Design & Town Planning Fees

Great advice and agreed Aaron.
Learning more by the day.

I had a look at a site yesterday, where they squeezed 3 townhouses onto a small lot.

Taking a tour through the property... I couldn't help but think they would have achieved a better result doing 2 instead of 3.

Spaces were cramped, not a lot of natural light, low ceilings etc.
Felt a lot more like a multi-level apartment than a legitimate townhouse.

Here's a question for the more experienced developers out there.

If you've got a long term strategy of holding the bulk of your developments, do you feel it makes sense to achieve a lower unit yield to achieve better capital growth?

In other words, hold 3 townhouses that are more spacious vs 4 small ones?
Questions questions questions

 

Having 2.7m ceilings instead of 2.4m for downstairs living areas does wonders for improving the feel of a place

 

Completely agree. Unless im building a really low specced dump (and even then possibly not ) i cannot see any justification for building 2400 ceilings.

It's from the same school of thought as black tiled roofs with inadequate insulationn

 

i would always prefer lesser number better quality than more of less.

For example, I would prefer to hold four 4bed townhouses rather than five 3bed townhouses.

Or four bigger 3bed townhouses with a larger courtyard and upstairs balconies.

Many developers forget that someone actually has to live in them.

 

I did Wes Barrett ' s folks place. It's a Topsy-turvy world!

 

This conversation is old now, but my offering - use a town planner. "If the need arises" is usually too late - the damage is done, Council staff have already formed their view.

Do it right the first time. Engage professional people to do a professional job right from the start.

Planning services aren't expensive but fixing up a problem can be.

Sure a designer can achieve a result, but are you going to get the best possbile result?

 

That is looking very efficient way of utilizing the land. I am curious if this is the more optimal way of creating yield if the owner keeps them all as ip.

Looking forward for some feedback to this question too

 

To revive this thread, how did you go with town planning fees. I was quoted approx 18k for 3 townhouses. I was told build permit fees are separate and can cost about $20k on top of that...does that sound about right?

 

Seems well over the top for the whole package.

 

Does seem a bit high....

 

Wondering of anyone can provide some advice about the best way to approach the DA process. I have been using a town planner (TP) to drive my DAs with the architect/drafty drawing up the plans at the instruction of the TP.

Problem is thst is costs me a fortune as the TP costs between $140-$340/hr depending on who is doing what. Mostly it is $140/hr. The archit is only $60/hr.

The TP gave me an estimate of costs (not a fixed price) but they were grossly inaccurate.

I am trying to workout if I should have the archi preparing the documentation and submissions and just have the TP weigh in when needed e.g. SOEE, rather than preparing reports etc.

I don't mind paying for good advice but it stings to get the kinds of bills I have been paying over the DA period.

What are your thoughts? How do you go about your DA process?

 

Find a town planner that does fixed fees.

 

Firstly, what is the ratio of time spent on the project by the TP compared to the architect? Secondly you are fortunate to have an architect at $60/hr (my motor mechanic charges $110/hr to change the oil in my car

 

At $60 - are you sure they are an architect? That is not enough to cover an architects wage as an employee, let alone run a business.

 

I get a fixed fee from my TP and Architect and then have them closely work together at the DA stage to make sure any prelim drawings needed will satisfy council's requirements at each stage. I never try to cut corners with a good TP and good architect.

 

Technically he is a designer - has B Architecture. But he is very competent amd very busy as you can imagine at that price!

 

Yes I agree, that is the way it has worked with me as well, but a fixed fee is the way to go and my mistake in the past where I have been given an estimate rather than fixed price.

Need to put the burden back onto those professionals to work within the fixed price rather than it being open slather with no incentive to be efficient, but every incentive to do the opposite. A fixed price will fix that. Ill put it down to a lack of experience on my part.

Have been there done that with El Cheapos and it doesn't end well.

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

The TP definitely doing the bulk of the work 70/30 - which is why I was thinking it might be better to have the Archi drive it and have the TP weigh in as needed.