An Allansford man has achieved the Australian dream at a young age.
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Bronte Baker, 20, was given the keys to his new home on the banks of the Merri River on Friday.
Mr Baker, a machine operator at a local dairy producer, said he was excited to move in. "I am excited to have something that I can be proud of and say is mine," he said.
Mr Baker said it took hard work and discipline to save for a house deposit for the Metricon home. "I just lived below my means and didn't buy things unnecessarily," he said.
"Whenever I went to buy something that I didn't really need, I would remind myself how much I wanted a home of my own."
Mr Baker said he was delighted he was able to buy a new home. "I loved the idea of living on the river and everything being brand new. Building a new home instead of buying an established one also seemed to be the best option for me in terms of what I wanted in a home and financially," he said.
Mr Baker was able to use a first home buyer grant and has applied for a HomeBuilder grant.
"Finding that balance between enjoying being young and saving for a house deposit isn't easy, so the availability of the grants was very helpful in me being able to buy my first home sooner," he said.
Metricon's regional west manager Simon Taylor said a number of first home buyers were entering the property market.
Mr Taylor said the HomeBuilder scheme and low interest rates were also helping more people buy homes.
"We are currently experiencing record activity in regional Victoria including Warrnambool, with evidence that location is something that our customers are looking at differently.
"Previously, people have wanted to stay or move close to the city for work but with many organisations looking to embrace working from home long-term too, regional living is now an even more attractive option," Mr Taylor said.
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