Want to set your family up for life? It can be as simple as using what you already have! If you’re sitting on a subdividable property, it can be an amazing opportunity to help your family into a home or build your wealth in the long term.
Subdivision turns one property into two or more – space for everyone and a much more valuable asset. Sounds good, but the question is, how do you get it done? With all the planning, consent, funding and project management, there are a lot of unknowns, especially if you’ve never developed a property before. Fortunately, we have, and we’re here to help. We can guide you through every step so you and your family can relax and enjoy the ride. Here’s what to expect:
The first step in your subdivision journey is simple — organise a free site visit to check your property. Sentinel Homes will send someone to get the lay of the land and make a report for our subdivision finance team. Once that’s done, we’ll chat about the project’s feasibility and what the council will let you do with your section.
We’ll show you some live examples and case studies. We’ll also ensure there are no roadblocks – stormwater, wastewater, planning advice, funding or tax advice. We don’t want to take any money off you until we have some confidence in this being a goer.
Your point person at Sentinel Homes will draw up a document to capture your ideas, and show a high level estimate of the cost. If that looks good to you then, we have our architect draw up what is called a ‘bulk and location’ that shows the size and shape of the buildings, and where they might be positioned on your site. These aren’t detailed designs or floor plans but you’ll start to get an early picture of what the development could look like.
We’ll also get advice from our specialist subdivision experts, including a topographical survey, planning input and a CCTV report. You’ll then have all the initial scope and cost estimates to show to your bank for the entire project. All this detailed information for roughly $10K!
Up until this point there is no obligation to proceed with your project.
If you’re happy with what’s possible, we’ll enter a two-year partnership to get those homes built. This is when things get exciting - the first step is to move to full design.– If you’re planning the development with family, it’s now they can flesh out the detail to go into each new home. We’ll also figure out any engineering and council requirements. By the end, you’ll have full plans, specifications and renders of what your homes will look like, and more solid pricing. You’ll also get to watch all this unfolding on the Sentinel app.
At this stage, your planning consultant will commission a specialist report that includes geotechnical engineers, surveyors and traffic engineers. Once it’s complete, we’ll send the council an application for resource consent. The council will review and approve the consent and then send us the Engineering Planning Approval (EPA) for civil works. This will also outline any specific conditions we must meet before you get new titles. Once we have resource consent we will then apply for building consent.
A Sentinel Homes project manager will head up the civil works needed to create the subdivision on-site, like adding public drainage, services and possibly a driveway or two. By the end of this stage, your site will be ready for building.
Time to get building! Whether you visit us on-site or keep track of progress from the app, this is when everything starts to come together. Foundation, walls, roof – watch those houses materialise!
Time to pat yourself on the back and celebrate. All the physical work is done, and you’ve set yourself up for a bright future. Of course, a few more bits of information will be required from the surveyor and planner. But once that’s sorted, we’ll call the lawyer and order the new titles.
If you own land in New Zealand, a subdivision is the most accessible, dependable and efficient way to create a better future for yourself and your family. Whatever your reason for wanting to subdivide, Sentinel Homes is here to make your subdivision dreams a reality. We take care of everything from feasibility and design to planning and builders for your subdivision. Then we wrap it up with the same level of care and attention we give to our design-and-build customers.
Don’t miss out on this accessible investment opportunity – call the experts at Sentinel Homes today.
Let’s get together for a free, no-pressure meeting with one of our team, at your place or ours.
We can't wait to hear your ideas!
