LAND AVAILABILITY IN THE CANBERRA REGION

Finding suitable, affordable and well-located land in the Canberra region that is ready for building can occur in a variety of ways.

The ACT Government’s Suburban Land Agency develops and sells a significant amount of available land in the ACT. You can read more about the land available for purchase from the Suburban Land Agency on their website – www.suburbanland.act.gov.au

Land is also being developed in the ACT and surrounding region by private developers, or in a joint venture with the Suburban Land Agency. Information about current land availability is identified on the below map.

There are a lot of features to take into account when choosing the right block of land for you – no two blocks are the same. It is important before you purchase a block that you understand the unique characteristics and what type of home it will support.

Aside from the price of a block of land, some of the key considerations are:

The size of a block of land is usually what gets you interested in the first place, especially if you have already established your budget and have obtained pre-approval. It is important that you decide what size block of land fits within your budget, and have a good understanding of what size house you are hoping to build before you start shopping for your block. When thinking about the size, you should also look at the width and length of the block to ensure that your dream home will fit when taking into consideration setback requirements.

Does your block face north? Are the living areas of your dream home going to miss the sun for the dreary winter months? These are questions that you should consider before deciding on what side of the street (or even what street!) you want to live on.

Whether your block slopes or not will depend a little on where in the Canberra region you are building. If the block does have a slope, this will affect how you design and build your home. You may need to give consideration to a split-level home to maximise the area while minimising cost.

The soil or geotechnical makeup of your block may be the last thing that you think about, but it really should be the first. The type of soil will determine whether any additional footings need to be constructed before the building begins, to ensure the structural integrity of your home remains sound. If there is rock on your block, then it is likely that you will have additional costs to break up and remove it before construction begins. If possible, it is recommended that you request a copy of the soil classification before you exchange on any land contract so that you are able to make a reasonable estimate of what additional costs (if any) you might incur.

1. SET YOUR BUDGET

2. OBTAIN FINANCE PRE-APPROVAL

3. SELECT: a. Builder b. Suburb c. Block

4. GET INDEPENDENT LEGAL ADVICE ON YOUR: a. Land purchase contract b. Building contract

5. EXCHANGE CONTRACTS AND SETTLE ON THE LAND PURCHASE

6. START BUILDING!

If you love your current neighbourhood but want or need a bigger or newer home, and renovating is not an option, then carrying out a complete knockdown rebuild may be the right choice for you.

Before you take the plunge and engage a builder (or demolition company), you should think about the following:

Are there any development conditions imposed on your block? These may be in relation to the size of the home you can build, the external features or the setback requirements. Also keep in mind that it might take your neighbours a little bit of time to adjust to the new home design, so be prepared for some consultation.

If you are building in an older or existing suburb, it is important that you investigate whether there are any heritage requirements on your block of land. You can check for heritage considerations on the ACT Heritage Register

Before you start designing your dream home, make sure you know where the plumbing and sanitary pipes are located on your block. You should also look carefully at the location of utility mains, as you, the property owner, have an obligation to make sure that the utility providers are able to properly access the infrastructure and mains. You should make contact with Icon Water and Evoenergy to check the location of the utilities.