“I thought when I turned 18 I’d be able to go out and celebrate becoming an adult, like everyone else,” he says.

“The pause on partying meant instead of our money going towards things like clubbing, shopping and eating out with friends, we were saving for a home deposit. We were able to reach our goal a lot faster and we’re excited to now be living in our new home at Everleigh.”

Emily says when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, they were worried about how it would impact their savings and chance to buy a property.

“We had just started saving for our home deposit when all of a sudden it seemed like the world had come to a stop because of coronavirus,” recalls Emily.

“Everything was uncertain at that time. We didn’t know if we were going to be able to buy hand sanitiser or pasta at the shops, let alone buy a house. But this was also around the same time new grants were being offered, which ended up being a big help.”

The young hairdresser and apprentice plumber couple qualified for the Federal Government’s $25,000 HomeBuilder grant, the Queensland Government’s $15,000 First Home Owner Grant, and were also given a place in the Federal Government’s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme – which meant they could purchase a home without paying lenders’ mortgage insurance.

“If we had started saving at any other time, without restrictions and the government incentives, it probably would have taken us longer to reach our goal,” says Emily.

The couple says getting into the market at such a young age was daunting at times, but found the Everleigh sales team a big help when it came to easing nerves and offering advice.

“It was one of the many reasons we knew Everleigh was the place we wanted to call home. Despite being young, we felt like we were taken seriously and given all the information we needed,” says Emily.

“On top of that, Everleigh is such a beautifully designed community and a great place for young people planning to have a family, with weekly community activities and a state primary school under construction. We’re so excited for our future at Everleigh and all it has to offer. It was well worth the ups and downs that were part of 2020.”

Mirvac Head of Residential, Stuart Penklis, says Riley and Emily are part of a growing number of young first home buyers building their future here at Everleigh, with about 80 per cent of sales over the last year to first home buyers.

“We saw many young buyers take advantage of the multiple government incentives available over this time to fast-track their way to homeownership and with interest rates at historic lows, they have really set themselves up for the future,” says Stuart.

“That demand is not slowing down and for those who are still working towards their savings goals, or planning to start in the next few years, there are still many great incentives available to help take the first step into the market when they are ready, including the First Home Owners’ Grant.

“I applaud buyers like Riley and Emily who start looking to their future at such a young age and set the goals they need to get there. It is not always easy, but they are a great example of what is achievable.”

Everleigh developer Mirvac has a dedicated First Home Buyer Hub aimed at providing information and advice to those looking to break into the property market. And if you’re interested in Everleigh’s future releases, register your details at everleigh.mirvac.com to be notified of sales updates.