What makes a development site worth checking?
A good development site is not just a large block. It needs a planning pathway, enough usable area, local precedent, market demand and a purchase price that still leaves developer margin after construction, holding costs, fees and risk.
Planning fit
Check zoning, overlays, minimum lot sizes, frontage, height, FSR/FAR and local policy before running numbers.
Local precedent
Nearby approvals and small-lot patterns show whether similar density is actually happening in the area.
Residual land value
Reverse-calculate the maximum land price from likely revenue and total delivery cost.
A practical acquisition workflow
| Step | Decision |
|---|---|
| 1. Suburb shortlist | Find suburbs with active development signals and buyer demand. |
| 2. Parcel screen | Check area, frontage, slope, overlays and constraints. |
| 3. Yield scenario | Estimate what could fit without overreaching the local pattern. |
| 4. Feasibility | Calculate residual land value and GO/NO-GO. |
| 5. Due diligence | Only then brief consultants, agents, surveyors and planners. |
Common mistakes
Developers get hurt when they chase a headline block size, ignore overlays, value every dwelling like a full house, or bid before knowing the maximum land price. The safest early question is: what must be true for this site to be a GO?
How GoSiteHunt helps
GoSiteHunt turns the acquisition workflow into an address-level screen: site report, zoning/context, yield logic, feasibility and a clear next step.