Young couple Blake and Abigail recently bought their first home, in Dover Gardens, by taking advantage of the State Government’s HomeSeeker SA scheme.
“When you talk about the Australian dream, it’s about owning your own home,” Blake said.
“To be able to move into our own home at such young ages, it’s helping to set up our lives forever.”
The scheme helps South Australians on low to moderate incomes become homeowners by removing some of the common barriers to home ownership, including competition from cashed-up investors.
Affordable homes listed on the HomeSeeker SA website are available exclusively to eligible buyers for up to 60 days before being placed on the open market.
Blake, 26, said he and Abigail were grateful they were able to buy a home without competition from investors.
“As property values rise, it’s no secret it’s harder to find properties to rent and buy,” he said.
“This program is a great opportunity for first homebuyers to get properties at reasonable fixed prices.”
Blake said owning a home was a hot topic among his friends, and he knew of others who had taken advantage of affordable home packages.
In May, the HomeSeeker SA website had more than 140 affordable homes and land allotments listed, which was a record number since the scheme began in 2021.
Earlier this year, the time a listed home is available exclusively to eligible buyers doubled from 30 days to 60 days last year, giving first-time homehunters more time to get their finances in order before making an offer.
Homes for sale through the scheme are priced from around $300,000.
Blake’s advice to others looking to secure their first home is to get finance pre-approval in place, to be able to move quickly when the right property becomes available.
“Make sure you have your finance in order and always be on the lookout,” he said.
“Check websites like HomeSeeker, which offer these affordable housing initiatives.
“For us it happened really quickly, so be ready to grab the opportunity with both hands.”
Learn more about the scheme by visiting HomeSeeker SA.
For more information about obtaining finance, visit HomeStart.
