Canberra couple Lindsay and her partner Ross are so in love with their new house, they visit it every day.
Despite settling in January of last year, construction delays have meant what Lindsay thought would be a six-month build is still ongoing over a year later.
"After Christmas, I packed up the Christmas decorations and I was like, 'This is so exciting because the next time I unpack the decorations, we're going to be in the new house'. We're not in the new house," she laughed.
"It was always going to take longer but COVID and lockdown and shortage of supplies has really pushed it out further than the builder or ourselves expected."
Residential builds in the ACT were taking about four months longer and costing up to 40 per cent more than usual, Master Builders ACT chief executive Michael Hopkins said.
"All products across the whole supply chain are being impacted," Mr Hopkins said.
"So that includes glass, windows, insulation, timber and steel."
Mr Hopkins said while supply issues were a global issue, Canberra's ongoing trade skills shortage exacerbated the problem in the ACT.
"We have been calling on the ACT government for a number of years to increase its funding into trade apprenticeships," he said.
"In the ACT apprenticeships remain subsidised at the lowest level of any state or territory in Australia."
Anthony Schimizzi from ADN Builders, who was working on Lindsay and Ross's home, said higher prices for supplies was costing builders.
"With jobs that I've quoted that I've taken on from last year to now, there's not much profit margin due to the increase in costs of materials and contractors," Mr Schimizzi said.
"[Contractors are] just so busy and trying to get jobs sorted, and it's just pretty hectic at the moment, to be honest. It's chaotic."
Lindsay, who said waiting for her dream house to be built was a "pretty good problem to have", advised people looking to build to pick their builder carefully.
"What's really helped is having a builder that we can trust and who's kept the communication line open," she said.
"Anthony is just the most incredible support through all of this, he has contact with us every single day now."
