Why turnkey homes are winning over first home buyers

NAB said the results were the highest new housing figures for FHBs since December 2022.

McGrath said it was unsurprising that new builds were rising in popularity for FHBs, given that state governments provided grants for significant reductions on buying or building new homes.

Additionally, McGrath said house-and-land packages, especially in outer-ring locations, can be more appealing to FHBs, reducing short-term stress.

He said while many developers offered turnkey or ready-built houses, there were also options for set layout designs with fixed colours and materials, infill or greenfield developments, or off-the-plan townhouses or apartments.

“These positives can negate the need for costly and worrying short-term renovations, at least,” he said.

McGrath also said newer areas, where turnkey properties were based, offered the potential of high appreciation and good rental appeal.

He said Ripley Valley, west of Brisbane, highlighted the popularity of newer estates, being designated a Priority Development Area in 2010 and becoming one of Australia’s fastest-growing urban locations.

With up to 50,000 new properties approved for the area, McGrath noted the region was also forecast to house 120,000 people or more by 2040.

“Since major building works began in Ripley in 2010, property prices have rapidly increased as well.”

“Older houses in the region sold for around $300,000 in 2010, but some particularly large properties have sold for $1 million and more in the past few months, according to realestate.com.au,” he said.

Despite the benefits, McGrath said there were hidden disadvantages to new builds, including developer margins, unexpected construction costs and delays, and additional fees, such as land purchase costs.

“You will also need to find a reputable development company and builder.”

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) and Cotality’s Residential Land Report in February showed that residential land prices across the country escalated by more than 500 per cent since 2000.

Meanwhile, the data showed that the construction costs and the cost of skilled labour grew by around 150 per cent.

However, McGrath noted that buyers hadn’t been deterred from purchasing new homes, with another HIA report finding new home sales in the five largest states reached a three-year high in September 2025.

The data also showed that new home sales in the three months to October 2025 were 8.1 per cent higher than the previous quarter.

“While the volume of the sales dropped by 9 per cent in October itself, they were still higher than any other four-week period in recent years,” McGrath said.

Despite some setbacks, McGrath predicted a surge in house-and-land packages, turnkey properties, and master-planned communities.

“So, if you are keen to buy a new home, there are plenty of options, and locations, to choose from,” he concluded.

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