I know from experience in looking at real estate that generally you can’t build a duplex on a block if it lies on the lower side of a street, even if the dimensions of the land comply (i.e. over 520sqm or so and at least 15.24m frontage). I’m interested to know why that is. Agents say it’s because you’d have a problem with pumping up the additional water required for a duplex. Ok, but what about huge double storeys that also need more than the average supply of running water??
Thanks, Mk.
It’s not that you can’t build on the low side of the street it’s just going to cost you more as with development sites you have to contain the run off water (surface & stormwater) on your site in a greater volume. The main cost comes in if you can’t connect the stormwater system into the council stormwater drain by the normal method gravity feed, you will probably be required to install a large pit and then have a pump set up that will pump the stormwater from the pit to the front kerb in a delayed manner at least thats how it is with many of the councils in Sydney. Not knowing where you are looking to do this development the best thing to do is go to the council for the area and put the question to them as to what they will require. I know of a number of developers that have not had to install the pit because they where able to come to an agreement with a neighbour that had the council stormwater drain in their yard so a bit of money paid and the neigbour allowed them access via their yard to get to the council stormwater drain by gravity ie the normal method.
So you are saying that most blocks on the low side of the street don’t have access to stormwater via gravity method, i.e the main pipe runs in between the two sides of the street, i.e. under the road generally?? And that’s why generally it’s not a good idea to do a duplex on the lower side?
I bought an IP earlier this year that doesn’t have access to stormwater pipe at all. As you’ve described, there’s a large underground pit in the garden and water is absorbed into that and eventually sinks in to the soil, i.e. it isn’t pumped out. I was originally concerned about this and done some research before I bought and now it seems to be fine, even in heavy rain. The garden never floods so obviously its very effective.
When I bought this property, the agent told me I wouldn’t be able to build a duplex on this site even though it’s 700sqm in area and 15.3m wide. That didn’t concern me as I hadn’t planned on building when I purchased. So you are saying that if I really wanted to, I can get approval to build a duplex, even though it might cost me a lot more than usual?
If council approves you can build whatever you want.
Depending on the block site costs can vary enormously and you may find that with too much slope the wrong way it is just not viable to build and sell profitably – or even rent them out compared to buying something built. Remember that building should be cheaper than buying something new as someone else has done the work and paid the dead interest on the project.
Remember that as investors we buy with our calculators and our hearts[suave2]
Cheers,
Simon Macks
Residential and Commercial Finance Broker
***NODOC @ 7.15% to 70% LVR***
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0425 228 985Comments may not be relevant to individual circumstances. If you intend making any investment, financial or taxation decision you should consult a professional adviser.
The pit currently on your IP is a stormwater (rubble pit) which is not exceptable for development sites just a single home site. The pit you may have to build if you can’t get access to the stormwater drain will be a much larger concrete/block construction which will hold the water for a period of time then pump it up and out to the kerb gutter. Council will be the ones to tell you what you can and can’t build.
Have just done one and you need engineers plans for the stormwater system which will take the 2 units (or 3). We needed two pumps @ $1000 ea (just in case one breaks down) (what if the second one breaks down!) and the most enormous pit under ground with two smaller pits up the driveway. Bank on $10,000 plus engineers plans, etc. etc.
Fern
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