Josh Hartwig and Rebekah Halse, both 19 years old, are already starting to build their life together.
With plans to start a family in the future, they are preparing to move into their first home next year; a four-bedroom, double-garage, single-story house in the thriving new community of Playford Alive.
“We’re very excited and ready to move in,” Josh said.
“It’s got all the great local amenities like the gym, shopping centers, and great future plans. It’s good for us; we’re ready to take the next step in our lives.”
Playford Alive is one of the largest urban renewal projects in Australia, initiated in 2008 as a partnership between Renewal SA, SA Housing Trust, and the City of Playford.
The billion-dollar residential development, located 30 km from Adelaide’s CBD, spans 1,000 hectares and aims to house more than 40,000 residents by 2027.
Josh, who works as a finance assistant, and Rebekah, a medical receptionist, bought one of the 175 affordable land allotments that have been on sale since April this year. With government support making it possible, the couple said the decision was a “no-brainer.”
“The affordability is just great with the help from the government’s first home buyers’ scheme and the stamp duty waiver. It’s a big factor for us in our life,” Josh said.
Eligible first home buyers in South Australia can access grants of up to $15,000 to contribute to the cost of either purchasing or building a new home. Stamp Duty Waivers are also conditionally available to those purchasing new homes or vacant land.
The couple, who will relocate from Golden Grove, look forward to joining their new community but won’t be strangers to some of their new neighbors. Their plans for a life in Playford Alive were inspired by their friend Daniel, who signed a contract to build in the area shortly before they did.
Josh explained that Daniel convinced them to build in the area, encouraging him over the course of a month during their gym sessions.
“Daniel and I had multiple conversations at the gym regarding house and land packages, but Daniel was set on Playford Alive for himself. This left me curious as to why. I asked him what amenities were around and what makes Playford Alive stand out. He sold it to us. It was a no-brainer,” Josh added.
Daniel Borg, also 19 years old, signed a contract to build in Playford Alive in July.
Like Josh, affordability in the area was one of the main drawcards. “Affordability here, compared to other estates, allowed me to enter the market as soon as possible, which has always been a goal of mine,” he said.
Peter Gatsios, Renewal SA’s Executive Director of Residential Property Delivery and Assets says, “The rapid sale of blocks for affordable homes in the Newton Boulevard estate shows, in the midst of a housing crisis, just how high the demand is for people to be able to own their own homes.
“We take a great deal of pride in being able to offer these opportunities for South Australians, who will be able to benefit from all the amenity and infrastructure that make Playford Alive such a vibrant and well-planned community.”
Under the State Government’s Housing Roadmap released in July, land-only purchases in the greater Adelaide area labeled as ‘affordable’ are capped at $222,750.
Renewal SA has announced the release of another 45 allotments for sale at Playford Alive this month, with prices starting at $209,000 and sizes ranging from 269 m² to 520 m².
To add further relief to the much-needed affordable housing supply in the area, Renewal SA has announced it is finalising the selection of three builders to accelerate the construction of 25 affordable rental homes in the area, with a strategy in place to expedite the process and get them to market 12 months sooner.