Plan of subdivision
This shows you the layout and dimensions of all the land lots within a stage of subdivision. This plan also indicates the size and location of any easements.

Civil engineering plan (Functional layout plan)
This plan shows the civil design, including site levels, depth of any fill imported and any previous land features of significance, such as trees and drains.

Building envelope plan
This plan shows you the depth, width and height restrictions applicable to a specific block. This effectively gives you the dimensions of the build area to show you where your house can be positioned on your block.

Estate Design Guidelines
This will give you the developers’ design guidelines for your estate. It is important to understand the impact these may have on the house you intend to build.

Memorandum of common provisions
This document informs you of council enforced controls and restrictions associated with the title of your land. These are fixed controls that are registered on the title.

There a number of other considerations to make when looking for land, most of which will depend on your personal preferences and the lifestyle you have in mind. If buying in an estate, look into whether this development has on-going body corporate fees for things like lifestyle centres or clubs (these details will be in your land contract).

In new estates the average block size in Victoria is 448m2. Typically this lot size refers to a 14m x 32m lot. The width and depth of the lot will determine the type of house you can build. Ensure you check the width, depth and slope of the block against the dimensions of the house design you would like to build.

Do you want a big garden/backyard or are you looking for something with a smaller footprint and less maintenance? Are you near parks? (this could impact how big your backyard needs to be). Do you want a double garage? Typically you will need a lot with a minimum width frontage of 12.5m to do this.

Ensure you check the dimensions of the block for setback requirements, easements or other conditions that will limit where on the block of land your house can be positioned.

Generally when purchasing land you require 10% of the purchase price for a deposit. The balance of the purchase price is not payable until the new land title is registered, often in 6–12 months time. Be sure to ask your land agent when title registration is due. When buying a House and Land package, generally a 5% deposit on the land and 5% deposit on the home is accepted.

Your bank or mortgage broker thoroughly understands this process and will help guide you through this, they can even organise pre-approval which can save you time in the long run.

It’s important to make sure your block of land is maintained as to not delay any works once you have reached the construction stage. For your block to be build ready, you’ll need to make sure you clear anything that can get in the way or be deemed a hazard such as rubbish and unnecessary vegetation. Don’t underestimate the amount of time you should allocate to this, as unfortunately sometimes people can dump their waste on un-fenced blocks and if your land has been left for a while, it may be quite overgrown.

Boundary pegs (also known as title or survey pegs) are used to mark out the boundaries of your lot before construction can begin on a development site. A Land or Building Surveyor will accurately measure out your site and establish boundaries which they will then mark out with pegs or stakes. It’s important to ensure your block is maintained before the construction stage as if pegs are missing or have been moved, sometimes you may have to bear the cost of having the land re-surveyed.

Estate Guidelines
You need to understand these. They are rules put in place by the land developers to ensure that your asset is protected by controlling what build form is allowed within the estate. These guidelines vary from estate to estate and land developer. They could be something simple like every house in the street needs a wooden look garage door, or they can be more complex where you might like a certain type of façade but they won’t allow that type of façade in the estate. In other instances, a rule may be that you must have 3 different building materials used on the front (façade) of your home.
Estate guidelines have to be met (not negotiable) and they can have a cost impact on your build if what you were initially proposing does not comply. You may end up having to pay additional money to add materials or change your façade selection to achieve compliance.
Please note: These guidelines are determined by the land developers (not the builders) All house and land packages have already taken estate guidelines into account.

Amenities
Location is the key when selecting your desired estate and purchasing a block of land. Access to amenities will make all the difference to your lifestyle. How far away will the proposed shops, parks, schools and public transport be? You need to check this out with the land agent before you purchase.

Location within the Estate
Are parks or living close by to family and friends important? Locations near a park are sought after and blocks abutting them are in even more demand and come at a premium. Likewise, blocks with a view and those on the high side of a street often command higher prices. Be sure to consider the orientation of your lot and how this will relate to natural light for your indoor and outdoor areas.
Are you looking at a corner block? Generally corner blocks will provide a greater sense of space and can also prove to be great value for money. Keep in mind however that there could be some additional build costs such as fencing, landscaping and façade extras to meet estate guidelines.
Please note: Without any structures on a lot, even a poorly oriented block can look elevated and light filled. Ideally you should obtain an expert opinion on how your block’s exposure to the elements will affect the home you hope to build. Consider meeting with your builder on site.

Believe it or not, dirt isn’t just dirt and some soil can be reactive – meaning the moisture content in the soil causes it to shift and change in volume. A soil test and survey is an integral part of every build as the information from these tests will influence the slab design, piering, cut and fill requirements, finished floor level, retaining wall considerations and much more! All of these factors also affect site costs, and it’s impossible to know what’s lurking underneath your block until you start digging.

Easements often exist on blocks of land to accommodate utility services and connections such as power and sewerage – not just for your home, but for all the people on your block that are connected to these services. Your new home will require clearance from these easements to ensure access for maintenance workers etc. Be sure to consider the size and location of any easements as these will impact where you can build your home and may also impact the size of the home you can build.

Typically in new estates, the most common easement is at the rear of the lot and they are usually 2 – 3 metres wide. Best practice is to ensure the house is located at a minimum 1 metre clearance from an easement.

Titled land simply means there is an official record of who owns a certain section of land. As the name suggests, Untitled lots do not have a title as they may still be under development and in this instance you’ll need to wait for the relevant ownership certificate to be issued. The benefit of titled land is you will only need to do a title transfer, which has a much quicker turnaround that the issuing of a new title! In saying that most of the land in Victoria is going to be untitled, particularly in developments, so make sure you factor in ample time for this process when deciding to build.