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#1 - TOP TIP - Over Spending $$$
Be cautious of project management companies with lump sum contracts. We have found on average that the cost of a subdivision through this type of development agreement will work out between $5000 – $10000 more than it would if you done it yourself. Remember “Subdivision is easy…you can do it”
#2 – Subdivision Surveyors
Always engage a land surveying company to undertake subdivision process with you. All non-surveying companies who do subdivisions need to consult with qualified Land Surveyors to complete a subdivision. It makes sense to save money by going directly to the land surveyors yourself and avoid paying the added margins from project managers.
#3 – Contractor Selection
Always engage each trade directly for fencing, demolition, crossovers, plumbing, electrical and tree lopping. Ensure you shop around and get quotes from at least 2 companies as prices do vary. This approach will ensure you get the best price across the project, again avoiding paying the required contractors fees with added margins from project managers.
#4 – Side by Side Lots
If you are doing a Green Title “Side by Side” Subdivision, ensure that the sewer main location is either running parallel to the front boundary or the rear boundary especially if you are purchasing a property for subdivision. As Green Title Subdivisions require independent service connections for each lot, needing to do a “sewer extension” to service a lot can work out between $800-$1000 per meter. Extend a sewer for 15m and you are looking at up to $15000 on top of all your other fees…. Ouch! See our Subdivision Types Page for more information on this topic.
#5 – Rear Lot Subdivision
If you are doing a rear lot subdivision (or) are looking at purchasing land to subdivide in this way always check the following thing as a priority. Ensure you have a minimum of at least 3m from the fence to the building and realise that you may need to do modifications to cut the roof back to the building. This of course will cost you, so try look instead for lots where you have the 3m from the edge of the roofline to the fence to minimise the chances of having to modify the roof or building. See our Subdivision Types Page for more information on this topic.
#6 – WAPC Requirements
When you get conditional approval for your subdivision there will be a long list of “Generic Requirements” which may lead you to do more work than is required. Of course, this will mean additional costs, and everyone knows that this leads to a sad face ☹. It is very important that you speak with a surveying company who has a lot of experience with gaining approval from the WAPC. Understanding the Residential Design Codes and what WAPC require for subdivision approval can be a challenge at times. Sometimes these requirements fall into a grey area of “what is requested against what actually needs to be done”. Only experience across different projects can condition a company like us to be able to consult with you on how much you need to complete and spend on a project.
