//DEVELOPMENTS PROJECTS//

With the property market constantly changing and our need to be closer to work, cafes/bars and restaurants, the typical 4x2 single story house with a large backyard is becoming less desirable year by year. Garden maintenance along with long commutes are just some of the problems we face in our increasingly busy lives. The many years we have spent involved in the building industry we have noticed the demand for redevelopment projects increase tremendously. Councils applying high density R-codes in pockets of certain suburbs have created an opportunity for investors to create higher more profitable returns, shorter commutes for career focused tenants and an opportunity for home owners that may be able to use certain processes that allows for either demolition and subdivide or a battleaxe subdivision process. Like most topics in the building industry, there are plenty of questions regarding this subject. Below are just a few helpful points in the developments process that can help answer some questions you may have.

Planning- Local councils have helpful websites/staff for questions regarding your property and whether its suitable to be subdivided. Here in Western Australia we have the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) that have teamed together with the the department of planning to create an informative website for any planning queries you may have.

Early costs- Demolition of existing dwellings, shutting services off onsite (electric, gas and water), application fees, advertising and obtaining paperwork/plans from councils/Landgate are just some of the costs involved before development construction begins. Your proposed site will need appropriate works from a registered surveyor to gather information early in your redevelopment process. Our external contractors provide a large amount of experience in each catergory and are a key asset throughout the process.

Time- In this day and age we are lucky enough to have the internet at our fingertips. A quick google search will have you gathering some great content in no time about the subdividing process. One topic that isn't mentioned as much as it should is TIME. Purchasing, design phase, approvals and applications have a tendency to "drag on" and unfortunately this is something that is hard to change. Expect some back and forth with your local council in your design phase/approval, We usually allow for 3-6 months from beginning of design to approval. More compliant designs help with a smoother more efficient approval process. Having a clever and experienced Building designer can really help.

Finance Structure- With our experience being within the building industry, finance and your finance structure is not our area of expertise nor can we give advice on the subject. Understanding that going into any kind of investment requires planning, we advise speaking with your accountant/broker to make sure you are setup up correctly before either buying a property, a potential demo and develop property or subdividing a currently owned property.

//OUR PROJECTS//

//KINGSLEY//

With the acquisition of a property in the blue chip suburb of Kingsley in late 2018, we have worked with our building designer Coral Buxey of CoBu Designs and Heath of Renderhaus along with local council to design a triplex development that was both compliant and clever in design. Located close to Whitfords train station we believe its in a fantastic pocket for both family and work. After recently obtaining council approval we now can move on to construction. We hope to start demolition of the existing dwelling heading into spring. An exciting project in which we look to make a blueprint for future Higgins Homes Developments.