Can planning advice help you sell your property or increase its value?

Selling a property in Melbourne or in Victoria often involves more than just presenting the existing building or land. Many buyers are looking at potential – the possibility of renovating, extending, subdividing, or changing the property’s use down the track. However, uncertainty about what’s allowed under Victoria’s planning rules can be a major challenge, leading to buyer hesitation, lower offers, or resulting in a property up for auction being passed in.

Buyer uncertainty due to planning questions costs sellers and real estate agents

Potential buyers frequently have questions about a property’s future potential, but they might not know how to find the official answers. They wonder:

• Can I subdivide this land?
• Could I convert this old shop into apartments or a cafe?
• What size extension or new building is possible?
• Will local planning overlays (like heritage or environmental) restrict my plans?
• Are there specific rules about car parking or building height?

If these questions remain unanswered or the information is hard to find, buyers are left guessing. This uncertainty increases their perceived risk, often resulting in them moving on or reducing their offer to account for the unknown planning challenges they might face.

Planning clarity could add value for proactive real estate agents and property vendors

Instead of leaving buyers to do complex planning investigations on their own (often under tight deadlines), vendors and agents can proactively provide this clarity upfront. Obtaining professional town planning advice before listing the property transforms planning unknowns into clear facts.

This doesn’t mean getting a permit before selling, but rather getting expert advice on what the planning scheme allows for the site. This proactive approach helps sell your property by:

1. Boosting Buyer Confidence: Providing clear, reliable information about planning potential or constraints removes doubt and makes buyers feel more secure in their investment.
2. Highlighting Opportunities: Expert advice can reveal hidden potential (like subdivision or change of use) that might not be immediately obvious, showcasing exciting possibilities to buyers.
3. Removing Roadblocks: Addressing potential planning issues upfront means buyers aren’t scared off by perceived problems that a planning professional can clarify or demonstrate are manageable.
4. Strengthening the Sales Narrative: Real estate agents are empowered with accurate information to confidently discuss the property’s planning possibilities, making the listing more compelling.
5. Streamlining the Process: Buyers armed with pre-sale planning information are more likely to proceed quickly and confidently, reducing the risk of delays or renegotiations based on later discoveries.

Common planning considerations that could impact your property sale

Certain planning aspects are particularly important to clarify early as they significantly influence a buyer’s perception of a property’s potential and value:

• Subdivision Potential: Is the land zoned for subdivision? What are the minimum lot sizes and requirements? Knowing this definitively is a major drawcard.
• Change of Use: For commercial or industrial properties, what other uses are permitted without a lengthy planning process? Identifying alternate uses can attract a wider range of buyers.
• Development Capacity: Understanding site coverage, height limits, setbacks, and how these apply to potential renovations or new builds.
• Overlay Implications: Clarifying how specific overlays (e.g., Heritage, Design & Development, Environmental Significance) might impact building design, materials, or tree removal.
• Car Parking & Access: Are there specific requirements or flexibility regarding car parking that a buyer needs to know for their intended use?
• Tree Protection: A common point of confusion. Determining if trees are protected and require permits for removal, or if they can be legally removed (more on this below).

Addressing planning concerns: Protected Tree Example

Trees on a property are a perfect example of how planning uncertainty can cause buyer hesitation. Are they protected natives? Are they noxious weeds? Will they prevent building? Waiting for a buyer to investigate this late can be detrimental.

Getting an Arborist Report (often a step recommended by a planning professional) clarifies the status of trees on site. It confirms which trees are protected under planning overlays and if a permit is required for removal. This factual information can be shared with buyers, removing a key unknown and demonstrating a clear path forward regarding landscaping or development around trees. This kind of clarity can be invaluable in reassuring buyers.

“But the buyer can just ask the Council before the auction.” This is not a reliable avenue to ensure planning clarity.

While Councils are helpful, their planning departments are busy. Asking them to provide detailed, site-specific planning advice for a property going to auction in a week or two is often unrealistic. Their responses may be delayed, general, or not tailored to a buyer’s specific development idea, leaving uncertainty unresolved right when clarity is needed most.

How professional planning advice helps

By engaging a town planning professional early in the sales process, you proactively address these potential issues. They review the relevant planning controls, can often liaise with Council on a preliminary basis, and provide you with a clear assessment of the property’s planning context and potential. This informed position allows you to present the property accurately and confidently, highlighting its true possibilities to the market.

AS Planning specialises in providing expert town planning advice across Victoria. We work with vendors and real estate agents to cut through the complexity and provide the planning clarity you need to enhance your property sale campaign.

Our services in this area include:

• Reviewing your property’s specific zoning and overlay controls.
• Liaising with the local Council to clarify planning requirements.
• Providing detailed, easy-to-understand written planning assessments.
• Identifying efficient pathways to understand and present development potential.

Let us help you turn planning unknowns into clear advantages, giving buyers the confidence to make their best offer. Get a quote today.