Another record land sale in central Auckland as land costs climb: industry experts explain the development process to help you navigate it

In New Zealand, particularly Auckland, developing medium- and high-density residential areas has become an inevitable trend in addressing the housing crisis. This has also brought repeated record land sales at residential auctions recently, with large properties in areas zoned for medium- and high-density housing especially sought after. Just this afternoon, another large site covering 1373 square metres sold at auction for a record NZ$7,060,000. The property at 12 King Edward Avenue, Epsom, contains 4 units dating from the 30s of the last century. The buyer's intention to subdivide and redevelop the site seems clear.

However, land development and subdivision involve many steps and are extremely complex—even gruelling. Is there an easier option that can achieve better results with less effort? Today, we have invited experts to explain the 5 main stages of land development in detail.

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For projects supported by Envivo, an experienced senior consultant will guide you from day one, using efficient process management to achieve the most satisfactory outcome, maximise returns on investment and improve the chances of success. 

Envivo's one-stop service provides comprehensive professional support at different stages throughout the land development process. Drawing on the collective knowledge and experience of its many specialists, Envivo simplifies development and subdivision and helps clients address the uncertainties and risks they may encounter along the way. 

If you are considering subdividing your property, understanding the different stages of land development will be very helpful. Drawing on Envivo's technical expertise, this article breaks the entire development process into 5 main stages and explains each in detail: 

1. Concept design and feasibility assessment

Envivo's surveyors, engineers and planners will provide a technical feasibility analysis of your land and work with you and your architect to determine how to maximise its development potential.

We will help you address key questions such as:

• How many new homes can be built on this land?
• How many new sections can the land be subdivided into?
• How long will the entire development take?
• Which professionals need to be involved in the project?
• What are the project's limitations and risks, and how should you prepare to address them?

1. Preliminary design and resource consent

We will work closely with you and the entire project team to finalise a feasible concept design and prepare the drawings, documents and supporting materials required for your resource consent application.

Once a feasible concept design is largely settled, Envivo will carry out the surveying, civil engineering and planning work needed to submit a resource consent application, including:

• Planning and design of civil infrastructure, such as roads, accessways, public roads, stormwater, wastewater, water supply, overland flow paths and flood mitigation;
• Topographical surveys and subdivision plans; and
• An Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE) report.

For a typical residential subdivision, we will help coordinate the technical designers, such as architects, landscape architects, traffic engineers and geotechnical engineers, and manage liaison with Auckland Council until resource consent is approved.

1. Detailed design, engineering approval and building consent

Once resource consent has been approved, we will review its provisions and development conditions with you to ensure they are correct and align with your development objectives.

We will coordinate the designers again to assess and update the designs as required, and submit the following:

• Detailed drawings finalised for the building consent application process, including architectural, landscape and structural designs;
• Detailed drawings finalised for the engineering approval process, including accessways, public drainage and water supply.

1. Construction

On-site construction can begin once building consent and engineering approval have been obtained. Envivo can assist with contract and contractor management to ensure development and construction proceed smoothly. During construction, your civil engineer will need to coordinate:

• Tendering, contracts and project management of contractors;
• Site inspections, construction monitoring and liaison with council inspectors;
• Review and sign-off as the relevant works approach completion. 

1. Post-construction

Once all on-site construction is complete, we will help you bring the project to a close. The key processes and steps can be summarised as follows:

• Final inspection and acceptance of the works;
• Council inspections, sign-off and certification;
• For subdivisions, final positioning and survey confirmation of legal boundaries;
• Confirmation of titles for the newly created land parcels.

For subdivisions creating new land parcels, the final step is review and certification by the surveyor and lawyer to confirm the subdivision's legal validity. The Envivo team will work directly with your appointed lawyer to ensure this process is completed smoothly.

 

Land development can seem extremely complicated, so choosing the right team for your project is crucial. Envivo has many years of valuable experience in land development and subdivision, and we sincerely look forward to providing support that meets your expectations on your next project.

If you are considering developing your property, scan the QR code to take part in this special WeChat promotion and receive a free premium on-site feasibility assessment from Envivo's planning manager, John Yan.

We look forward to your enquiry and to supporting you in your future land development and subdivision ventures. We wish you smooth progress at every stage and a successful project!