Subdividing A Block In Como For A Duplex Development

The development site:

The clients were living in the older home which they had purchased in 2002 and decided to relocate to the Perth Hills. The home sat on a 1012sqm block that was ripe for development. The block’s R20 zoning meant there was an opportunity to knock down the old house and replace it with two new narrow lot homes. The clients had been thinking about developing the site for a while, so with interest rates at an all-time low and quality trades readily available they decided the time was right to take the plunge.

The challenge:

Although the clients were keen to unlock the potential of their property this was their first development and they were understandably unsure of the process. They wanted to work with a team of experts that could manage every step of their project for them, making it as stress-free as possible and ensuring they got maximum value for their budget. The site was on a busy road with a median strip and this needed to be taken into account as part of the development design.

The solution:

The clients chose to work with Developments by Dale Alcock, confident the experienced team would not only deliver a quality build to an agreed budget and timeframe, but also look after the project from start to finish. This included carrying out a feasibility study and weighing up the options, pricing the project, arranging for the old house to be demolished, looking after the subdivision process, and designing and constructing two new two-storey narrow lot (12.5m wide) homes to maximise the block. Developments by Dale Alcock also met with the City of South Perth to solve the issue around the median strip as part of their planning application. The clients visited many different display homes to get ideas for their project and were able to spend time discussing these with the developments team as part of the design process.

The outcome:

The clients were able to hand over their entire development to the experts, with the project taking just 18 months from start to finish. Each of the two new contemporary homes has its own street frontage, making best use of the site and ensuring the homes have maximum appeal for potential purchasers or tenants. The ‘turn key’ project was handled by an experienced team that not only delivered the best outcome, but also handled the day-to-day management of the subdivision process, planning application and building permits, design, construction and finishing. The clients say they found the whole process much easier than they had anticipated. The ongoing communication made them even more confident that they had picked the right development specialist to work with. They told us: “We had a great journey building our houses. We had amazing staff within the office and at every stage through the build they were very professional and couldn’t have been more helpful. If we had a query it was dealt with very promptly.” The clients plan to sell one of the new properties and rent out the other one to generate an income stream. They say they would definitely consider a second development project if another opportunity came along.