What a feasibility study tells you before you buy

Why it matters before you buy

Two houses at the same price can have very different potential. One might allow a generous rear extension and a second storey. The other might be limited by a heritage control, an easement or a covenant on title. Finding that out after settlement is expensive.

What we look at

• Planning controls: the zone and any overlays, such as heritage, flooding or neighbourhood character, and what they mean for height, setbacks and site coverage
• The title: easements, covenants and restrictions, usually found in the Section 32 vendor statement
• The site: orientation, slope, access, trees and neighbouring windows and walls
• The existing house: what's worth keeping, and what's likely to need work
• Your brief: what you need from the home, and how well the site can deliver it

What you get

A clear, written view of what's achievable, the likely approvals path and the main cost drivers. Where it helps, we include early sketches showing how the site could be planned. It's practical advice you can use to decide whether to buy, and at what price.

When to do it

As early as you can, ideally before an auction or before you sign. Where time is tight, we focus on the questions that matter most for that property.

How it fits with the rest of your project

Feasibility is the first stage of our process, and it's fixed fee. There's no obligation to continue with us. If you do, fees for this stage are credited towards your full project fee.

Questions we're often asked

Can you look at a property before I buy it?

Yes. That's often the best time, while you can still walk away or adjust your offer.

What do I need to send you?

The address, the Section 32 if you have it, and a sense of what you'd like to achieve. We'll take it from there.

Is a feasibility study the same as a planning permit?

No. It tells you what's likely to be possible. A planning permit, if one is needed, comes later once the design is developed.