Survey Strata Sydney

1. Thinking of Subdividing Your Land? Consider These First

2. There are a number of things you should consider first before subdividing your land. These include zoning rules and the type of subdivision needed like a survey strata subdivision. In this article, we will discuss all of these to help you gain a deeper understanding of the factors to consider in land subdivision.

3. The zoning rules in your area First, you need to determine if your local Council allows subdividing for your intended purpose. For example, if you plan to build a high-rise building or a series of townhouses, you need to make sure this is permitted. Other than this, your Council also provides the other necessary requirements which we will discuss below. Hence, contacting your local Council should be your first step if you’re considering to subdivide.

4. The size of your property Second, you need to check the total size of your property to see if it meets the dimension requirements. Each local town’s planner requires a specific minimum lot size. While the minimum may differ, lots bigger than 700 to 800sqm are generally eligible for subdivision. However, it's still best to contact your local Council to guarantee this. Once you know this & realise that you meet the requirements based on your records, we strongly recommend getting an updated local land survey. A local land survey, particularly, an identification/boundary survey will confirm that the dimensions stated on your records are correct. In this survey, surveyors use special equipment to accurately measure & map out the boundaries of your property.

5. The access to your property Local Councils also require that your property provides adequate access for entry & exit. Particularly, they mandate that there is enough room to build a driveway. So, you also need to take this into consideration in your lot’s dimensions. An area between 2.5m to 3.5m must be allotted to a driveway in general. Then again, it's best to check your Council’s size requirements for this.

6. The level or slope of your property Determining the level or slope of your property plays a huge part in determining the subdivision & development costs. Moreover, it can also change your Council’s dimension requirements per dwelling. Particularly, they have a bigger size requirement for sloping blocks. When it comes to development costs, sloping blocks add up to it because you need to build retaining walls. Furthermore, there may be additional measures needed to connect services like water or electricity to your sloping property. This also adds up to the cost.

7. The type of subdivision required Once you’ve determined everything stated above, the next thing to know is which type of subdivision is best suited. There are three types of subdivision: Torrens Title, Community Title & survey strata subdivision. A Torrens Title subdivision is applicable if you will be creating new allotments from an existing one. A Community Title subdivision applies if you plan to assign a separate title for each of the subdivided lots while sharing a common piece of land. This can be a swimming pool or garden, among others. Then in a survey strata, Sydney property owners (for example), will give ownership of the subdivided blocks to buyers while all buyers share responsibility for common areas.

8. Final Thoughts As we’ve mentioned, each local Council has a specific set of requirements for land subdivision. Some of which we may not have discussed. That’s why it’s always best to contact your local Council. Then if anything is unclear, you can always reach out to them for clarification. You can also seek the assistance of your town planner or a registered/licensed land surveyor.

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