Property Developments in The City of Maribyrnong (Footscray)

Hi all,

I am considering doing a residential development (sub-division + 2-3 townhouses/units) in Footscray, or neighbouring areas such as West Footscray, Seddon, Yarraville or Kingsville. I am yet to purchase a parcel of land, but currently looking for sites (with existing property) that could potentially be developed.

Has anyone had any experience doing sub-divisions or residential developments in The City of Maribyrnong? If so, I'd be grateful if you could give me some pointers on what to look for, potential pitfalls, costs, etc….

I've spoken to a Planning Officer at the council who has given me a brief overview of what I can and can't do. Basically the most important things she said to keep in mind were:

- Don't buy anything which has a Heritage Overlay as it may be difficult getting planning approval.

- The size/dimensions of the land will determine the number/size of dwellings permitted, however there isn't a minimum lot size when it comes to sub-dividing.

- Other things that may determine the applications approval is amount of living space, natural lighting, shading over other properties, how the design fits in with existing neighbourhood character, etc… but I'm assuming this is where a good architect comes into play.

- The council prefers front-and-back type developments as opposed to side-by-side. The reason being is they don't want little boxy houses being put up with huge garages that dominate the street appeal of the properties.

Is there anything else that I should look out for?

Also, if anyone can recommend an architect/draftsman and land surveyor who has had considerable experience with The City of Maribyrnong, please let me know. I'm looking forward to hearing your comments.

Regards,
Ozi
 
Last edited:
Developments are numbers based if building to sell.
If working backwards the figures work and there is a margin in it, then it doesn't matter which suburb you are building in..

Developing to then hold possibly 1 unit in the block is a different story, term regular fundamentals of property invesenr apply.

Too many people do developments without proper feasibility calculations being done. The numbers don't lie. If it doesn't stack up then...
 
Back
Top