Avoid Building Regrets “What Your Section Isn’t Telling You”
Avoid Building Regrets “What Your Section Isn’t Telling You”
Why a Site Appraisal Matters
When planning to build a new home, it’s easy to get swept up in design ideas, dream kitchens, and ideal site plans. But before any of this, it’s critical to understand the land itself first. What lies beneath—and around—your section can dramatically affect how you build, how much you spend, and how long it takes.
While a section may appear flat, sunny, and well-located, there can be hidden constraints that only come to light once building is underway. That’s where an early site investigation becomes essential and can save you a headache and thousands of dollars later on.
What Is a Site Appraisal?
A site appraisal is a professional assessment of your land to identify any physical or legal factors that may affect your new build. This goes beyond surface appearance – it’s about identifying any constraints that may impact your budget, design options, or consent process.
Obvious and sometimes less obvious things to look out for include:
- Slope and contours – Steep or uneven sites may require additional engineering work, such as excavation, piling, and retaining walls.
- Services – The locations of public drainage and services can influence your foundation’s design, position for building, and other assets on the site. This applies equally to rural land where the location of septic or water tanks can fall into planning and consent matters.
- Soil types – Soil conditions influence foundation design, drainage, stormwater, and even landscaping so an engineer’s report is critical.
- Site access – Delivering materials and access for machinery can be complicated on narrow or steep sections. Scaffolding is also a factor.
- Vegetation – Trees may be protected under district planning rules or require specific removal or design considerations.
- Planning – Local authority planning, zoning and policy may influence the land and what you can build. Identifying any planning issues early and seeking planning advice can save you time and money.
It’s not uncommon for sites that may appear simple to the eye to hide some element that implicates the building costs, and understanding what these are before you decide is empowering.
Stormwater and Flooding: What Happens When It Rains?
Two of the most overlooked (and expensive) site risks are stormwater flow and flood risk. Most councils provide mapping or modelling which shows whether land is subject to ponding, overland flow paths, or flood hazards – but is this enough?
Why it matters:
- Flood overlays can trigger requirements for floor levels or special foundations.
- Overland flow paths may limit where you can place a house, driveway or drainage.
- Poor natural drainage can cause long-term issues such as erosion, flooding, or damage to foundations.
Dealing with stormwater isn’t just a compliance issue—it directly affects the liveability and longevity of your home.
Legal and Regulatory Rules: What You Can’t See Could Cost You
The land may be subject to a range of legal or planning constraints. These may not be visible at a glance but can dramatically limit what, where, or how you can build.
Important factors include:
- Easements: These are registered on the land title for utilities or access, and impact where you build. And some titles have BLRs or building line restrictions.
- Covenants: Common in subdivisions, these are rules that apply to things like minimum floor areas, cladding materials, fencing, or landscaping, minimum standards and materials, all designed to maintain a set of specific parameters within the subdivision.
- Zoning and planning overlays: District Plans vary between councils, but these rules may impose restrictions such as heritage character, noise exposure, or site coverage calculations that could influence your design, site plan, and these should always be managed with professional care to avoid costly mistakes.
Failing to account for any of these elements could result in costly redesigns, resource consents, delayed building consent, or even needing to abandon your building project altogether.
A Block May Be Affordable – But Is It Affordable to Build On?
Choosing land based on the build price per square metre alone can be misleading. What you save upfront can be lost quickly if the site is difficult or more costly to build on.
Examples of some hidden costs:
- Extra $$ for retaining walls, or scaffolding on sloping land
- Complex foundations for soft or reactive soils
- Crane hire or access solutions for more difficult sites
- Council mandatory stormwater detention systems or infrastructure growth charges
The real cost of building starts with the land—not just the house.
Final Thoughts
A great home starts with the right site. Taking time to understand a section’s physical, legal, and planning constraints puts you in the best position to make informed decisions—before you begin working on the home design and sign a building contract.
Whether you’re looking at a new subdivision or a lifestyle block in the countryside, doing your homework is the best way to avoid costly surprises and build with confidence for the future.
Looking at buying land? Or own some land already, and not sure you know everything you need to know before building on it?
Call Stroud Homes today on 021 223 5741, and we’ll arrange to do a FREE NO OBLIGATION site appraisal and report to help you make your big decisions.
