I was wondering if any had considered looking into the fundamentals of town planning to better understand ideal places for purchasing properties? Would it be worth the time?
Obviously if you want your property to increase in value, you are going to want to know which areas are going to grow in the future. Now you can get current data on this, but if you are reading about something like this, the biggest gains have already been made.
Obviously you have things like regional growth plans and stuff like that, which would be a good guide for what infratructure government plans to build to accomodate the future population. But, obviously, it likely not to be terribly detailed and sometimes a difference of 1km can make ALL the difference.
There are all sorts of things to look for, being close to the highway is good. For residential it is also good, but being NEXT to the highway for a residential property is another matter. Same goes for rail. Close to the capital city good. Access to town water and sewerage also good. Next to an industrial area, bad.
Surely there’s gotta be theory on this… town planning is something we humans have been doing for >3-4 thousand years.
Hi unannounced,
I have recently read $10 Million Property Portfolio in just 10 years by Peter Spann.
In one of his chapters, he suggests you meet the town planner for the area in which you are looking to buy in. Ask him questions on up and coming developments etc. He even suggested taking him/her out to lunch to pick their brains and get to know them better.
He even accounts a time when he managed to get the plans for a house, he was rejuvenating, approved by the town planner by landscaping the council area in front of the property at his expense. Which of course, added to the appeal to the property.Regards,
Guy.[smiling]
Go visit your town planner in the council you are buying in and pick his brain.
For example, mine told me on my third visit that they are starting too sell the reserves in the area to raise funds, reduce risk of litigation and all go to auction.
Some they subdivide others they don’t, so guess what I am shopping for? lol
Town planning is tricky, most councils change each four years, so although one may tell you this is not going to happen in your life sir when asking what i can do here or there, I find that is more like , “this won’t happen in my term in office”. So we wait and try again later.
Byronent
Adelaide SAWouldn’t town planners be reluctant to see a continual stream of developers and property investors all the time?
Is there a particular approach you would take when seeing one, as to not just be seen as ‘yet another property investor’?
Assuming his is the case.
[suave2]
A Planning course is an entire degree! That’s a huge investment, however here are some alternatives:
Keep a close eye on the website of the Council area you are looking at. Most Council sites have their planning documents on the website, and also their Council meeting minutes etc for you to sift through.
If the Council has a e-newsletter, join it. I know that Bathurst City Council is one of them and I am regularly updated on what planning instruments are on public display etc. it gives you a good head start over others.
If you really want to learn more about the planing process, and if you are in NSW where this will be more applicable – however not ruling out other states completely, have a look at this site:
It is the website to the University of Sydney’s Centre for Local Government. Having done many of the courses through this centre, I can highly recommend them if you are interested in a holistic and strategic approach to development within australia from a Local Government perspective. This site also has some links to research papers, and anything by Graham Sansom and Robert Mellor (Not the Rob from BIS Shrapnel) will be worth a read, even from a general interest perspective.
This centre run extremely good courses in a very small class environment. It is pitched more towards the local government staff members, however it is still open to others who are interested.Hope this helps.
Louise
Hope this helps.
…on saying all of the above, I can tell you first hand from working within local government planning, that the political environment can play a very very strong part in the future urban landscape of an area.
So even though you may speak to a planner and they may tell you that they are developing a planning instrument to increase development in their Council area, you never know on the night it is presented at a Council meeting what the political environment will be like. It could be thrown out the window because the Councillor supporting the proposal last week just lost their battle in the previous council debate and has spat the proverbial dummy.
Just another thing to take into consideration….
Note #1
Depending on the size of the Council the Town Planner may be “Strategic” – generally developing new planning policies/planning rules for Council approval. They are useful in finding out a more strategic view of where the Council is heading, where the new suburbs will be, major municipal investment areas, and where the planned infrastructure improvements are planned ie sewerage, water supply, footpaths, roadworks.
Then there is the “environmental” planner who would be involved in trying to “green” up the municipality in an eco-sensitive manner. Then there are the “development control” planners whose task is to assess development/planning applications so as to minimise the environmental impact through conditions attached to the approval. They see what’s coming in as developments such as new subdivisions, house extensions, change of use in commercial, new advertising sign, new child care centre etc. A good barometer of the strength of the local economy and what it can afford to develop. Other players in the game include the “economic development officer” where major new developers are channeled to from “front counter staff”. They may also be in charge of the selling Council developed industrial subdivisions lots, so a good indicator of the number of new industrial “employment creator” developments.
So “strategic planners” have the utopian edge of the town planning system and have contact with the very major developers but rarely have contact with the day to day applications at large. “development control planners” see so many day to day developments that they can lost in being able to see and feel the big picture. “Environmental planners” try to edge both the “strategic planners” and “development control planners” towards a more eco-sustainable future in their decision making and negotiations. The “front counter staff” see all the new applications but are removed from the end result of the development applications process. If the “front counter” are looking strees, the local economy is probably quite strong!So be careful when you ask to see the town planner. Be very specific on what you want.
Note # 2
If you want professional and quality town planner advice, be professional yourself and make an appointment to meet the town planner rather than just rockin’ up to the Council counter expecting all at the drop of a hat.Note #3
Most town planners at the moment are under insurmountable pressure and stress due to the development boom, an increase in complexities caused by State Governments, an increase in regulations in OH&S, on-going training, increased reporting requirements and lack of quality staff and computer resources. It should be noted that the numbers of experienced town planners in local government lessens by the day as they seek better conditions, recognition and respect in the private consultation circus.Note #4
To be cycnical, town planning is about maintaining and improving property values. Think about it…No seriously….if residential houses are separated from dirty, noisy industry then both land sectors are able to more fully meet the expectations of the users, thus increasing value over other more mismatched configurations of land uses.Improve your nordic skiing – become an accredited instructor with http://www.apsi.net.au/nordic
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