“A battle”, “overwhelming” and “disheartening”.
That’s how young couple Nick Farmer and Carly Miller have described their journey to clinching a slice of land to call their own.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Prospective homebuyers snap up plots of Sydney’s newest suburb.
But having purchased a plot of Sydney’s newest suburb — Orchard Hills North — a two-year wait begins for them to get the keys to their yet-to-be-built house.
“Now we look to the future to see what we can do, which was great,” Farmer told 7NEWS.
The couple have been among the thousands of people vying to purchase vacant land in the suburb located near central Penrith and about 50km from the Sydney CBD.
More than 1200 homes are being built in Orchard Hills North, which will also be close to Western Sydney’s new airport.
“My family’s been in this area almost since I was born, so 30 years. I’ve been around this area as well, so it’s been great to see the community grow and expand,” Farmer said.
“The playing fields in the area, so sports and rec wise, it’s grown as well.
“Also with the Western Sydney airport going in, the new metro line as well, the access to the motorway, it’s just all great.”
Matthew Hyder, chief executive of the suburb’s developer Legacy Property, said the community will provide an “opportunity for affordable quality living”, particularly those wanting “a detached home in a new, beautiful community”.
He said the company had sold 15 lots during Saturday morning, after about 2000 people had attended their sales centre the previous weekend.
“I think it’s a real reflection of what we’re seeing in Western Sydney … Western Sydney is really a community where people want to live,” he said.
Farmer said he and Miller were “quite lucky” to get their plot.
“We’d seen this come up and we might as well see what it’s like. It’s a great area, so we just came and put down an expression of interest for the first release,” he said.
“We were invited back today to potentially get land and we were successful.”
The couple had been looking for a home for more than six months, with Farmer describing the sight of “another 60 couples” at open homes as “overwhelming”.
“(It’s) disheartening at the same time, because you feel like there’s so much competition,” Miller added.
“You don’t feel like you have a chance, because there are so many people there.
“It feels like more of a battle … It’s tough.”