When buying a house, people opt for one of two popular choices: they find a real estate agent and find a house its owners want to sell; or they look around for builders selling newly built homes. If you choose to do the latter, you can get the benefit of customizing the place whichever way you want, as a perk of being the first owner.

The First Home Owners Grant (FHOG) has become a boon to Australian first home buyers who are determined to have their own abodes. Formally known as the First Home Owner Grant Act of 2000, the programme is meant to counterbalance the higher housing expenses brought forth by the Goods and Services Tax Act.

An open layout allows two or more sections of the house to use a common space (e.g. the kitchen and dining area). This can result to a more spacious feel, as partitions are eliminated. It also has other benefits, such as a more manageable layout, reduced energy consumption, and spaces that can be reoriented for different functions. If you're adopting a home with an open floor plan, keep the following pointers in mind to optimize its efficiency:

As mandated by the Building Act 2011, those who wish to build a new house in Western Australia need to secure a building permit first. Would-be homeowners can do this by filing either a certified application or an uncertified one. While both have their own pros and cons, either of these options is viable when building a detached house, which is classified as a Class 1A Building under the Building Code of Australia.