Land Selection Guide & Checklist – Victoria

For First Home Buyers /Investors Planning to Build

Use code: LAND30 – Get 30% off

Buying land is one of the most important decisions in a home-building journey—but many critical checks are easy to miss before contracts are signed.

This Victoria-specific Land Selection Guide & Checklist is designed to help first home buyers understand what to review, question, and confirm before committing to land and a build contract.

Rather than telling you what to buy, the guide helps you understand how land conditions, planning controls, and site-related factors can affect design, approvals, timelines, and construction costs, so you can have informed discussions with builders, conveyancers, and consultants.

What this guide helps you understand

The guide walks through the key land considerations that commonly impact residential builds in Victoria, including:

• Titled vs untitled land and how this affects timing and certainty
• Block size, orientation, slope, and land fall and their design implications
• Easements, service pits, and manholes that can restrict building envelopes
• Soil testing and soil classification (AS 2870) and what it means for foundations
• How site costs are calculated and why allowances can change
• Bushfire risk, BAL ratings, and Bushfire Management Overlays (BMO)
• Flood, overland flow, and Special Building Overlays (SBO)
• Estate design guidelines and private developer controls in new estates
• Services availability (NBN, gas, stormwater legal point of discharge)
• Vegetation, tree removal, and arborist requirements
• Future development risks that may affect liveability and resale value
• A comprehensive final checklist to use before purchase or contract signing

Each section explains why the issue matters, what to check, and how it may influence your build.

How this guide is best used

• Before buying land, to compare blocks and identify risks early
• Before signing contracts, to confirm key checks are completed
• During planning, to understand how land conditions affect design and approvals
• As a checklist to support conversations with professionals

Not every section will apply to every block, but reviewing all areas helps ensure nothing important is overlooked.

Who this guide is for

• First home buyers in Victoria
• Buyers planning a new home build
• Anyone wanting a structured way to assess land before committing

What this guide is not

• It does not provide legal, financial, engineering, or building advice
• It does not replace professional reports or approvals
• It does not recommend specific builders or products

Important disclaimer

This guide is provided for general educational purposes only and does not replace professional advice.
Land conditions, planning controls, council requirements, and construction outcomes vary across Victoria and may change over time.
Readers should seek advice from qualified professionals before making decisions.