment on how we liked the look of it and what it was going to become in the future,” Mr Bosveld said.
“We made the decision to start looking at display homes last July and with a great deal from WA Housing Centre along with the first home owner grant, we’re really happy to be in the property market after settling on our block of land.”
With a median home price of $380,000 for an established home in Hilbert, Sienna Wood residents are reaping the benefits of savings in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Col Dutton, General Manager for Stockland WA, said buyers were discovering it was cheaper to build a home to their exact specifications in a thriving, masterplanned community than to purchase an existing home in the surrounding area.
“The affordability of land at Sienna Wood attracts not only buyers taking their first steps on the property ladder, but growing families as well,” Mr Dutton said.
“Sienna Wood is increasing in popularity, with the locally renowned $4.8 million Shipwreck Park, recreational dog parks and Mooba Cafe centrepieces of the community, as well as a new $2.6 million park planned for 2019.”
Ms Bosveld said he and his wife are building their Sienna Wood home for the long term, and it will include four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a double lock-up garage and a theatre room.
“This will be our forever house. The design gives us quite a lot of room to live so we’ll be planning to start a family here,” Ms Bosveld said.
“My wife loves the location – there are a lot of schools in the area as well as shopping and everything else we need.”
Home sites at Sienna Wood range in size from 200 square metres to 450 square metres to cater to a range of lifestyles and budgets.