Tag: Land for sale Plumpton

Your nature strip often referred to as the “verge”, is the roadside stretch between your property and the curb along the road. This public space hosts an array of utilities, including telecommunications, gas, water, and power services, as well as street lighting. Typically adorned with grass and a tree, it serves several vital functions:

1. Providing a level area for waste and recycling bins.
2. Ensuring safe access for pedestrians, strollers, and wheelchairs between the road and footpath.
3. Enhancing visibility for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians, particularly at intersections, curves, and driveways.
4. Facilitating easy access for service providers to conduct maintenance or repairs.
5. Creating space for tree planting, enriching the neighborhood’s greenery.

Although the nature strips throughout the Botania community are owned by the Melton City Council, the duty of maintaining and caring for them falls upon the landowners whose properties run parallel to each section of the nature strip.

Essential maintenance and routine upkeep of your nature strip plays a pivotal role in elevating the overall ambiance of our community. Maintenance involves straightforward tasks such as regular mowing, weeding, and picking up litter. By keeping this space clean and tidy, you contribute to creating a welcoming environment within our community for all.

Advantages of a well-kept nature strip beyond its visual appeal include the following benefits:

1. Facilitates rainwater absorption, reducing stormwater runoff.
2. Enhances the aesthetics of the neighborhood.
3. Mitigates the impact of hard surfaces like roads and pavements.
4. Elevates the value and overall well-being of your property.

Street Trees are another common feature of most nature strips. Street trees add to the natural beauty of our community and offer practical benefits, including providing shade, contributing to CO2 absorption in the environment, and cooling down the neighborhood.

You can contribute to the care of your street tree by:

• Regularly watering it, especially during dry spells.
• Keeping the base free of weeds and mulching around it, while being mindful to avoid direct contact with the tree trunks.

Remember, the street tree is the property of Melton City Council and cannot be removed without prior approval. You are responsible for its care and may be held accountable for any damage within your boundary.

While most nature strips consist of grass and a street tree, you have some creative freedom to beautify your patch. Transforming your nature strip into an enchanting corner can be a fulfilling project. Consider options such as gravel, mulch, and approved plants to add a unique touch.
Although, care must be taken to ensure that your design maintains the essential functionalities mentioned above.

Landscape Permit Application
If you decide to enhance your nature strip with additional landscaping, securing a permit is essential. You can complete an application form by clicking the link here.

For more information, you can speak with Customer Service at Melton City Council on  9747 7200.

Our Botania Sales team is always ready to assist you! If you have any inquiries about the topics mentioned above, please feel free to reach out via the following methods:

Phone: 1300 888 182
Email: info@botania.com.au

Purchasing property can seem like a scary prospect at the moment with higher interest rates and elevated building costs the talk of the town. Luckily, we are here to ease the burden and let you know you’re not facing these challenges alone.

In a dynamic housing market, you may find yourself asking what you can do to ensure you are finance secure and ready for the big purchase.

Here are some tips on what buyers should consider when financing a new home.

 Know the market. 

By now, we’re all very familiar with the Reserve Bank meeting on the first Tuesday of every month to decide if there will be another increase to the official cash rate.

Bank interest rates are determined by the Reserve Bank and are set as a means to control inflation, which the Reserve Bank likes to sit around 2-3%. The current climate of high inflation has led to the Reserve Bank continuously increasing the cash rate over the past year to curb consumer spending.

With the current marker of inflation at 7% (May 2023), the RBA board has stated future increases remain likely as it is expected to take some time before inflation falls back within its preferred range.

Higher interest rates impact purchasing property in a few ways, with the biggest impact to purchasers being an impact on their borrowing capacity, decreasing their overall budget and purchasing power.

What is stress testing?
When seeking preapproval from a bank for a mortgage, the bank will simulate different scenarios to ensure the borrower is able to continue to make their mortgage payments in case there is financial turmoil, the interest rates go up, or any other event that befalls the borrower that could potentially decrease their purchasing power. Stress testing is commonplace, but as interest rates rise, the stress testing becomes more severe leaving many with the inability to secure a loan at all.

At times, some banks will lend up to 95% and sometimes even 100% against the security of another residential property. At periods of high inflation, borrowers are unlikely to pass stress tests with only a steady job and little capital behind them.

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has also recently tightened lending rules, reducing the maximum amount Australians can borrow from the bank to buy a property.

How to negotiate a lower interest rate?

Negotiating a lower interest rate is less about your skill in the art of persuasion and more a reflection of diligent saving and healthy financial habits.

A bank will look more favourably upon you the fewer commitments you have. This involves consolidating debt by looking at your subscription services, reducing the number of credit cards and Buy Now, Pay Later schemes.

To the bank, the less money you can live on monthly to support yourself, the more money you’ll have to surpass stress tests.

Banks will review a minimum of 3 months of living expenses to ensure you can comfortably meet your mortgage payment, so, start practicing those healthy habits now.

A common oversight of many firs time home buyers is the effect a constant income and residence can have on borrowing capacity. Recent Australian data confirmed that the labour market remains very tight, with the unemployment rate at a near 50-year low. From the outlook, this can appear like a savvy time to change jobs, however regular or a recent change of employment as well as a residence may be considered unstable from a lender’s perspective and can negatively impact your eligibility for a home loan – even if your new job was offering more money!

The actual costs of buying a house

If you are a first-time buyer, knowing the full cost of buying is essential to avoid any nasty surprises. It’s more than saving a 20% deposit which is the common catch phrase. Beyond the down payment on the land and the build, there are extra expenses to consider when buying a home, including stamp duty, conveyancing fees and council rates. 

It is important to take these associated costs into consideration to help ensure you have a more accurate understanding of your purchasing power and you are searching for suitable house and land packages.

What does a mortgage broker do?

Using a mortgage broker can be a great asset to the home-buying process, providing insight into the different types of loans available and their features.

When purchasing house and land, lenders will typically offer Variable Rates during the land purchase and construction phase, allowing you to Fix the Rate upon construction completion.

> Variable Rates offer flexibility regarding repayments and allow fee-free access to additional loan repayments. However, the applicable rate is exposed to the market rate and Reserve Bank, potentially leading to increased repayments you may not have budgeted for or have any control over. On the other hand, in a reducing rate market, your mortgage payment can decrease. 

> Fixed Rates guarantee peace-of-mind with a fixed mortgage payment for the agreed term period. Although, there are restrictions on additional repayments that can be made, access to additional repayments is usually not allowed and may not be eligible for a home loan with an offset account.

Enlisting the help of a mortgage broker will run you through the pros and cons with either option, helping you to consider all the features and benefits to make an informed decision.

We have teamed up with a highly experienced mortgage broker – Bill Jara, a Senior Lending Manager at Loan Studio who specialises in residential mortgages. He can assist you and answer your questions about how construction loans work and how you can finance your new home.

Call Bill on: 0466 896 029 or email: bill@loanstudio.com.au.

Want to chat to a member of our team? Our friendly sales team are always happy to help answer any queries you may have.
If you wish to speak to our sales team, please feel free to reach out on either of the following methods:

Phone: 1300 888 182

Email: info@botania.com.au

View available House & Land Packages 

View Land for Sale 

With the final land release in our flourishing community now selling, time is running out to secure your place in Botania.

And there’s no time like the present! 

Be referred by a friend or family member who has already purchased within the Botania community and you will earn them $3,000!

Whether you’re a first home buyer looking to enter the market or a growing family looking to settle down, you’re sure to find the perfect lot or house & land package to suit your lifestyle. 

Just 5 minutes from Caroline Springs and 25kms from Melbourne’s CBD, Botania brings quality education, transport corridors and new amenity to your doorstep. 

Choose your perfect lot and create your dream home alongside some of Australia’s leading builders in a safe and welcoming community. Embrace an active, outdoor-oriented lifestyle where bike trails, walking paths, sporting reserves and natural open spaces are all within arm’s reach. 

Secure premium real estate in Fraser Rise and start your next chapter at Botania.

To claim this offer, please contact our friendly sales team on 1300 888 182 or via email at info@botania.com.au. 

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The end of the year is fast approaching, and it has been a busy one at Botania.

Below we recap what milestones we have achieved throughout the year and provide an update on the construction progress of your stages. 

We cannot believe we are currently selling our final stage with only a few final lots remaining. If you know someone who would like to join the Botania community, tell them to get in quick! You can view our final remaining lots here all with a bonus $5,000 Landscaping Incentive included. 

2022 started on a high for Botania with the opening of its first local park, Friendship Place Park. The park has been a welcome addition to the community and a much-loved feature as soon as council gave us the go ahead and the temporary fencing came down. The bright green custom-built tower with two slides and is over 7m high, making it visible around the community, and definitely adds to the excitement as you pull up for a play on the equipment, a kick on the open grassed area, or for a BBQ with friends and family.  

Construction work continued around the community and the most memorable was definitely the humongous and seriously coordinated construction effort of the culvert. Within the Botania community, all residents will have access to a picturesque waterway reserve connected to Kororoit Creek. This waterway, running through the centre of the community, inadvertently separates the Botania community into two portions.  The culvert, or bridge, will reconnect the halves as it allows water in the waterway to flow underneath, whilst traffic and residents pass over on top. If you missed the culvert update earlier in the year, you can find it here alongside some drone footage of the construction process.  

Botania also welcomed its first builder to its Display Village this year with two brand new display homes by award-winning, premier builder, Mimosa Homes. The Botania Display Village will feature 12 homes by 6 builders, with more homes opening next year.  If you’d like to find out more information about the two Mimosa display homes, you can visit Saturday to Wednesday or take a sneak peak at the homes here. 

Read on below for a stage-by-stage progress report on the works occurring in your community.

Stages 4 & 5

Stages 4 & 5 will be the next stages within the Botania community to welcome new residents who can begin settling and construction of their own homes in the new year.

Currently in the final stages of construction with Kerb and Asphalt works continuing, the layers of the road network are now in place and the construction team have plenty of concrete to lay as the kerbs and channel (or gutter system) are added at the correct road levels and then finally asphalt, which can be seen on the finished surface. Once complete the construction team will install Electrical & Telecommunications for ease of access for authorities to manage these services in the future.

Construction is forecast to be completed late Quarter 1 before Practical Completion is awarded and Statement of Compliance testing and approvals can be issued from the authorities. To all future Stage 4 & 5 residents, we will keep you updated on this process and what is required from you as we get closer to titles in the new year.

Stages 6 & 7

Sewer works have recently been completed in Stage 6 and drainage works have commenced. The drainage works will involve the construction of all stormwater pipes and pits throughout the stage that will allow the safe draining of all stormwater away from all house lots preventing flooding. The road network has now been outlined throughout both stages and the construction team will continue to prepare the ground and start to construct the lower layers of the road pavement. Sewer works are currently underway  in Stage 7.

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Stage 8 is our final stage at Botania and bitter sweetly is also now underway.

Council and the authorities have accepted all plans including engineering design to allow physical works to commence on site. That means our construction crew have been given the green light to head to site and begin preliminary works on Botania’s final stage.

These works include organising the construction crew and setting up the building site with all the correct health and safety measures in place.

Civil construction can then kick off with the next round of tasks including setting up temporary fencing and performing a general clean-up of the site before civil earthworks begin. This also involves the demolition of the existing house that remained from the previous owners.

The above preliminary works are well underway, and our team are looking forward to commencing earthworks in stage 8 shortly.

Botania is geared for another big year in 2023 with 4 stages due to title. We are looking forward to focusing on the delivery of these stages throughout the year and welcoming many new residents to the Botania community. 

The Botania Construction Team will be taking a well-earned break over the holiday season and will be back on-site continuing work on your community mid-January. 

Stay tuned for more updates in the new year!

 To keep up-to-date with the very latest construction and community news, be sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and look out for the monthly construction portal update post that will allow you to monitor your stages’ construction progression.

Here at Botania all you need to secure your lot is an initial deposit of $1,000! This secures your land whilst you review your contract with your conveyancer.  The balance of the 5%* deposit is required within 7 days upon signing your land contract.

Take your first steps towards a beautiful life in Fraser Rise with a variety of land sizes and house and land packages available to suit all stages of life and budgets.

Now selling our final stage including a $5K Landscaping Rebate, this is the time to get in quick to start your next chapter at Botania.

View Land at Botania

View House & Land

Discover the exciting community of Botania in Fraser Rise, conveniently situated 5 minutes from Caroline Springs. Botania is your opportunity to join an established community surrounded by quality education, natural open spaces and new amenity.

Start your next chapter at Botania.

Want to know more about how you can join the Botania community?

Our friendly sales team are happy to help answer any queries you may have.
If you wish to speak to our Botania sales team,  please feel free to reach out on either of the following methods:

Phone: 1300 888 182

Email: info@botania.com.au

*Not available for FIRB purchasers

Saving for you first home is no easy feat! Thankfully, we have some tips and tricks to help you on your way.

Review your finances It’s time to look at what’s going in versus what’s going out. Are you living above your means? You probably have an idea about where you are sitting already.
Review what you spend your money on. Is there room for you to cut back in any way? Those coffees add up! Lunch out adds up. Find what it is for you and come up with a plan to address your squeaky wheel.

You could purchase a coffee machine and make yourself barista quality at home. You can then put it in your fancy keep cup and take it to work with you.
Compromise to only eat out once a weekend and do anoter activity with friends instead.
If you are always tempted by Ads, it’s probably a good idea to remove your most tempting brands from your social feeds for the short term.

Lenders do go through your bank statements so if the spending looks reckless, they are going to look at your application less favourably.

Credit cards
They sound amazing but did you know when applying for a loan banks and lenders assume you use the entire credit limit each month?
This means even having one in your name, even if it is just for “emergencies” means you have an automatic amount of debt against your name.  
If it isn’t absolutely essential for you to have a credit card, getting rid of it before you apply for a loan, reducing the limit, or transferring the balance to one with a lower interest rate, will help to improve your borrowing capacity.  And be sure to always pay off your credit card on time!

Buy Now Pay Later
It’s lay buy but with a twist where you get the goods first and pay the balance off later! Too good to be true? Sadly, yes.  It’s another factor lenders will be looking out for when they assess your home loan application. It doesn’t send the right message to the lender as you should be able to afford to pay for the things you need to buy in full at the time. It’s also super easy to rack up a lot of debt here really quickly which doesn’t signal that you’re particularly good at managing money or a home loan. A good rule of thumb is; if you can’t afford to buy it twice you can’t afford it at all.

Subscriptions
Now that you’re committed to saving, it’s a good time to check your savings bucket for any holes – aka, subscriptions. Those expenses that are coming out of our account unnoticed that you really aren’t getting much value for.

Do a review of all direct debit subscriptions that are
coming out of your account. Which subscriptions are you actively using and
which ones could you honestly do without. Many of us signed up to a streaming
platform (or two) throughout lockdown. During lockdown that made perfect sense
because we were all at home way more than we wanted to be (and using these
platforms way more than we would like to admit).

Now that we are back out socialising, like the
social butterflies we are (not too much because we are saving) we may not be
getting much value out of them. Firstly, if you have multiple streaming
services; make a decision to stick with one and cut the rest. The beauty of
these services is that you can binge one show on one platform one month,
suspend and watch another show on a different platform the month after.
Put a date in your calendar each month (just before the renewal) where you look
at your calendar for the month ahead and make a judgement if you will use it this
month. Suspend if you’re going to be busy and keep if you’re planning to have a
quieter social month. Plans fall through? You can resubscribe in an instant.  

Having a regular check in like this will make sure
you’re not paying for it whilst off on a holiday too.

Another common one for a lot of people are gym memberships. Summer is coming but honestly reflect on how much you are using this service. Gym memberships are a little more complicated in that they cannot usually be suspended and unsuspended without going through paperwork – which they know is cumbersome and why they do it to keep your money rolling in!
If you’re booking classes via an app, you should be able to go back through your app to see how often you went over the last month.
Now, divide that number by your monthly charge. Is it worth it? Is that the value you wanted to be getting from this service?
Noone is saying quit the gym but there might be a more value driven option for you. If you are a really sporadic gym goer a casual membership might be the way to go. These one-off passes seem more expensive but if you only get to the gym once one week and three times the next, you’ll be saving money overall. The other great thing about lockdown was that a lot of people uploaded a lot of free exercise content online. Plus, with the weather getting warmer you might find you have more motivation to wake up early and go for a walk or run instead. Being in nature is an added benefit for your health too!

We hope these tips will be beneficial to your savings goals. Stay tuned for more updates coming soon!

Our friendly sales team are happy to help and answer any queries you may have.
If you wish to speak to our sales team,  please feel free to reach out on either of the following methods:

Phone: 1300 888 182
Email: info@botania.com.au

Tossing up between buying off the plan and established? 
Here are the pros for buying off the plan!

Giving you time to save

Many first home buyers like buying something off the plan because it gives them more time to save for their initial deposit compared to established.

Buying off the plan enables you to secure land, or a house and land package, that suits your financial capability.  An initial deposit of $1,000 is all you need to secure the right block of land to suit your dream home. Upon signing your land contract, the balance of your 5% deposit is payable and no further payment is required until your land titles (which depends on your loan arrangements).  In the meantime, whilst you are waiting for your land to title, you are able to work with your chosen builder to finalise your build costs. You also have the time between paying your deposit and settlement to continue saving for upgrades, items for your new home or allowing for unexpected costs. This transparent and upfront process can be more agreeable, particularly if you are working with a tight budget and need to know exactly the amount you have committed to.

Buying off the plan allows you to enter the market on your terms. You are not subjected to attending multiple auctions week after week praying for something to sell within your price range. You already know the total cost of your land or house & land package (fixed only).  With established homes, you also have a shorter window to settle, generally either 30, 60 or 90 days and need to allow for stamp duty fees. 

Another advantage is that we work with many builders who also offer saving plans for first home buyers. Ask our sales team to point you in the direction of these builders if that sounds like something that interests you.

5% is all you need!

Here at Botania all you need to secure your lot is an initial deposit of $1,000! This secures your land whilst you review your contract with your conveyancer.  The balance of the 5% deposit is required upon signing your land contract. At settlement, after your land has titled, any further payments are made by your banking instituion on your behalf in accordance to your loan conditions. Anticipated title dates vary between stages in a community and can generally range from 9 months up to 18 months. When choosing the right block of land to suit your needs, you can choose one with titles further out, so you have plenty of time to save.

Saving on stamp duty  

If you buy an established home, you will most likely pay land transfer duty (otherwise known as stamp duty). 
Depending on the value of your home, you may be able to claim a duty exemption or concession.  

First-home buyer duty exemption – A one-off duty exemption is available if your new home is valued up to $600,000 and will be your principal place of residence (PPR).

First-home buyer concession – You may be eligible to claim a discount on your stamp duty if your new home is worth between $600,001 to $750,000 and it will also be your principal place of residence.

When you buy a block of land, stamp duty is only calculated on the value of the land, which may mean you will not be required to pay for stamp duty at all. Whooppee!

Receive $10,000 from the government with the First Home-Owner Grant!

That’s right, $10,000 from the government for nothing! Pretty sweet huh?

If you build a new home valued up to $750,000, you may be eligible for the First Homeowner Grant (FHOG).
Find out more here – https://www.sro.vic.gov.au/first-home-owner

Avoid the negotiations

Never been a good negotiator? Buying off the plan can save you the trouble!

When choosing to buy established, conditional/unconditional loans, settlement timeframes and deposit amounts are all factors that can influence your attractiveness to a vendor. Any offer you present is at the vendors discretion. This is where second home buyers and investors can win out over first home buyers in negotiations if they have a bigger deposit amount saved or the imminent sale of a home behind them.

We hope we have put together a good case for buying off the plan. At the end of the day, we know that you will make the right decision for you at this stage of your life.
Most importantly, buying off the plan is great as you have the fun and freedom of designing your home and being the first one to live in it!

Have more questions about what buying off the plan is like? Our friendly sales team are happy to help and answer any queries you may have.
If you wish to speak to our sales team,  please feel free to reach out on either of the following methods:

Phone: 1300 888 182
Email: info@botania.com.au