Almost 70 young people smashed windows, hacked holes in gyprock and ripped doors from their hinges at the empty Shaw Place home on Tuesday night after a ''free house'' party invite was posted on Facebook. They had sprayed tomato sauce on the walls and left empty beer bottles and bourbon cans strewn throughout the house and yard.

The couple had bought the house recently and were given the keys last Tuesday, before settlement, so they could patch the walls and paint the interior.

The cost of damage to the four-bedroom home, which was bought for $425,000, has been estimated at $100,000.

On Thursday, the owners were thankful the house was fully insured and said the sale was expected to proceed on schedule.

They said the support they had received from the community had been overwhelming.

The pair turned down offers of donations because ''there are other people who need it more than us'', the woman said.

''We'd like to thank everyone for all the support we've received,'' the man said.

''We're fine and just trying to keep things very low key.''

As she surveyed the damage on Tuesday morning, the woman said she wished the teenagers' parents could see what they had done.

She had a message for the intruders: ''Karma's a bitch.''

The couple had already spent several days giving the house's interior a fresh lick of paint. Now the home will be boarded up before builders can assess the damage and get to work.

Acting officer-in-charge of Tuggeranong police station Sergeant Mark Rowswell had described the incident as a wanton display of senseless vandalism, with little regard for the homeowners.

An ACT Policing spokesman said detectives had received information from several members of the public about the incident.

''This is being reviewed as part of our investigation, along with forensic evidence collected at the scene and a number of vehicle registrations identified at the scene,'' the spokesman said.

They have yet to charge anyone over the incident, but said those involved could face charges of burglary and damage to property, which carried maximum jail terms of 20 years and 10 years respectively.

''It’s important to remember that this is certainly a rare occurrence for Canberra.

''It’s rare to see this kind of situation where a Facebook party invitation has led to extensive and blatant property damage of an unoccupied house.''

The incident acted as a warning that anyone who considered going to an open-invitation party on Facebook should exercise caution, the spokesman said.

''It’s never a good idea to attend a house party when you don’t personally know the owner or occupant.

''‘Public’ or ‘open’ invitations on Facebook allow for invitations to be forwarded on to absolutely anyone.''

Police also encouraged home owners to be diligent in securing their homes and to consider installing security alarms, movement-activated lights and key locks on windows to reduce the risk of burglary.

Any information to Crime Stoppers, 1800 333 000.