Buying a new home versus established home in Canberra: What to know before you decide
New builds and established homes offer different benefits depending on buyer preferences.
Mario Sanfrancesco of Blackshaw Manuka says the dwelling types are competitive with one another.
“Buyers often fall into one camp or the other, but I’ve seen them readily switch given the right property,” he says.
“It really depends as to how a home ticks off a buyer’s priorities.”
Sanfrancesco says new builds certainly benefit from an infusion of the latest architectural thinking along with new building practices and materials.
“You’re likely to get a home with the right block orientation, efficient energy design and the latest in contemporary lifestyle fittings and fixtures,” he says.
“And you’re also likely to get the complete package on the location you want if it’s a knock-down-and-rebuild scenario.”
James Carter of Carter and Co. says established homes often have the benefit of a sought-after location by virtue of their history.
“You only have to look at the ongoing lifestyle appeal of the Inner South and Inner North to see the truth of that,” he says.
“And you’ll certainly see that appeal being extended through sympathetic extensions and renovations.”
Carter says greenfield sites like Strathnairn in Ginninderry underscore the attraction of homes being built to the latest standards.
“Buyers like the estate master planning, the contemporary home design and the enhanced levels of energy efficiency through innovations like air [pressure] testing,” he says.
“These are features that particularly appeal to first-home buyers.”
- New. Fresh builds benefit from the latest directions in architectural design and construction innovations. Typically, they also enjoy high energy efficiency that helps improve year-round comfort and lowers running costs.
- Established. While character stock is often found in the lifestyle inner suburbs, established homes in, say, the Woden or Tuggeranong valleys are likely ripe for renovation or extension and represent good buying.
- Verdict. Let’s call it a draw. Neither type is necessarily better: both will have pluses and minuses. The right decision is how a home best suits a buyer’s needs.
Allhomes’ top pick of new-builds on the market:
Mawson
A Japanese aesthetic infuses this large Mawson family home that sits on nearly 1500 square metres of award-winning gardens.
The residence is superbly appointed and based on stunning polished concrete floors contrasted by elegant timber touches. A northerly aspect ensures sun-filled, year-round comfort, complemented by gas hydronic in-slab heating and a wood fireplace.
An open-plan living area features massive commercial scale sliding doors overlooking a generous, covered al fresco area with outdoor kitchen and bar opposite a spectacular in-ground pool.An impressive designer kitchen includes a generous butler’s pantry, integrated Miele appliances, induction cooktop and glass fibre reinforced concrete benchtops.
Five spacious bedrooms feature custom joinery and garden aspects. There are four full bathrooms (including two en suites), each enjoying heated towel rails and under-tile heating.
Of course, the parents’ retreat is luxurious and incorporates one of those stylish en suites and a walk-in wardrobe.
Other home features include a mud room, home office, wine cellar, gym (with separate powder room), pool cabana, workshop and an over-sized three-car garage.
The garden includes a Zen pebble garden, firepit, custom basketball area, gourmet vegetable planters and a modern chook run behind a screen of silver birch. Privacy is enhanced by plantings of star jasmine and formal hedging. There’s automatic irrigation and a 90,000-litre underground water tank.
The home is within walking distance of the Mawson and Farrer shops, a range of schools and the Canberra Hospital.
Price guide: $2.2 million +
Online auction: 2pm, April 26
Agent: Blackshaw Manuka, Mario Sanfrancesco 0412 488 027
Or try these:
Lyons
Price guide: $1.295 million
Private sale
Agent: Hayman Partners, Brett Hayman 0411 414 624
Braddon
Price guide: $1.02 million
Private sale
Agent: JWLand, Sarah Chan 0448 249 199
Forrest
Price guide: $2.559 million
Private sale
Agent: Addval Developments, James Carter 0413 974 912
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