CANBERRA(London Post with AAP and ABC News)-By Dr. Majid Khan-Michael Thompson’s dream of owning his own home in Australia is just around the corner as his home in South Australia puts the finishing touches on it.
The milestone was overshadowed by disappointment at not meeting the deadline to secure his $25,000 grant from the Australian government to his HomeBuilder within days.
That changed Sunday when Federal Housing Secretary Julie Collins announced that the government would work with states and territories to extend deadlines for filing documents.
The deadline was originally April 30, but now he has been pushed back to June 30, 2025.
A big relief for Mr. Thompson. We were unable to receive the funds as we did not have a certificate of completion from the builder. “By Thursday, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t get it [scholarship], so I’m very relieved to know that I will,” he said.
The prospect of not getting a scholarship closer to my goal was frustrating.
“It’s almost done. It was heartbreaking,” Thompson said.
The HomeBuilder initiative was introduced by the federal government during the COVID pandemic and is managed by states and territories.
To receive the $25,000 grant, we had to meet strict criteria, including:
$150,000 to $750,000 he renovates or builds a new home
contract between June 4th and December 31st, 2020
Be the registered owner of the title. Once the home is completed or furnished, it must be your primary residence
The program was then extended and the government offered him a $15,000 grant for eligible contracts signed from January 1, 2021 to March 31.
building a house in 2023
Trying to build a modern home is easier said than done as domestic and international factors are increasing pressure on the Australian construction industry.
Close-up shot of a house under construction, frames, windows, walls and workers.
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Scholarship applications are open until April 14, 2021.
Subsidies are paid when:
First payment for new building made to client
At least $150,000 in renovation costs paid
For non-planned homes, the developer will provide a practical certificate of completion
The deadline for submission of relevant evidence was April 30. Thompson is eligible for a $25,000 grant and construction on his home will begin in February 2022.
It was supposed to be completed by December 2022, but was postponed to March 2023 due to COVID and supply he chain issues.
The HomeBuilder grant originally required him to begin work within three months of signing the contract.
Due to supply problems and demand from the construction industry, this was postponed to his six months, then to eighteen months.
However, there was still time to submit the documents to receive the scholarship. Denita Wawn, chief executive of Master Builders Australia, said supply and labor shortages have increased the time it takes to build a home from nine months to at least a year.
She said extending the deadline would take the pressure off builders trying to hand over the project, but it’s still “really difficult” to set foot on the site.
“It takes about 40 different deals to complete the house,” she said.
“Normally, we literally schedule one thing after another without a break to meet deadlines,” she said.
“Instead, we experienced significant delays as a result. “It’s getting worse due to rising material and labor costs.”
