How to Design the Perfect Townhouse Development
The perfect townhouse development project makes the most of the land you have available. This is done with brilliant building design. Optimising your land, contrary to what many believe, does not necessarily mean building the maximum number of townhouses.
Quantity is not always the answer to increase profit.
The goal with a successful development is dwellings that are both visually appealing and functional in order to maximise the sale prices or rental yield.
With a townhouse development, achieving this can be harder than expected. Stringent council requirements often restrict your design options, which is why you want to engage a building designer who specialises in property development projects.
Property development projects are more complex than custom homes, or other single dwelling builds. With a custom build, the choice of design in terms of façade, layout and build materials is limited only by your imagination. However, with a multi-unit townhouse development, council maintain strict town planning assessment protocol that heavily dictates building design.
A specialist townhouse or property development builder will be familiar with the requirements of your local council and be able to guide you through the design process.
Every council has it’s own unique requirements, but many councils require property developers to align with specific guidelines around:
- how your buildings will affect adjacent properties
- private open space
- car parking
- window size and placement
- the surrounding neighbourhood character, and more.
Adjacent properties
A townhouse development must not adversely affect any adjacent properties. There are strict requirements around overlooking or overshadowing, which can significantly restrict the size and design of a development, including window size and placement. In some zones, a significant portion of open outdoor ‘garden’ space must be maintained by restricting the overall building area by 25-35%. On larger sites where units share a common driveway, this includes space for car parking and turn areas which can consume valuable build space.
Although these requirements can feel limiting, an experienced multi-unit building designer will know how to both make the most of your site, and comply with each guideline.
Surrounding Neighbourhood Character
In addition to considering the build envelope of your land, and the effect this has on your direct neighbours, the surrounding neighbourhood area also has to be taken into account.
This includes aligning to the development pattern of the area. Proposed dwellings must fit in with the current style, scale and character of existing homes in the neighbourhood. An expert property development designer will know this, and work with this from the beginning, saving you time and money with revisions.
Your townhouse design and construct team
A brilliant design and construct team will work with you to create a townhouse development that is perfectly oriented on your site, unobtrusive to neighbouring dwellings, and are visually cohesive with the streetscape and wider neighbourhood area. With a turn-key service, your specialist townhouse builder will also manage the entire process for you. For those that are first time developers or experienced but time poor, your townhouse design and construct team can work with your initial ideas, submit the town planning applications on your behalf and deliver a concept that maximises your return on investment.
Property development town planning application
The town planning application process involves submitting documentation around numerous criteria (council specific). It’s a complex process and can take a significant amount of time. For newer property developers, navigating the process can be overwhelming.
At delcon, our townhouse design and construct team take the stress out of the whole process. We leverage the knowledge from over a decade of experience to efficiently and effectively tackle any property development town planning project.
Looking to commence a townhouse development project in Melbourne? Contact delcon today on: 1800 335266 or email: info@delcon.net.au