Mona Vale Townhouse Development - Update

[MichaelW]

You must have slept all weekend.

Well maybe not ALL weekend...

Thanks mate, much appreciated!

We're moving forward with the CC drawings now. Will shop a few architects/designers just to make sure our existing architect doesn't think he can charge a stupid amount for phase 2. I'd prefer to stick with him if possible, but that's less critical now that we have the DA.

Will post more once we progress this a bit.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[Able]

Well done on getting DA.

Just play close attention to the DA conditions. This is where Council will try to cover all bases. You will need to satisfy all applicable conditions prior to obtaining a CC, and some prior to obtaining an OC. In my experience PCA's generally do not use lots of descretion when it comes to DA conditions. In some instances it may be preferable to write to Council asking them to clarify a requirement (preferable over having to complying with an onerous or ridiculour condition).

Good luck with the builder pricing.

Regards
Able

 

[asdf]

Well played mate. Top work!

Now that you've done it once. Would you go through it all again? With the experience and team you've built up so far, could you just buy raw sites and get the DA through and let a builder worry about the hassles of building. I'm sure that will be another challenge in itself. Not that you're not up for it but a year's work and you've added $400k value. Not a bad effort indeed.

 

[Ausprop]

i know a lot of guys run a simultaneous survey strata application whilst building because the council just holds you to ransom at the end if not. a fully drawn development loan and you have some noddy rocks up fromt he council refusing to sign off till you plant some more petunias

 

[Glebe]

What a great thread, and Mike - you and Kay are absolutely awesome. Well done and keep going.

 

[JoannaK]

i know a lot of guys run a simultaneous survey strata application whilst building because the council just holds you to ransom at the end if not. a fully drawn development loan and you have some noddy rocks up fromt he council refusing to sign off till you plant some more petunias

that's why you go private for the strata subdivison as well!!

 

[Perp]

Congratulations, Michael and Kay. A truly awesome achievement; thanks for sharing it with us all. And enjoy your weekend away!

 

[Ausprop]

that's why you go private for the strata subdivison as well!!

Joanna what do you mean by going 'private'?

 

[JoannaK]

Joanna what do you mean by going 'private'?

Hi Ausprop,

as well as our private certifiers who do the CC and eventually the OC, we also have private strata certifiers who will sign off on the strata plan to enable lodgement with LPI, thus by-passing the council boffins...

all councils have a list of what is considered a complying development and in 90% of the time, strata subdivision is one of those complying developments.

Surveyor prepares strata plan and S88B (if required), i give it, along with DA, CC Plans and a chq to the Strata Certifier, he signs off and bob's your uncle..

once council gives out the DA, we never need deal with them again!

 

[Ausprop]

wow that is interesting... must check with subdivision consultant if there is such a thing in WA

 

[Sheryn]

Joanna

Would I be able to strata a duplex this way?

For example get DA & CC off council, builder starts to build, surveyor prepares strata plan of building whilst under construction & I send plans and cheque to a Strata certifier.

Who lodges with Lands Title office (or whatever it is called) Strater Certifier or Owner?

Can strata plans be lodged before OC issued by council?


Regards
Sheryn

 

[JoannaK]

Hi Sheryn,

yes, you can do it for a duplex.

I call the surveyor in as soon as all my party walls are in my driveway is, at the very least, formed up and my basement parking lots are marked. I've never needed to have the kitchens in or carpets in or any sort of finish done...just an empty lot basically.

the strata certifier will want to come and have a look, and they insist that the driveway is poured and the basements/parking marked.

I always lodge with LPI myself, it's just a matter of waiting in a queue and paying a lodgement fee.

Yes, strata plans can be lodged and approved before the Occupation Certificate has been issued....I've only ever done it that way as if you're selling it takes quite a while for LPI to send info to the OSR and that in turn delays the OSR in issuing land tax clearance certificates that are necessary to effect a settlement of a sold lot

hope this helps.

 

[jingo]

Congratulations Michael and Kay,

Your persistence is remarkable. I imagine there would have been a few times there when you were tempted to 'throw in the towel'?

I shall look forward to hearing about the construction phase.

Regards Jason.

 

[geoffw]

We have gone with the original design of three dwellings, made up of one two-storey townhouse

Would a two storey development end up in tiers ?

 

[muney]

wow that is interesting... must check with subdivision consultant if there is such a thing in WA

ausprop, one of the things that pisses me off here in WA and i learnt this the hard way is that the council wants to see strata subdivision BEFORE you start to build (before building licence)..btw it took me the best part of 6 months to get strata on my 14 unit development in midland (I had to enter into a binding contract with council..and much pleading, to allow me to commence building before strata was approved, only then they issued me with my BL..its absolutely BS!! there is no need to get it before BL), where as in NSW..you can do the strata stuff as your building is progressing but it needs to be done in order to get your Occupation Certificate (OC)..FYI CC standards for Construction Certificate which is the same as our BL (Builders Licence)

 

[MichaelW]

as well as our private certifiers who do the CC and eventually the OC, we also have private strata certifiers who will sign off on the strata plan to enable lodgement with LPI, thus by-passing the council boffins...

all councils have a list of what is considered a complying development and in 90% of the time, strata subdivision is one of those complying developments.

Joanna,

That's priceless information, thank you! I checked council's website and found the following control around complying developments:

http://www.pittwater.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/6844/dcp22.pdf

Page 51 has the little snipit attached as an image below. Basically, for Pittwater Council, strata subdivision is a complying development in regions 1,2,4 and 5. My development is in region 2, so I'll go your route to achieve it during the build phase.

Only one further question: You said you only call the certifier when the "party walls are in"? So does that mean I need the fire rated roof to the ground floor unit on as well before I can start the process? That, and the shared side wall to the townhouse which is also fire rated? Or, is the basement and driveway sufficient to start that ball rolling?...

Thanks heaps,
Michael.

 

[JoannaK]

essentially Michael, the main external structure needs to be up, obviously, and in addition to this, any walls that separate each of the different residences need to be in. You don't have to wait for your bathrooms and kitchens to be installed though....just the structures that form the air space of each residence.

 

[Ausprop]

ausprop, one of the things that pisses me off here in WA and i learnt this the hard way is that the council wants to see strata subdivision BEFORE you start to build (before building licence)..btw it took me the best part of 6 months to get strata on my 14 unit development in midland (I had to enter into a binding contract with council..and much pleading, to allow me to commence building before strata was approved, only then they issued me with my BL..its absolutely BS!! there is no need to get it before BL), where as in NSW..you can do the strata stuff as your building is progressing but it needs to be done in order to get your Occupation Certificate (OC)..FYI CC standards for Construction Certificate which is the same as our BL (Builders Licence)

ok some major differences here... I had never comprehended that over east you could just build away and strata as you go. what if you have got it wrong? or is that what the private certifier's role is?

 

[JoannaK]

you can't commence strata certification until the main structure is up and the party walls between the occupancies is completed.

also, you don't need the Occupation Certificate to get your strata certification; they are independant of each other. I've always obtained my strata certification and subsequent lodgement with Land Titles months before the Occ Cert has been issued.

 

[muney]

ok some major differences here... I had never comprehended that over east you could just build away and strata as you go. what if you have got it wrong? or is that what the private certifier's role is?

my mistake, i should have worded it properly..over in the east it is the AMALGAMATION AND STRATA that can be done whilst the main buildings are up inc party walls etc..but here they wanted to see my AMALGAMATION done prior to Building Licence which is nuts..as i said before it took the best part of a year to get this approved..that is 10 months worth of holding costs i would have had to bear with BEFORE I turned any soil..absolutely crazy..amalgamation is fairly clear cut..just extra red tape in the development process that we DONT need