Buyers had just three minutes to select their dream parcel of land on Saturday at the first day of block selections for the new Jacka subdivision.
But it was plenty of time for most families, who arrived well prepared with a shortlist of their ideal picks.
The Suburban Land Agency drew the ballot selection in April, after it received more than 4400 of registrations for the 217 blocks.
Held at the University of Canberra, the block selection event was not the high-stress, competitive scenario you might expect from a land release.
Buyers each turned up for their allocated time slot and were handed an up-to-date list of the available blocks.
When their ranking number was called, they had three minutes to choose a block from the available list before they were ushered into another room to pay a 5 per cent deposit.
Each block had a set price, starting at $568,000 for the smallest block at 340 square metres, through to $762,000 for one of the largest blocks at 893 square metres.
Jaya Thotthadi had his shortlist of blocks ready to go as he entered the building on Saturday with his family in tow.
"I'm looking for a mid-size to a bigger-size block, close to nature with greenery at the front," he said.
"The orientation we are focused on is east as priority one and west is priority two."
He was selecting a block for his daughter, who will build her future home in Jacka in the next couple of years.
"In a way [it's our] parental responsibility to support her," he said.
"The plan is to put the deposit [down] for her and she's going to look after the rest."
And it was all smiles as he left the selection room, having secured the block he was looking for.
Crace residents Michael and Catherine Abdel-Malak said they had mixed emotions going into the selection process, but were relieved once it was complete.
"Everything went well, so we're happy," Mr Abdel-Malak said after choosing the site for their future build.
"It's north-facing, it kind of ticks all the boxes and it's close to shops, so hopefully we can build the dream home," he said.
Robert and Gifty Neizer from Bonner said they had chosen the location they had "dreamed for".
"We bought a bigger block, a flat one, which will be suitable for our family," Mrs Neizer said.
"We're looking forward to next year, building our family home."
Once complete, Jacka is estimated to grow to a population of 1800 residents.
It will be an all-electric suburb with no gas connected, part of the ACT government's emissions-reduction plan for all new suburbs.
A Suburban Land Agency spokesperson said the block selection day was an exciting opportunity for the future residents of Jacka.
"The next stage offers a nature backdrop unique to Gungahlin as well as being an all-electric estate," the spokesperson said.
"It's fantastic to see purchasers in person who are making a decision for their future in one of Canberra's northern suburbs."
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