Location, Location, Location!
As the saying goes, you can change a house, but you can’t change its location.
Many years before we found the eventual site of our dream home, we used to visit Eltham Lower Park on a weekend. Walking along the river track and hearing only birdsong, we would envisage this being our daily walk with our dog and kids. For us, being surrounded by nature is key to our wellbeing. Second to this is privacy. Even in our first home, we enjoyed seclusion on a dual occupancy block at the end of a quiet lane that was hidden away from through traffic.
So essential to your decision making when looking for that dream property is to determine what is most important to you. Is it proximity to shops or access to running tracks? Is your commute to work a key factor or do you value being within a good school zone? Does your lifestyle better suit a low maintenance block or is your dream to have space for a pool? Do you need access to public transport or would you like to wake up to views of the hills beyond?
When the property came on the market that we eventually bought, we knew it was in a great location for us. It was on an acre block within easy walking distance of Eltham Lower Park, the Yarra River and the trails beyond. The house itself did not tick all our boxes, so we knew we had to make changes to make it right for us, but the bits we couldn’t change - the land and location - were great.
But when you have found your ideal property, how do you know if you can make the changes you want to turn it into your dream home?
Altering the house’s internal aesthetics - paint, floors, cabinetry, tiles, and anything else non-structural - can be comfortably considered without needing to seek preliminary advice from your local council, building surveyor, registered builder or structural engineer.
Structural changes, altering the footprint of a house and affecting how the land/property will be used all require further research. Below I have detailed some information to assist you in making an informed decision when considering renovating, extending or rebuilding.
Do I need a building permit or planning permit?
If you are undertaking any building work on your property, you will need to find out whether your project requires a planning permit, a building permit, or both. Planning permits relate to land use or development that is to occur on a specific property. Building permits are issued by a registered building surveyor and generally relate only to the construction aspects of a particular building or development. Every property has a set of planning controls that specifies when a planning permit is required. If you propose to use or develop land you should consider the zones and overlays applying to the property. If a planning permit is required, it must be obtained before a building permit can be issued, although both applications can be made at the same time.
You generally need to obtain a council planning permit to change the use of land, construct a new building or change existing buildings. You may need a planning permit to:
prune or remove a tree
subdivide land
build two or more dwellings (units/townhouses)
extend your home
change the use of land or buildings
develop in rural areas
develop in the Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO).
If you plan to do some building work , you should check with your council to find out whether you need a building permit. You may need a building permit for the following types of works:
building extensions and renovations
carports, garages and sheds
building removal
pergolas, verandas and decks
retaining walls
re-stumping an existing building
Visit VicPlan*
*For people in Victoria
When considering what we can do with a property, my first port of call is to visit the VicPlan website. VicPlan is a free tool that you can use to create your own property reports and provides a whole range of information pertaining to how a property can be used or developed. This information can be gained instantly by entering the address of the property in question into the VicPlan portal. A report is generated, which provides links to any zones or overlays that apply to the property which need to be considered in its development. The links can be clicked through to understand the how the local planning scheme may impact your proposed works for this property - whether that be renovating, extending, rebuilding or even landscaping!
For the property we purchased, there was a Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), which meant a planning permit was required to ensure our plans achieved the bushfire management objectives set out in our council’s planning scheme. We were required to obtain a BAL rating for the property and follow the guidelines under that BAL rating, including using only building materials that were allowable in that area (eg. bushfire resistant timbers).
Our property also had a Significant Landscape Overlay (SLO). This overlay is designed to ensure that any development that occurs on a property will be done so in a manner that maintains the neighbourhood character. An example of this, in our area, is that only post and wire fences are allowed or the removal of native vegetation can only be carried out with prior approval.
So, if you are considering developing a property, VicPlan is a very quick and easy way to understand if there are any planning controls on that property that may impact your proposed works.
Contact your local council
Once you have conducted your initial property investigation, it is a good idea to seek advice from your local council to confirm whether a planning permit is required. They will ask for the property address and talk you through the planning scheme and how it affects the property. This communication is likely to be based on the same information that is publicly available on the VicPlan website but is a better option if you have specific questions or are uncertain about what the planning controls mean for your proposed works. You can also consult your local council or a building surveyor for advice on whether a building permit is required for the building works you are proposing.
Finally - ask us!
Marcus and I have many years’ experience navigating the world of planning and building permits, so can very easily provide preliminary advice on your proposed building works. We can recommend how easy or difficult it may be to carry out any structural changes, calculate approximate costs for your proposed works, advise how overlays may affect the materials you use or changes you wish to make, and even put you in touch with our network of architects, engineers and surveyors to assist you with your plans.
So don’t hesitate to contact us at the beginning of your planning phase to leverage our knowledge and experience.
Jenny