Purchasing a property to build a house or develop on? What Planning matters should you consider?
- Maximum Planning
- Aug 16, 2020
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 28
So you want to purchase a property or are looking at building? Purchasing a property or constructing a building can be a very expensive process, even more so if you get it wrong. It pays to do as much due diligence as you can to make sure your investment does not turn out to be a lemon.
As there is a lot of information to consider, it is beneficial to contact a professional first. Maximum Planning are Planning Consultants and we want to help make you aware of some basic planning considerations (listed below) before you decide to jump into the deep end.
If you require help with your due diligence, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us as we want to help you achieve your dreams in a stress free manner.
1. Contact a Planning Consultant
We cannot reiterate this enough, but our first piece of advice is to contact a Planning Consultant. Prior to purchasing a property or undertaking the design of a building it is beneficial to contact a Planning Consultant like Maximum Planning first. Maximum Planning are Planning Professionals and will conduct the due diligence on your behalf to ensure there are no headaches down the track. A Planning Consultant will help guide you through the requirements involved in your project. They will provide a planning assessment/check similar to a feasibility investigation to determine whether there are any restrictions or limitations that may hinder your project. They will also give you guidance on how to get your proposal approved by the local Council.
2. Zoning and Overlays
You will need to determine what zone the property is located in as this will dictate the development potential and any restrictions associated with it. Most Councils have online mapping tools that you can check to determine what zone or overlay the property is located in, if you have any trouble feel free to get in contact with us and we can help you through the process.
Residential Zone:
Pros - The benefits of residential properties is that they usually have infrastructure services (phone, power, water, wastewater, stormwater etc.) available at the boundary so you have less to worry about than Rural. Residential zones are intended for more intensified development so they are usually more permissive for residential developments such as housing or subdivisions. The rules make it easier to comply.
Cons - Residential properties are generally smaller in size so they may restrict your development potential. You will need to make sure that you have enough room to fit a driveway and your dream house on the property without breaching Council Rules such as Setbacks (distance of the building from the boundary) or the Height in Relation to Boundary (height of the edge of the building measured from a certain point).
Rural Zone:
Pros - The benefits of rural properties is that they usually have a lot of space to work with. Usually there are less properties in the surrounding area so there are generally less people to complain if the proposal has any potential adverse effects.
Cons - Infrastructural services provided to the property boundary are usually scarce and very expensive to put in if they are not available to the property. It may cost you an arm and a leg to get these services provided if the proposed building is located a significant distance from the boundary. It may be beneficial to check these requirements prior to purchasing the property.
3. Size
The larger the property the more room you have to play with. Bigger properties also give you greater potential for subdivision if you choose to go down that track. When you assess a property you need to think of where things are going to be located, such as how much room you have for a building, driveway, vehicle turning area, outdoor living space any further living amenities such as a pool.
4. Location
Think "where is the property located?"
Go onto Google Earth Satellite Imagery and have a look at the properties and any activities surrounding the property. Are there any existing or proposed activities such as schools, industrial activities, commercial buildings, airports, busy roads, farms etc. within a close proximity to the property. Some District and Regional Councils have rules regarding how close a habitable building aka dwelling/house may be constructed within a certain distance to certain activities such as those stated above. The District and Regional rules may apply in certain circumstances due to adverse effects such as lighting, noise, odour, vibration, dust, contamination etc potentially having an adverse effect on the occupants and the environment of the property.
How close is the property or building going to be from any natural environments such as waterbodies, ecosystems, forests etc? These are some things that you will need to consider as there are rules that may apply regarding certain activities from effects such as potential flooding of the property etc.
Councils may enforce stricter Building and Planning requirements on your property if it is found that there are potential adverse effects on your proposal from existing activities.
5. Slope or Topography of the building site.
When purchasing a property for developing or building on, it is important to assess the slope or topography of the site. Below are some things to consider for the building site location:
Are there any signs of site slippage or erosion?
Retaining walls or engineered foundations may be an additional cost to consider for unstable building sites.
Which way does the property slope?
A property that slopes towards your building site may result in a higher likelihood of flooding or erosion/landslide issues. Stricter engineering requirements may be required.
A property that has infrastructure services at the road boundary and slopes from the road down towards the building may have greater engineering requirements for pumping stormwater and wastewater uphill to the services, so be aware that they may incur additional costs.
Is the topography steep?
Generally, the steeper the property the higher the likelihood for site slippage or stricter engineering requirements. It may be beneficial to have an engineer take a quick look to give you an idea as to whether or not there will be any major issues with where you are wanting to build.
6. Natural Hazards
Tsunamis
Coastal Inundation / Sea Level Rise
Site Instability
Flooding
Liquefaction
High Winds / Tornadoes / Cyclones
Earthquakes
Natural Hazards such as the activities stated above can greatly hinder your proposed development. Your proposal may not be supported by the local District or Regional Council if it may be significantly affected by Natural Hazards. However, in certain circumstances suitable engineering solutions may possibly mitigate any potential natural hazards (this can be an expensive process). The local District and Regional Councils should have information available on their website regarding Natural Hazards and how to find out if the site is located in a Natural Hazard area. You can search up 'Natural Hazards' in their search bar and it should come up with maps that detail what Natural Hazards are located on the site. It is also beneficial to assess the distance of the property from any nearby potential flooding sources such as the sea, creeks or rivers or any other waterbody. The greater the distance from those sources and the greater the elevation of the building site, the lesser the chance of flooding.
Please note, that sites that are subject to flooding have a greater chance of being restricted for development by Councils.
7. Vegetation
What vegetation is located on the site? Is the vegetation native or exotic? What is the height of the vegetation? Is vegetation clearance required? How close will the vegetation be to the proposed building?
Councils have rules regarding what planting may occur on the property and also what vegetation may be cleared.
It is important to check the local Council rules regarding your proposal.
It is also important to consider the fire risk from the surrounding vegetation.
8. Soil Ratings
Soil is an important factor in your assessment as it can dictate how suitable the ground is for development. Find out what type of soil you’re building on. A Geotechnical Engineer will be able to give you guidance on this. Certain soil types require greater engineering, therefore, knowing what soil type you are potentially developing on may save you a lot of time and money down the track.
9. District and Regional Plan Assessment
Prior to purchasing a property or constructing a building it is beneficial to assess your proposal against the Local Authority’s District or Regional Plan. This will give you guidance as to whether or not your proposal is compliant or non-compliant with the District or Regional Plan rules. If you are unsure how to assess your proposal against the local District or Regional Plan or are unsure how to interpret the rules, please feel free to get in contact with us and we can provide a Planning Check/Assessment for you. If you have identified a rule that is potentially breaching and may require a resource consent we will give you guidance on whether Council will approve your proposal and how to get it underway.
10. Documents registered on the Property Title.
Please check the property ‘Record of Title’ (also known as a Certificate of Title) to ascertain whether or not there are any instruments registered on the property title. Instruments such as Covenants, Consent Notices, Easement Instruments or any other documents that may be registered on the title. It is imperative that you assess your proposal against these to ensure that there are no hindrances or restrictions that may set you back later down the track.
We can provide guidance if you need assistance.
11. Hazardous Activities Industries List (HAIL)
What is Hail? Below is some information pulled from the Ministry for the Environment (MFE) website explaining what HAIL is:
“The Hazardous Activities and Industries List (HAIL) is a compilation of activities and industries that are considered likely to cause land contamination resulting from hazardous substance use, storage or disposal. The HAIL is intended to identify most situations in New Zealand where hazardous substances could cause, and in many cases have caused, land contamination.
The HAIL groups similar industries together, which typically use or store hazardous substances that could cause contamination if these substances escaped from safe storage, were disposed of on the site, or were lost to the environment through their use.”
HAIL is an important factor when deciding to purchase or build on a property because it may be very restricting on what development can occur due to the risk from soil contamination.
Please see the link provided for more information: https://www.mfe.govt.nz/land/hazardous-activities-and-industries-list-hail
12. Privacy / Visual Amenity
When building or developing on a property, you may want to consider how you can retain your privacy or visual amenity from your neighbours through planting or other methods of screening such as fencing. You may also want to think of which direction the building will be facing and any privacy or visual amenity issues from the surrounding properties.
13. Insurance
Insurance is something that is often overlooked when you are wanting to build or purchase a property. It is an important factor or aspect of your proposal that you should consider. If your proposal may be affected by circumstances such as natural hazards or existing activities that produce adverse effects, it may be beneficial to contact your insurance provider to ascertain if they will insure you. The greater the risk on your proposal by matters such as flooding, the greater the insurance costs may be.
14. Sustainability
In this day and age, it is beneficial to purchase a property or construct a building in a manner that will be sustainable. Electricity and gas prices are rising and there is a strong community focus on minimising our carbon footprint. You may wish to consider construction methods, products or services that are more efficient and may save you money in the long run such as solar panels, hydro or wind turbines etc.
15. Costs
Think about the costs involved in your proposal. What are some factors that may increase those costs such as greater engineering requirements, distances from towns, facilities or services that you require.
We hope this helps give you an idea on what to plan for when purchasing a property. If you are having trouble locating information or require assistance, please feel free to contact Maximum Planning and we will help you through the process in a cost affordable and professional manner.
If there is any information that you feel may be beneficial to include please let us know.
コメント