Doctor's Practise

[younginvestor]

For this IP I have, I was thinking it would be ideal for a doctors practise or something similar due to the permits for the parking it has at the front, as the previous owner ran their business from there.

What would be the best way to advertise this?

[bundy1964]

Hi young

If it is still aproved as office space.

I would go for house currently approved for office space other use subject to consent.

bundy

[Kristine..]

Dear Young Investor

The previous owner or, if you owned it while the tenant ran a business from the house, presents an interesting scenario.

You mention there is a permit to allow parking at the front of the property.

This permit may have been for a 'home based business', which is allowable under most municipal planning schemes.

A 'home based business' is for activities of the occupier of a residence only. This is not a planning permit for a business. So any other occupier may - possibly, depending on the business - also operate a business from the residence. However, it would take another permit application for a non resident to operate a business from the house.

For example, a doctor who lives in the house (Class 1 dwelling) would not necessarily need a permit to practise there. But if the doctor lived elsewhere, a separate permit would be needed as the use would then be Class 5 (office or similar) of the Building Code of Australia.

I am currently going through the process of obtaining a permit to operate a medical consulting room facility. Number of effective consulting rooms is based on available car parking space, ie, the building may have any number of rooms, but only one room for each 5 car park spaces can be used at any given time.

Check out the existing permit. It may have already lapsed with the departure of the permit holder.

To get a Class 5 permit requires meeting fire regulations especially burn time before neighbouring properties are affected, disabled access, over looking, over hearing issues, ingress & engress vehicle access etc

To check out your local municipal planning scheme, go to www.doi.vic.gov.au and go to 'planning schemes online'. Your municipality will have maps and written classifications available for you to check out what is generally permissable in the neighbourhood.

Good luck! My application is going to VCAT as the neighbours on the opposite side of the through road have complained against my application even though the immediate adjoining neighbours think a medical clinic is a wonderful idea and fully support the application.

The delay will be approximately 3 - 5 months in the queue for a hearing, which means a further $8,000 in interest charges for me!

Yea!!

Cheers

Kristine

[Sunstone]

Dear Kristine,

How would you do this differently next time?

Would you try and educate potential troublemakers/neighbours in the area? (By letterbox drop/local doorknocking or having a short public discussion.)

Is there some way that you can "bribe" or "butter up" the troublemakers by finding a way to get to the real root of their problem? Find someway for them to be proactively involved in a community development?

Food for thought............

Cheers,

Sunstone.

[Kristine..]

G'day Sunstone

Nah. It's swings & roundabouts.

The dual occ went through on 90 days with full support of the neighbours. They love me 'cos they are now living next to the best house in the street! (Well, apart from theirs, that is)

And I love them 'cos they really have been the friendliest, most supportive and genuinly interested people you would like to meet. I'll really miss them when the front house is finished, although I'd like to have a go at building the second dwelling myself.

The medical application has met with opposition from people who haven't even seen the plans. They just don't want any change in their neighbourhood - would rather the houses fell down around their ears. Luddites!

The council has approved the application, but democracy being what it is, and for only $250 application fee, they can protest and feel holier than thou! I'll take side bets if (a) the 'breadwinners' take a day off work to attend the hearing, or (b) if any of them show up at all.

Trouble is, I started doing work on the place and it's now uninhabitable, so I can't even have a tenant. Not for the rent (pah! it's only money!!) but for the security of the property.

But would I have done anything differently?

Yes, being seen at the property definitely helps, and I hadn't done any work there myself, but as luck would have it, the guttering & electricals were done in the fortnight when the advertising was displayed. So perhaps people thought that the permit was already approved, when really the work was maintenance.

Anyway - if it looks like too much delay, I'll just refurbish it and sell it as is - dollor for investment dollar, the return is likely to be more, 'cos the medical centre requires 10 fully constructed car spaces - approximately $70,000 worth of concrete for that Big Ticket item alone. Erk.

It's just that ... the area really needs medical services, the bus passes, there is a Business 1 Zone four houses along ... a great opportunity for my purchaser to really make a significant investment of their own.

Oh well, back to painting the picket fence!

Kristine

[brains]

Kristine,

Sounds like too much trouble for the return, theres esaier ways to make a buck.Did you do your d.d. beforehand?


Sunstone,

Do you "bribe" and "butter up" people to get a DA/ BA through?
Sounds like a regular millionare developer:)

[Sunstone]

Dear Kristine,

Thanks for the detailed reply. Hang in there I know you're a capable lady!

Brains,

Do you "bribe" and "butter up" people to get a DA/ BA through? Sounds like a regular millionare developer

Sounds like a compliment to me ;)

Certain presents to key customers/partners/important parties never hurts. You can't tell me there is any successful person in business that doesn't give some presents to their key customers at Christmas.

Taking the time to understand the neighbours needs I believe can be important as Kristine has shown. Imagine how much trouble one person can cause if they want.

But we just have to ensure we don't go down the PNG line.............

Cheers,

Sunstone.

[brains]

Sunstone

I consider presents to key customers a thank you for the previous years business. Its a different thing to bribe or butter people up.

My opinion is if you are thinking of being in business long term, 100% honesty and integrity is the only way to go and i dont consider "bribe" or "butter up" to come under this heading.

But if thats your style, good on ya:)

[Andrew]

100% honesty and integrity is the way to go, the reason I would give bribes a miss is because
you are then encouraging someone else to be dishonest and dealing with a dishonest person
is likely to turn out badly.

Just my $0.02

andy

[XBenX]

ahhh its great how this board thrives on conflict :)

you dont get anywhere if you dont challenge you idea/perceptions/beliefs

[brains]

So true Ben, innovation and achievement commonly come from questiong, conflict and change.

[Sunstone]

Dear guys,

The issue is what consitutes a "bribe".

To some it is a present and an important way of recognising support from customers. To others even the most simple of presents/best intentions could be construed as a bribe.

The purpose of the post was to illustrate how taking the time to get to know neighbours that could cause problems with a development may end up costing you less in the long run.

Cheers,

Sunstone.