Aussie’s shock after receiving first letter in new house

A young Aussie has been left fuming after receiving her first mail delivery. 

Celeste Healey had recently bought her first home, and was “feeling great” about her step onto the property ladder. 

Then a letter arrived that put a dampener on her mood. 

“This is a thing called council rates,” the Melbourne-based influencer and model explained in a TikTok video. 

“I’m about to pay $411 for my recycling bins – the general bin, the mixed recycling bin, the gardening bin. 

“I didn’t realise that when you buy a house you have to pay to breathe,” she said sarcastically.

Celeste expressed disappointment at the lack of education she received about ongoing housing costs. 

“Why didn’t they teach this in school?” she said. 

“That’s my first payment. There’s going to be a lot more where that comes from.” 

The video – captioned “buying a house is a scam” – has been viewed over 560,000 times since she posted it last week.

Many people in the comments commiserated with Celeste over the high costs of council rates.

“Fees upon fees upon fees,” one user wrote. 

“I was so confused when I got my first council rate letter hahhahahaha,” another person commented. 

Others chimed in with their own rate amounts, with one person writing:“$400 for council rates? What a bargain, would love to move there. Currently paying $6k.”  

Council rates are one of many ongoing costs that homebuyers need to take into account when purchasing a property. 

These payments fund local amenities like waste disposal, public libraries, parks, roads, drains and streetlights.

Homeowners also need to cover land tax, water and electricity bills, home and contents insurance, and ongoing maintenance costs. 

Those buying an apartment or townhouse will also need to budget for strata fees. 

These ongoing costs can add several thousands of dollars on top of mortgage repayments. 

There are also hidden costs in the buying process itself. 

Stamp duty, building and pest inspections, conveyancing, home loan application fees, and moving fees all need to be factored in when buying a home.