Australia has no shortage of great places to build. But if you’re a family weighing up your options, New South Wales keeps coming back to the top of the list — and for good reason.
NSW is home to some of the country’s most significant residential growth corridors, billions of dollars in infrastructure investment, and a range of communities that suit families at every stage of life. Whether you’re a first home buyer looking for value, a growing family upgrading to something bigger, or an established homeowner ready to rebuild — there’s a suburb in NSW that fits.
This guide isn’t about picking the “best” suburb. It’s about helping you understand the landscape — the types of suburbs available, what kind of lifestyle each one offers, what block sizes look like, and how to match where you build to how your family actually lives.
What NSW Gets Right for Families
Before we get into specific areas, it’s worth understanding what makes NSW such a strong choice for building a family home.
Infrastructure Investment at Scale
The NSW Government has committed more than $100 billion to infrastructure over the coming decade. That includes new motorways, rail extensions, schools, hospitals, and the Western Sydney International Airport at Badgerys Creek — due to open in 2026. This investment is directly improving liveability in the growth corridors where most new homes are being built.
For families, this matters because you’re not just buying into where a suburb is today — you’re buying into where it’s heading.
Room to Build the Home You Actually Want
Unlike Victoria or Queensland, NSW’s South West Sydney and Macarthur growth corridors offer generous residential block sizes at relatively accessible price points. You’re more likely to find the space for a four-bedroom home with a proper alfresco, a rumpus room, and a double garage here than in comparable suburbs closer to other state capitals.
Strong Communities, Not Just Housing Estates
The masterplanned communities emerging across South West Sydney — Oran Park, Figtree Hill, Austral, and others — have been designed with genuine liveability in mind. Parks, schools, cycling paths, community centres, and local retail aren’t afterthoughts. They’re part of the plan from the beginning.
Understanding the Types of Suburbs in NSW
Not every NSW suburb offers the same thing. Broadly, they fall into a few categories — and knowing which category suits your family makes the decision much clearer.
Upcoming Suburbs: Get In Before It Arrives
These are suburbs that are growing fast but haven’t fully arrived yet. The infrastructure is being rolled out in stages, the town centres are still coming, and the community is still forming. They offer the most value for money — but they ask for a little patience.
Austral is the clearest example in South West Sydney right now. Sitting 42 kilometres south-west of the CBD in Liverpool LGA, it’s projected to grow from around 7,000 residents to more than 55,000 before the end of this decade. The Western Sydney Airport is nearby, the M7 is accessible, and Leppington Station gives train access to the CBD. The families building here are getting in early — which means better value on land, and a suburb that will continue to improve around them.
Upcoming suburbs suit first home buyers, growing families who prioritise space over immediate convenience, and those with a longer-term view on where they want to be in ten years.
Read our full guide to building in Austral →
Established Masterplanned Communities: Everything Already in Place
These suburbs are further along. The parks are open, the schools are running, the shops are trading. You’re moving into a community that already has its rhythm.
Oran Park is the standout here. Built on the site of the former Oran Park Raceway, it’s now home to a $67 million leisure centre, more than 60 stores at The Podium, multiple schools, and some of the best public open space in South West Sydney. Families moving here don’t need to wait for anything — it’s all there from day one.
Figtree Hill in Gilead takes a different approach. It’s newer than Oran Park but built around a clear vision: an all-electric, sustainability-first community with 35 hectares of green space, six kilometres of walking trails, and a $10,000 rebate for buyers building energy-efficient homes. It’s less urban in feel — more about nature, quiet streets, and a closely-knit community.
Established communities suit families with school-aged kids right now, buyers who want convenience from the moment they move in, and those who prefer a suburb with a proven track record.
Explore Oran Park → Explore Figtree Hill →
Rebuild-Ready Suburbs: Stay Where You Are, Start Fresh
Not every family needs to move suburbs. Some already live somewhere they love — the commute works, the kids are settled at school, the neighbours are familiar. What they need isn’t a new location, it’s a new home.
This is where knockdown and rebuild makes sense. And Chisholm, NSW is a good example of a suburb where this option is increasingly popular.
Chisholm sits in the Lower Hunter near Maitland — a well-connected, family-focused area with generous residential blocks. Many homes here were built a generation ago. They’re on good land, in a good suburb, but they no longer suit how modern families live. Knocking down and rebuilding gives those homeowners a brand-new custom home — open-plan kitchen, multiple living zones, modern energy performance — without changing their address.
Rebuild-ready suburbs suit established homeowners whose renovation costs are getting close to new-build territory, families who don’t want to uproot kids mid-schooling, and anyone who already loves their neighbourhood but has outgrown their home.
Learn about knockdown and rebuild in Chisholm →
Block Sizes: What to Expect Across NSW
One of the most practical questions when building in NSW is: how much land will you actually get?
The answer varies considerably depending on the suburb, the estate, and the stage of development.
South West Sydney Growth Corridor
In suburbs like Austral and Oran Park, standard residential lots typically range from 350m² to 600m², with some larger lots available in earlier-release stages. The trend across newer estates is toward narrower frontages — 10 to 14 metres is common — which is why double-storey designs are so popular in these areas. They let you maximise living space without sacrificing backyard.
If a generous backyard is a priority, it’s worth asking specifically about lot sizes and frontages before committing to an estate.
Macarthur Region
Figtree Hill and Menangle Park offer a similar range — mostly 400m² to 650m² — though the nature-focused layout of Figtree Hill means many blocks back onto green corridors or bushland, which adds a sense of space beyond the actual land size.
Lower Hunter
In Chisholm and the wider Maitland region, blocks are often more generous — 550m² to 800m² and sometimes larger — reflecting the lower land costs and different housing culture of regional NSW. This makes the Lower Hunter attractive for families who want a larger home and outdoor space without going regional enough to compromise on amenity.
Suburb Vibes: Matching the Place to Your Family
Statistics tell you a lot. But the feel of a suburb — the pace of it, the kind of people who live there, what weekends look like — matters just as much.
Here’s an honest read on the personality of each area.
Austral: Energetic, Multicultural, Forward-Moving
Austral has the feel of a suburb that knows it’s going somewhere. It’s busy, diverse, and changing fast. The community is young — average resident age around 32 — and the weekend energy reflects that. It’s not quiet or settled yet, but that’s the point. For families who like being part of something growing, this is the right energy.
Oran Park: Social, Family-Centred, Convenient
Oran Park is a suburb that works hard for its residents. The leisure centre, the parks, the events, the shopping — there’s always something happening and always somewhere to take the kids. It has a strong community identity and a busy, social atmosphere. Families who want to be in the middle of things will feel at home here quickly.
Figtree Hill: Calm, Nature-Focused, Community-Minded
Figtree Hill is quieter. The bushland setting, the walking trails, and the all-electric ethos attract families who are deliberate about how they live — people who want less noise, more space, and a strong connection to the natural environment. It suits families who are happy to drive to the shops if it means stepping outside every morning to birdsong and open space.
Menangle Park: Growing, Practical, Well-Located
Menangle Park is still establishing its identity, but it’s building a solid foundation. It’s a practical choice — well-connected, affordable relative to its proximity to Sydney, and a good option for families who want access to display homes before committing to a design. The community is growing steadily without the pressure of Oran Park’s pace.
Visit the ABM Homes display home at Menangle Park →
Chisholm, NSW: Settled, Friendly, Lower Hunter Lifestyle
Chisholm has the feel of a suburb that’s found its feet. It’s not flashy, but it’s comfortable — the kind of place where kids ride bikes on the street and neighbours actually know each other. Families who are already here tend to want to stay. The Lower Hunter lifestyle — more space, lower pace, strong local community — is a genuine draw for those who’ve made the move from Sydney.
So Where Does Your Family Fit?
There’s no single right answer — but most families we talk to fall into one of these situations:
You want maximum value and a long-term view → Austral. Get in early, build on a solid block, and grow with the suburb.
You want convenience right now → Oran Park. Everything is already there, and it’s only getting better.
You care about sustainability and open space → Figtree Hill. The lifestyle and the credentials are both genuine.
You love where you are but need a new home → Chisholm knockdown and rebuild. Stay put, start fresh.
You’re not ready to decide yet → Visit Menangle Park. Walk through a display home and get a clear picture of what’s actually possible.
Build With ABM Homes Across NSW
ABM Homes builds new homes and manages knockdown-rebuild projects across NSW and the ACT. We work across all of the suburbs covered in this guide — from South West Sydney’s growth corridors to the Lower Hunter — and we understand the planning environments, council requirements, and practical realities of building in each one.
If you’re still working out which suburb is right for your family, we’re happy to talk it through. No pressure — just a straightforward conversation about what makes sense for your situation.
Visit abmhomes.com.au to explore our home designs, or come and see us in person at our display homes in Menangle Park or Googong.
ABM Homes — Building across NSW and the ACT.