PHOTO: First-home buyer Chelsea Newbery. ABC News

“Going into it, the prices were a bit of a shock,” Ms Newbery said.

Ms Newbery wanted a house so she could also be the owner of a block of land, with plenty of space.

But she was limited by her current budget to one-bedroom apartments.

It was a compromise she decided she was not willing to make, and she put off the planned real estate investment.

“It does put a dent in, when you originally planned to be buying,” she said.

Key points:

  • Data shows most first homebuyers in Canberra typically take out a loan of $350,000
  • Belconnen had the cheapest median house price as of January 2019
  • Real estate agents said first homebuyers were increasingly less willing to compromise in order to purchase

READ MORE VIA ABC