Urban Subdivisions

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.

We can manage the full process for you which 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 considers 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 satis ed 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  nal 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’.

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 access ways).

• 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 straightforward subdivision creating one new title. For multiple titles there is often a significant saving per title depending on the costs of servicing. 

It is a lengthy process that is complex and highly regulated. It can take a year at least and sometimes much longer depending on Council, Specialist Consultant and Contractor availability, the size of the project and project management. 

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.