Rural Subdivisions


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Rural Subdivisions

We have vast experience in rural subdivisions, and have local, experienced people in
Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Coromandel regions who can help you with your project. Our unique approach
will help you make an informed decision, provide peace of mind, add value and
save you time in the process.

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have unused land?
Need to reduce bank debt?

If you have unused land or need to sell some to keep the bank manager happy, we may be able to help.

Sometimes the subdivision rules allow you to sell off land or adjust your boundaries with a neighbour, but it is not always straightforward. We are experienced in this work.

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Working with your council

A subdivision requires a Resource Consent from Council. This is where we can save you the pain – if you have ever tried to get a consent from Council you will understand!  There is a book of rules an inch thick and Council generally require a professional to certify that all their rules have been met. We have the knowledge and years of experience to manage the entire process for you, take all the stress away and obtain a good approval.

We have completed hundreds of these applications and know what information is required. We can prepare accurate plans and assessments of environmental effects to support the proposal. A well prepared application can most often secure the most favourable conditions. To request more information on this service, please use our enquiry form.

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We don’t just do what you ask, we consider the longer-term implications and strive to protect your asset. In addition to obtaining consent, we assist you by arranging for all the service connections and construction that needs to take place to complete a subdivision and then carry out legal surveying for titles.

Learn more about our subdividing your rural land

Process, Costs & Timing

Process, COSTS & TIMING

1) Subdivision Process

The subdivision process is not for the faint-hearted.  It is complex and highly regulated, requiring specialist knowledge, resources and plenty of time.  Regularly taking a year to complete and it can take much longer, depending on council process and requirements, construction and legal aspects.  We will guide you and control the entire process that you must comply with to obtain your titles in a timely manner.  The process includes:

  • A full Resource Consent Application is presented to Council including many reports and plans covering site detail, building suitability, planning rules, environmental, contamination and often more.
  • Council consider all the effects and issue a consent detailing the conditions that need to be complied with, including legal and construction items.
  • Construction of access and services for all new sections, including electricity, water and wastewater, must then be undertaken in accordance with tight specifications.
  • We are required to certify to Council that all construction and legal conditions have been satisfied precisely in accordance with the consent.
  • A legal survey must also be undertaken.  This is a detailed technical process which creates the new boundaries and meshes them with all adjoining boundaries.  The result that you see is the white boundary pegs and these are the basis of a new title that is guaranteed by the state.
  • Council approves the process at various stages and, following their final approval, the survey is approved by Land Information New Zealand.
  • Your solicitor then obtains the final titles through Land Information New Zealand and you are finally able to sell the land.
  • We guide you every step of the way, helping you ‘make the most of your land’.

 

Subdivision Costs

There are many variables in undertaking a subdivision and as a result costs can vary.  They will also vary between districts and with the size of the subdivision.  The mains costs are generally but not limited to:

  • Preparation of a detailed Resource Consent Application, including site plans and an Assessment of Environmental Effects.
  • Negotiation with Council in relation to conditions of consent.
  • Approval of the consent by Council, including detailed conditions.
  • Design of access and service connections in accordance with the conditions of consent.
  • Installation of services (power, water, wastewater and accessways).
  • Council fees, including application and Development Impact Fees are significant.
  • Specialist reports (engineers, planners, geotechnical, traffic design, Iwi etc.).
  • Legal surveying and lodgement of data with Land Information New Zealand.

 

As a guideline, you can expect to invest between $60,000 and $90,000 by the time the new title issues for even a straight forward subdivision creating one new title.  For multiple titles there is often a significant saving per title depending on the costs of servicing. 

 

Timing

As mentioned, the process is not for the faint-hearted as it is complex and highly regulated.  So, it is a lengthy process that can a year at least and sometimes much longer depending on Council, Specialist Consultant and Contractor availability, the size of the project and project management. 

 

Useful Tip

A section price is often said to be made up of one-third land cost, one-third development costs and one-third profit and risk.  Often, if you are subdividing carefully, the existing title will not devalue much, therefore leading to additional profit.  As an example, if the sale price of a new title/section in your area is around $300,000 then you could expect that you could invest around $100,000 to produce it.

 

 

2) Site Survey Process (including replacing boundary pegs and certification for building)

When we carry out site detail (topographic) surveys, boundary pegging, building set out or certification of boundary clearance for daylighting or site coverage, the pegs and/or plan you see are a small part of the job. 

Before anything can be done in the field, we must establish the location and research relevant boundary and height datum information.  We need to research the title and old survey plans, and note any restrictions such as easements for right of way or service connections.  That’s why we need plenty of notice before we can help you.

We then need to carry out precise calculations and upload the information into our equipment.  With this done, we can be really efficient on site, where information is set out and gathered before returning to the office.

On our return to the office we need to carry out the further calculations, quality checks, drawings and certifications that are required.  These certifications are often required for Land Information New Zealand and Council.

There is much more to surveying than a field trip with some specialised technology and equipment. 

 

Site Survey Costs

The costs for these various surveying tasks vary depending on the site conditions, age of the title, information available and detail required.

As a guide, the following range should give you a general idea of what to expect.  However, we price all projects individually:

  • Marking existing boundaries for either building or sale purposes - $1,900 to $4,500 range.
  • A site (topographic) survey - upwards of $3,000.
  • Certification to Council in relation to building position or site coverage - $2,000 to $6,000.

 

Timing

All these tasks can take up to several weeks to complete so please don’t call us the day before you need the survey information or pegs in the ground.  We need to research information and undertake calculations so that the field work can be carried out effectively.  We also need time to confirm the requirements with you and other consultants that may be working on your project.

 

Useful Tip

Obtaining a good site (topographic) plan or locating those elusive boundary pegs early in the building or development process will set your project up to run smoothly.  Architects and engineers rely on our accurate record of site information to design the best solutions – helping you ‘make the most of your land’.

Guarantee

Our Guarantee

We guarantee our advice.

For Subdivisions - We keep up with the subdivision rules and fully investigate every proposal before advising you. We will listen to your ideas and advise you if it is one where we can offer this guarantee. If it is, and you follow our advice and process, we guarantee to refund our fees if Council declines your application.  For further information call us now. 

For Topographical Surveys, Boundary Adjustments and Repegging - We guarantee all our work. Because we have proven quality processes we guarantee to give you accurate peg positions, contours and other site information. If something is wrong with our data, we'll fix it fast. 

Linked Modules

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Rural Subdivision (October 2018)
1 October 2018

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Rural Subdivision (October 2018)

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Plan Ahead (September 2018)
1 September 2018

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 Plan Ahead (September 2018) 

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New Waikato Subdivision Rules (August 2018)
1 August 2018

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New Waikato Subdivision Rules (August 2018)

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