I’m interesting in peoples thoughts and processes for working with their local council for the purposes of
– subdivides
– builds
– share accommodationAll of these thing I am starting to look at, but if you are not a local and intimate with the area, it’s hard to know how investor friendly the council.
What has been your experience getting going?
Thanks in advance.
NHi N,
Give em a call!
I love ringing the council, they give you all sorts of info, they can also dumb down some of the restrictions or reasons behind why certain developments will not work which is great when you are starting out.
Depending what state you are in there will be certain councils who are up for it and some who are not.
The planning schemes and the strategic plans for different councils will be on the net and on their websites so you can have a look at different councils and see who has a plan and what that plan is for the area.
Good luck
D
DWolfe | www.homestagers.com.au
http://www.homestagers.com.au
Email MeAgree with Dwolf.
I live in Ipswich area, and the ipswich city council are always happy to talk to you about any question.
As Dwolf says, it certainly helps to have a read of the planning documentation… That way you can approach them with specific questions and clarifications, rather than just going "So I'm thinking of subdividing a block".
The problem with speaking with local councils is that the people on the desk and who answer the phones are generally not decision makers, particularly not in capital cities. In rural areas things can be very different. I've personally made a lot of money buying property off people who have been given bad information by their local councils about the development potential of their land.
True APerry,
I have had a good run so far with chatting to the council, the good thing has been when the strategic plan on their website said one thing and the council person was able to tell me the latest update to it which means the current deal we are doing is very profitable, rather than ho hum.
You get duds in everything, when they treat you like you are wasting their time and just give you rubbish answers, when they give you answers that mean nothing because they cannot commit. Just need to sort through things.
Get an architect/town planner on your team asap. They will help you more than most people, they can give you guidance as to what will fit on a certain size block (roughly), what to watch out for, translate planning jargon. When it comes to submission it is more professional they can present the application for you in the best light.
D
DWolfe | www.homestagers.com.au
http://www.homestagers.com.au
Email MeI've been involved in my first development project recently and have found the council that I am dealing with very helpful. When it has come to getting advice, I always take everything told to me 'with a grain of salt' – after all, until it's down on paper it doesn't mean anything. That said, they have been very helpful in explaining process and pointing me to resources to help me.
We also had a 'pre-meeting' to go over our proposed development which is a great idea to highlight any potential issues before you even lodge your planning application.
Cheers,
Kaz
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