What house and land packages cost

A package price is the land price plus the build price for the exact home design shown. The land part is straightforward. The build part is where you need to look closer: it covers the standard build plus whatever inclusions that builder has priced in — and inclusions are the single biggest reason two similar-looking packages can be thousands apart.

On RESBID, every package lists its inclusions in the same standardised format, so you can compare packages side by side and see exactly what each price buys.

Turnkey means the price aims to cover everything needed to move in: typically flooring, window coverings, driveway, letterbox, clothesline and basic landscaping on top of the standard build. A base price, by contrast, can leave those items as extras. Neither is wrong — they are just different starting points, and you should only compare turnkey with turnkey.

• Upgrades beyond the standard inclusions — higher-spec appliances, facades, stone benchtops and so on.
• Site costs, when they are estimated rather than fixed. These cover preparing the block (cut and fill, piering, service connections). Ask whether they are fixed in the contract.
• Stamp duty and government charges — often calculated on the land portion only for a package, which can be a significant saving versus buying an established home. Rules and concessions vary by state.
• Professional and loan fees — conveyancing, lender fees, inspections.

You usually pay a deposit on the land, and a separate (typically small) deposit to the builder at contract signing. The build itself is commonly financed with a construction loan: the lender releases money in stages as construction passes milestones — slab, frame, lock-up, fit-out, completion — and you generally pay interest only on what has been drawn down so far.

Package prices can also be time-limited — builders often hold a price until a stated date. If a listing shows a price-valid-until date, that is what it means.

• Compare the full inclusions lists, not just the headline price.
• Check whether site costs are fixed or estimated in each.
• Confirm land registration timing — it changes when you can build.
• Look at land size and frontage, not just house size.
• Use the compare tool to line packages up side by side in the same format.