Looking for Land? 5 Must-Know Tips Before You Buy
With stock levels rising there are fresh opportunities in Melbourne's land market, we break down the must-know tips for buyers.
Before you rush in to purchase a block of land, it pays to be aware of the potential pitfalls and to know how to get the most bang for your buck, says this house and land expert. Read on to learn more. These range from limitations on the kind of house you’ll be able to build and unforeseen increases in costs to uncertainty around the long-term liveability of the community you end up calling home. To help you understand this in more detail, we asked Taylah White, Group House and Land Manager at Carlisle Homes, for some guidance on the key issues you need to consider.
Be sure to plan and compare land before you buy! Read on to learn our five handy tips. Featured here: Granville, Smiths Lane, Clyde North.
1. Choose the right estate and developer
The first thing to consider when choosing a location for your dream home are the practicalities of daily life – factors such as how you are going to get to work, where your kids will go to school, and how far away the nearest shops are.
Then, as you get closer to a final decision, you will need to dig even deeper. Because as White points out, when you’re looking to buy a block of land in a growth corridor, there will likely be multiple developers selling land in the area, and you’ll be making decisions based on plans and future potential rather than anything concrete.
“I strongly encourage people to be thorough with their homework and to get out and compare the different estates firsthand,” she says. “Then, before you commit to buy from a particular developer, visit other estates they have already delivered to see if they are the kinds of communities, you would be happy living in.”
2. Ask the right questions
White also recommends asking the developer questions that probe into daily life. “For example, when will the new train station be completed? Is the local supermarket going to be a Woolworths, Coles or Aldi? Will there be a community house with a gym and spaces to hire for kids’ birthdays? Anything that you feel you will need for a happy life,” she says.
It is also advisable to check whether there are any powerline easements in the area as, in some cases, these can have various implications on obtaining financial approval.
Choosing the right block of land comes down to the size of the home you'd like to build to suit your family and lifestyle. Featured here: Matera, Botanical Estate, Mickleham.
3. Pick the ideal block of land
Once you’ve settled on your preferred estate, the next step is to choose a specific block of land. White makes it clear that there is potential for trouble down the track if you don’t exercise due diligence at this stage. “Firstly, you have to know the size of the home you want to build to make sure that your block will be big enough.
“You’ll also need to review the developer’s guidelines to check for things such as setback requirements from boundaries, and height restrictions or challenges due to overshadowing, all, of which can have an impact on the size of house you’re able to build,” she says.
Other factors that can compromise the design of your dream home include choosing an elevated or sloping site, having an easement that prohibits construction on part of the block, or being located near an airport or train station where a Design Development Overlay requires that you incorporate extra acoustic measures. If you haven’t considered these things before you purchase land, you might not be able to build your preferred home design. Or if you can build it, the costs may be a lot higher than you expected.
4. Get help from the professionals
With all of these potential pitfalls, you can see why White suggests seeking help from the people who do this work for a living! Carlisle Homes can provide assistance no matter how you decide to proceed. For example, if you’ve decided to buy a block of land first, a Carlisle Homes’ sales consultant will be happy to review your land documents before you make the purchase to confirm which home designs will be suitable and to give you an idea of site costs.
If you’ve chosen your preferred Carlisle Homes’ design, we will even be able to provide a fixed price for construction and site costs so you can proceed with the purchase knowing that your dream home can be built on the site, without any unforeseen costs that could blow your budget.
Our friendly team at Carlisle Homes are here to help! You can further personalise your home with 3,500 premium products available at our Spectra Showroom.
Your other option – an even easier way to get the best possible result – is to purchase one of Carlisle Homes’ predetermined house and land packages. This option means we do all the hard work for you to find the perfect block of land matched to your chosen home design.
We can also help you get the best deals on the market. Thanks to our Land Connect initiative, we can give you priority access to blocks of land as soon as they are released by developers, saving you the hassle and stress of competing for land in popular locations – all while enjoying the confidence that comes from having a fixed price right from the start of the process.
5. Save money by taking advantage of Carlisles’ current promotions
With our current WOW inclusions promotion, you can further personalise your home with $5,000 to spend on over 3,500 premium products at our brand new Spectra Showroom. Plus, your home comes with a range of luxury inclusions at no extra cost, including Caesarstone benchtops, flooring throughout, double-glazed windows and kitchen appliances, as well as no-charge facades across single and double-storey T-Range homes.
There’s a lot to get your head around when you’re buying land and building a new home – and we’re here to help you every step of the way to ensure it’s a positive experience from the moment you decide to build to the day you move in.