Step 6 · Check the street, not just the house

Summer Headstart · Step 6 of 10 · Search smart

You can renovate a house. You can't renovate a street. Before you get attached to a property, spend twenty minutes checking what's around it and what's coming.

Why this matters before Christmas

When time is short, it's tempting to skip the homework. But the things that hurt most later are rarely inside the house. They're the flood overlay, the six-storey development approved next door, or the road that turns into a car park at 8am.

What to check

• Zoning and overlays. Flood, bushfire and heritage overlays can affect insurance, what you can build and what the property is worth
• What's approved nearby. Development applications on your council's tracker show what's coming
• The street at different times. Visit on a weekday morning and on a weekend evening. Notice traffic, noise and parking
• Aspect and outlook. Where the sun falls, and what you look at from the main rooms

You'll find most of this on your state's planning map. In NSW that's the Planning Portal spatial viewer; every state has its own.

What we do

If something you find worries you, tell us. Some issues affect how lenders value a property, and we'd rather know before you bid.

What you do this week

• Look up your shortlisted addresses on your state's planning map
• Check your council's DA tracker for each street
• Visit your top property at a different time of day

Use

🗺️ Your state's planning map: NSW Planning Portal · VicPlan · QLD mapping · PlanSA · PlanWA

Next: Step 7 · Learn to spot a quality asset →

See all 10 steps

Want to talk it through?

Book a 30-minute chat with the team →

General information only, not financial or legal advice. Your situation is your own, so talk to us before you act.