First IP - looking at Forrestfield WA

Yep! I concur. I'm slightly biased because I live there.

But here are my reasons

- Kewdale / Welshpool is touted as 2nd biggest employment hub in Perth behind the CBD, and Forrestfield is close by for those employees to live
- A lot of road widening going on in the area around Tonkin Highway, Roe Highway, Berkshire Rd, etc. This is because of the area's predicted popuation growth
- Proposed zoning is no longer proposed, it's been accepted
- All the area around the airport is being redeveloped into Commercial precinct and Forrestfield is close by for employees
- Train station coming soon
- Its not as far as away as some people will have you believe. It's fairly quick & simple to get to other hubs such as Cannington, Belmont, Midland, Vic Park, CBD, up Roe Hwy or Orrong Rd.
- The 2 shopping centres with Coles and Woolworths will look to amalgamate in the future

I bought my first home in Forrestfield under 400k few months back and it's exactly what OP is looking for.. (No, it's not for sale.. LOL) 3x1 and over 700 sqm block.. Had to spend quite a lot for renovation though.. But after hearing negative stories about rezoning delays, abolition of railway link and kalaunda Belmont joining plans, now I have some doubts whether I've made the right decision..

Sorry to hijack but I think this issue is important to OP as well since he's willing to invest in Forrestfield..
You're saying rezoning has been accepted; does this mean it's a sure thing regardless of belmont city interference etc and if it is then how long would it take? Cheers
 
I bought my first home in Forrestfield under 400k few months back and it's exactly what OP is looking for.. (No, it's not for sale.. LOL) 3x1 and over 700 sqm block.. Had to spend quite a lot for renovation though.. But after hearing negative stories about rezoning delays, abolition of railway link and kalaunda Belmont joining plans, now I have some doubts whether I've made the right decision..

Sorry to hijack but I think this issue is important to OP as well since he's willing to invest in Forrestfield..
You're saying rezoning has been accepted; does this mean it's a sure thing regardless of belmont city interference etc and if it is then how long would it take? Cheers

All you need to do is look at the market... 30 days average on market.

I'm just waiting for the property that fits my criteria to hit the market now.
Should I contact the local REA's, stating my interest? This could come back to bite me come negotiation time I guess..

What do you guys think about going for one of the listings at $450k with the better then average dwellings? I was aiming at an average dwelling in the low $400k's.
Also regarding property position, I'm aiming for something with the dwelling more towards the front with enough to subdivide the back - I don't see any other way? Should I keep this criteria?
 
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Also regarding property position, I'm aiming for something with the dwelling more towards the front with enough to subdivide the back - I don't see any other way? Should I keep this criteria?

Do you know enough about subdivision to actually be able to identify a retain and subdivide...?
 
All you need to do is look at the market... 30 days average on market.

I'm just waiting for the property that fits my criteria to hit the market now.
Should I contact the local REA's, stating my interest? This could come back to bite me come negotiation time I guess..

What do you guys think about going for one of the listings at $450k with the better then average dwellings? I was aiming at an average dwelling in the low $400k's.
Also regarding property position, I'm aiming for something with the dwelling more towards the front with enough to subdivide the back - I don't see any other way? Should I keep this criteria?

Without a doubt Forrestfield is highly demanded these days; average 30 days in market is a clear sign for that (my best friend is in the same boat as you searching for above average home with subdivision potential in Forrestfield around 420k and so far he's not been successful). Well, we went to see many houses, they are either too good looking so sold for a lot more than his budget or too ugly and old where renovation works will be so frustrating..

My advise for you would be to look for below average looking old house (so that you will avoid unnecessary competition) and do bit of renovations after. Now that everyone knows about this 'subdivision potential' in Forrestfield so I assume there'll be many like you, looking for exactly what you are looking for..
 
When choosing retain & build option,

1) Carefully study R codes and their limitations

2) Check current and proposed R codes of the land and see whether the property is feasible for what you have in your mind

3) Some councils tend to avoid rear battle-axe subdivisions and demands owner to demolish and build two front facing units instead (I don't know about Kalamunda shire for that matter)

4) Corner blocks are the best (due to number of reasons) for retain & build or any other type of sub divisions

5) Bulk rezoning will take ages (I have been told so) hence you might not be able to sub divide the property very soon (may be couple of years of waiting)

However, when I bought the property, I received paper works from shire which clearly stated my land as having 'future sub division potential'. So it's not just a rumor or proposed thing anymore, it seems to be a sure thing, but no one knows when it'll actually happen.. Hope this helps..
 
When choosing retain & build option,

1) Carefully study R codes and their limitations

2) Check current and proposed R codes of the land and see whether the property is feasible for what you have in your mind

3) Some councils tend to avoid rear battle-axe subdivisions and demands owner to demolish and build two front facing units instead (I don't know about Kalamunda shire for that matter)

4) Corner blocks are the best (due to number of reasons) for retain & build or any other type of sub divisions

5) Bulk rezoning will take ages (I have been told so) hence you might not be able to sub divide the property very soon (may be couple of years of waiting)

However, when I bought the property, I received paper works from shire which clearly stated my land as having 'future sub division potential'. So it's not just a rumor or proposed thing anymore, it seems to be a sure thing, but no one knows when it'll actually happen.. Hope this helps..

Thanks mate,

I have no problem waiting with the subdivision side of things.
I understand corner blocks are better for subdividing - 2 street fronts etc, one in the area with an average dwelling on 700sqm went for $467k recently...

I'll definitely now be looking at the rezoning map and what r-code allows what while I wait for a listing to come up.
 
Can anyone help me out with what I need to be looking for in a property to be able to retain and subdivide in the future (If the property was zoned r20/r30)?

Is it even possible in Forrestfield on 700sqm? It seems the frontage on the existing property is just too much everywhere.
 
Can anyone help me out with what I need to be looking for in a property to be able to retain and subdivide in the future (If the property was zoned r20/r30)?

Is it even possible in Forrestfield on 700sqm? It seems the frontage on the existing property is just too much everywhere.

To build behind you'll need 3-4m down the side of the existing house for a driveway to the rear. Council want 4m but can reduce it to 3m sometimes where it retains the front house.

Then the rear block needs to meet the required minimum size for the zoning of the block. Together the 2 blocks need to meet the average block size for the zoning of the block.

If it's split zoning like R20/30 there will be certain requirements from the council to gain the higher of the 2. You need to talk to council (or read their website if it's on there) and find out what those requirements are.

For R30 the minimum size block is stated on p58 of the Residential Design Codes. You need 260sqm minimum for the rear block and an average of 300sqm which is achievable on 700sqm as the avg would be 350sqm for 2 blocks.

For example you can see this house was a small house placed ideally on the block and has been sectioned off to it's own block of 331sqm now and a block created behind.

http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-forrestfield-118928163
 
To build behind you'll need 3-4m down the side of the existing house for a driveway to the rear. Council want 4m but can reduce it to 3m sometimes where it retains the front house.

Then the rear block needs to meet the required minimum size for the zoning of the block. Together the 2 blocks need to meet the average block size for the zoning of the block.

If it's split zoning like R20/30 there will be certain requirements from the council to gain the higher of the 2. You need to talk to council (or read their website if it's on there) and find out what those requirements are.

For R30 the minimum size block is stated on p58 of the Residential Design Codes. You need 260sqm minimum for the rear block and an average of 300sqm which is achievable on 700sqm as the avg would be 350sqm for 2 blocks.

For example you can see this house was a small house placed ideally on the block and has been sectioned off to it's own block of 331sqm now and a block created behind.

http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-forrestfield-118928163

Thanks Westminster, this is a great example. The orginal block was 779sqm though which is bigger then most. There is still quite a bit of frontage on this place and it still worked but mainly because the dwelling is small. In regards to the driveway, can it be an existing driving that was originally used for the existing house that runs down the side of the block?
 
Thanks Westminster, this is a great example. The orginal block was 779sqm though which is bigger then most. There is still quite a bit of frontage on this place and it still worked but mainly because the dwelling is small. In regards to the driveway, can it be an existing driving that was originally used for the existing house that runs down the side of the block?

Yes as long as it is wide enough from the side of the house to the side fenceline.

What do you mean by 'quite a bit of frontage on this place' ? Do you mean the original house took up most of the width of the block? That is quite normal hence it not being that easy to find sites that are suitable for building in the rear. Even worse when they plonk the house in the middle of the block rather than too the front.
 
If it has a garage then its about 10-12k to cut off the garage for rear access.
We did this for a block in High Wycombe and paid a mate 2k to help us remove it. (demo permit needed) Then theres the cost of a new garage/carport for the one you have removed.

They usually want a 3m width driveway (servicing less than 5 dwellings) and no closer than 0.5m from side boundary. My dad purchased a block that was less than 3.5m access way but the common property had an easement for the overhanging eaves of the front house.
 
If it has a garage then its about 10-12k to cut off the garage for rear access.
We did this for a block in High Wycombe and paid a mate 2k to help us remove it. (demo permit needed) Then theres the cost of a new garage/carport for the one you have removed.

They usually want a 3m width driveway (servicing less than 5 dwellings) and no closer than 0.5m from side boundary. My dad purchased a block that was less than 3.5m access way but the common property had an easement for the overhanging eaves of the front house.

Hi Tano, can you give me some more info on the property and your project? I assume it would be quite similar to those I'm looking at in Forrestfield.
 
Rezoning in Forrestfield..

Is there anyone here who can give a definite word about re-zoning in Forrestfield (and Kalamunda shire overall) given that Kalamunda and Belmont are supposed to be merged next year..? I live in Forrestfield, one of those ideal blocks to be sub divided and I received shire's letter saying it's been proposed for zone changes but as to be expected, it doesn't say anything about how certain it would be and how long that could take.. Now that merging drama comes along the way, I am beginning to have doubts whether Belmont will proceed with shire's proposal what so ever.. Can anyone shed a light on this please? Cheers
 
Is there anyone here who can give a definite word about re-zoning in Forrestfield (and Kalamunda shire overall) given that Kalamunda and Belmont are supposed to be merged next year..? I live in Forrestfield, one of those ideal blocks to be sub divided and I received shire's letter saying it's been proposed for zone changes but as to be expected, it doesn't say anything about how certain it would be and how long that could take.. Now that merging drama comes along the way, I am beginning to have doubts whether Belmont will proceed with shire's proposal what so ever.. Can anyone shed a light on this please? Cheers

Belmont is a reasonably pro-development council. If anything I would think it would enhance the probability.

But you will still be waiting some time before it all gets pushed through so don't hold your breath.
 
What do you guys think about going for one of the listings at $450k with the better then average dwellings? I was aiming at an average dwelling in the low $400k's.
Also regarding property position, I'm aiming for something with the dwelling more towards the front with enough to subdivide the back - I don't see any other way? Should I keep this criteria?

I personally think this is a good strategy and one i have been targeting the last 2-3 years. My criteria has been RETAIN, RENOVATE and REDEVELOP. It works well when starting a portfolio with limited funds to work with so eliminating demo and build projects.

The value is in the land, But you will also want the retained house to have good structural bones and layout then increase yield and value with a cosmetic reno when time and funds permit.

Get familiar with the r-codes and the councils town planning scheme so you know exactly what your looking for.

Subscribe to near maps so you can measure new lot areas and side access from home to save alot of time.

To be fair, the rezoning could take a fair while or not even happen at all. You may want to look at other areas where you can start the process right away. You could get 1 or 2 projects completed before the rezoning goes through in forrestfield.

For less competition you could target large R20 blocks in other areas to get the process started. Keep your eye out for blocks that fall into the 5% variation zone and hopefully you can avoid the 'development' premium built into the price tag.

Hope this helps.
 
For less competition you could target large R20 blocks in other areas to get the process started. Keep your eye out for blocks that fall into the 5% variation zone and hopefully you can avoid the 'development' premium built into the price tag.

Hope this helps.
Curious, ever heard of or had it happen where the 5% variation hasn't been allowed? playing devils advocate, last thing you want is to be left with a block that can't be subdivided when the reason behind purchase was the intention of using this "loop hole"?
 
Curious, ever heard of or had it happen where the 5% variation hasn't been allowed? playing devils advocate, last thing you want is to be left with a block that can't be subdivided when the reason behind purchase was the intention of using this "loop hole"?

As always, stca.

Its not really a loophole, it was created to cater for blocks that just missed out on meeting the lot sizes required as it applies to all zonings. Rather than assess each apllication that is short by 5 or 10sqm you could apply this variation.
 
I personally think this is a good strategy and one i have been targeting the last 2-3 years. My criteria has been RETAIN, RENOVATE and REDEVELOP. It works well when starting a portfolio with limited funds to work with so eliminating demo and build projects.

The value is in the land, But you will also want the retained house to have good structural bones and layout then increase yield and value with a cosmetic reno when time and funds permit.

Get familiar with the r-codes and the councils town planning scheme so you know exactly what your looking for.

Subscribe to near maps so you can measure new lot areas and side access from home to save alot of time.

To be fair, the rezoning could take a fair while or not even happen at all. You may want to look at other areas where you can start the process right away. You could get 1 or 2 projects completed before the rezoning goes through in forrestfield.

For less competition you could target large R20 blocks in other areas to get the process started. Keep your eye out for blocks that fall into the 5% variation zone and hopefully you can avoid the 'development' premium built into the price tag.

Hope this helps.

Thanks HD. I am thinking more a couple years away when I would actually develop the property. At this time I'd just purchase the property and rent it. I'm just trying to make sure the place I buy has the potential to retain and subdivide.

Please see the below property as an example of what I think would be okay to retain and subdivide based on R30. I'm waiting on a reply from Shire if Kalamunda in regards to what conditions need to be met to get R30 when zoned R20/R30(Thanks Tano for all of your help on this already);

http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-forrestfield-118995419

-Existing Dwelling is probably better then average for the area(wouldn't need a reno or any money spent on it as far as I can see)
-Right at the top of my budget
~3.4m from eaves for driveway - could cut the eaves back to allow the 4m I guess?
~340sqm from rear of dwelling
~140sqm space at front of dwelling for carbays and minimum outdoor living space less setbacks.

What would need to be done and possible issues;
-Knock down back Patio and pillars
-Knock down shelter over driveway
-Clear front for living area and car bays
-As far as I can see there is a 1 meter contour in the backyard - Either retaining wall at back of existing property with rear property on a lower level or fill rear with sand?

This is just me trying to get my head around the basics... Thanks for all your help so far guys.

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