What the New $25,000 Grant Means for Your New Build or Renovation
The Federal Government has now unveiled its new HomeBuilder grant package, offering $25,000 to eligible couples and singles who are upgrading or building their homes. This is fantastic news if you are planning on building or renovating a home between June and the end of December 2020!
HomeBuilder provides eligible owner-occupiers (including first home buyers) with a
one-off grant of $25,000 to put towards either building a new home or substantially renovating an existing home. It’s a fantastic initiative for the residential construction market, as it will encourage Australians to pursue their dreams of building and renovating beautiful homes.
Here, we have outlined why the HomeBuilder grant was established, whether you might be eligible, and how you can use some of the beautiful
PGH Bricks & Pavers ranges to maximise the benefit that you and your home receive from this fantastic opportunity.
With this opportunity available, it is time to get started on your renovation or new home build. Our beautiful range of bricks, from our glazed
Academy range to our exquisite
Lang Mursten range or our rustic
Crafted Sandstocks range, this grant is a great way to get the most out of your home improvement.
Why has the government established this grant?
HomeBuilder is an economic stimulus package that has been designed to create a pipeline of work for the construction industry.
The scheme is aimed at giving the Australian economy a much-needed boost and ensuring that our tradespeople are kept in work throughout this difficult and tumultuous period. For a single home build (and for renovations), many different trades need to be employed to complete the project. This can include:
- Builders
- Bricklayers
- Plumbers
- Painters
- Electricians
- Roof tilers
- Drywallers
- Plasterers
- And many more.
By incentivising you to start your build or renovation project, the government is keeping many different professions in work and building our economy. Having a
$150,000 minimum spend on each project will also ensure that the maximum amount of jobs within the industry can be retained with the use of the awarded grant money.
Who is eligible for the grant?
The eligibility criteria for the HomeBuilders grant is fairly tight, with the Government expecting
27,000 people to have access to the grant. For context, there are
7.7 million private dwellings in Australia according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. However, although the eligibility criteria is extensive, if you are eligible it’s a fantastic opportunity to renovate or get started on building your home.
The
eligibility criteria for the HomeBuilder grant is as follows:
- The applicant (or applicants) must be an Australian citizen, aged over 18 years
- Annual income must be below $125,000 for singles, and $200,000 for couples
- For new homes, the total house and land price must be valued at less than $750,000
- For renovations, the total cost must be between $150,000 and $750,000
- The existing home’s value must not exceed $1.5 million
- The building contracts must be signed between Thursday 4th June and Thursday 31st December.
- Construction work must commence within 3 months of the contract date.
- The initial deposit for the construction must be paid to apply.
- The building work must be completed by a registered builder.
- Owner-builders are ineligible
- DIY renovations are ineligible
- Those looking to build or renovate investment properties are ineligible
- Construction must be to your principal place of residence – swimming pools, tennis courts, granny flats, outdoor spas, garages etc. are not eligible
So, the key takeouts of the eligibility criteria are that your renovation must cost between $150k and $750k (where the existing home is valued below $1.5 million) or your new home must cost up to $750k (including the cost of the land).
There is an income cap of $125k for singles and $200k for couples. You need to sign with a registered builder by 31st December 2020, and, if planning renovations, you must be renovating your main place of residence (for example, pools, garages and tennis courts are not eligible for the grant).
If I have already purchased (or I already own) land, can I still apply?
If you have already purchased (or you already own) land, you can still apply for the HomeBuilder grant, as long as you sign with a home builder before the 31st December 2020.
You must also meet the following criteria:
- If you own a property (house and land), and knock the house down to rebuild – this will be counted as a substantial renovation, and therefore subject to the renovation price range of $150,000 to $750,000 provided the total value (house and land) of the property does not exceed $1.5 million pre renovation.
- If you own vacant land before 4 June 2020, and then build on it, the total value of the land and new build cannot exceed $750,000. Alternatively, if you buy the land after announcement, and then build, the total value of the land and build cannot exceed $750,000.
What kind of renovations can I do with my HomeBuilder grant?
The types of renovations you can do with the HomeBuilder grant are flexible, as long as they are within the $150,000 to $750,000 eligibility price range. You could add a brick feature wall to your lounge room or kitchen, re-do the landscaping of your backyard, add new brick segmenting walls within your home or knock down walls to create new open-plan spaces; the opportunities are endless.
Other criteria that must be met includes:
- Renovations must improve the accessibility, liveability and safety of the property. This excludes building a tennis court, pool or shed for the renovation contract for eligibility purposes.
- Any building or renovation contract entered into must be at arm’s length. This means the contract must be made by two parties freely and independently of each other.
- The terms of the contract should be commercially reasonable, and the contract price should not be inflated compared to the fair marketplace.
The HomeBuilder grant means that you can build or renovate your home with some of the most luxurious bricks on the Australian market, such as our
Lang Mursten,
Pure Velvets and
Morada ranges. Using the grant to modernise your home with these beautiful, timeless bricks is a great way to get the maximum benefit from this fantastic opportunity.
How can I apply?
As soon as the State or Territory that you live in (or plan to live in) signs the National Partnership Agreement with the Commonwealth Government, you will be able to apply for the HomeBuilder grant. You can check back with your relevant State or Territory revenue office to keep up to date with information on when and how you will be able to apply for the HomeBuilder grant.
Here are some other helpful links for your research:
Want to make use of this opportunity?
If you have been considering renovating your existing home or building a new home (and you meet the eligibility criteria), there is no reason not to take advantage of the Government’s new HomeBuilder grant.
Right now, is a great time to use brick for your renovation or new home build!
Check out our full range of strong, durable, authentic, and beautiful bricks that are ready to complement and enhance any home design or renovation project.
For more information,
contact us on 13 15 79.
Sources:
https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/news-media-releases/covid-19-tax-relief-measures/homebuilder-program
https://www.revenue.nsw.gov.au/news-media-releases/covid-19-tax-relief-measures/homebuilder-program
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-04/homebuilder-grants-scheme-construction-explained/12320116
https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/8DD7826E7F7235D8CA25732C0020820by
View more
