Planland

18/10/2026

Four projects that make sense while the market's quiet:

1. A granny flat by CDC (no DA, weeks to approve, $180–280k all-in)
2. An extension or second storey by CDC, if it fits the Housing Code
3. Subdividing a duplex you already own into two titles
4. Getting a Building Information Certificate for any unapproved work before you sell or refinance

Small, sensible, finishable this year. Which one's yours?

planland.com.au/guides/small-projects-that-hold-value

Six projects to finish or approve inside a slow cycle: granny flat by CDC, alts and adds, subdividing a dual occ, a BIC, a change of use, buying the approval.

16/10/2026

Thinking about a granny flat, an extension or a new home on a sloping block?

The slope decides more of the budget than most people expect:

- whether the floor can be a slab or has to be suspended
- how much cut, fill and retaining wall you are paying for
- whether stormwater can drain to the street, or needs an easement through a neighbour
- how steep the driveway gets

The lot in the picture is in Avalon Beach. It falls 12 m away from the street.

Get the levels for your own block, free: planland.com.au/free-topo

15/10/2026

Sydney home values are about 7% below their February peak. Does that mean you shouldn't build?

Not necessarily. Building costs didn't fall. But neither did the cost of buying somewhere else, and if you already own the land, building new is still the option that keeps the tax settings on your side.

What it does mean is check the numbers first. Our desktop feasibility is $990 and tells you whether your block stacks up before you spend anything on drawings.

planland.com.au/services/feasibility

Planning feasibility and site reviews across NSW — what a site can carry, which approval pathway is open, and what the numbers say, before you buy or design.

15/10/2026

Dual occupancy's been allowed almost everywhere in R2 since July 2024 — but feasible comes down to three numbers: 15 m lot width, 400 m² lot area (or your LEP's minimum), and floor area capped at 25% of the lot + 150 m².

A classic 40-foot block (12.19 m) doesn't clear the first test.

Full guide:

planland.com.au/guides/dual-occupancy

13/10/2026

$180–280k. That's a two-bed granny flat in Sydney's south, all-in, in 2026.

Build $180–260k for 60 m² turnkey, design and CDC approval from $4,300 plus consultants, council contributions $0–20k, site works from $15k.

It's usually a CDC (no DA) on a block of 450 m² or more, so it's weeks to approve, not months. And it's the size of job builders are keen to price right now.

The rules, and why "60 m²" isn't the whole story: planland.com.au/guides/granny-flats

13/10/2026

How does your block fall?

New on our website: a free site topo for any NSW address. Type it in and in under a minute we email you:

- an A3 plan with contours, spot levels, the fall and a slope map
- a second sheet with the levels over an aerial photo, and a plain-English note on what the slope means for building
- a CAD file your designer can open

It is built from public NSW Government data, so it is a desktop topo for planning and budgeting, not a surveyor's detail survey.

Try it on your block: planland.com.au/free-topo

12/10/2026

Sample estimator output: a new single-storey home, Sutherland Shire. Knock-down rebuild.

Build $400–660k, demolition $15–45k, site works from $15k, council contributions $15–35k, design and approval $12–25k all-in.

All-in: $550–850k, indicative.

Run your own block through it: planland.com.au/construction-costs

11/10/2026

The May Budget changed the rules for property, and it matters if you own a block with room on it.

In plain English (not tax advice, ask your accountant):
• Negative gearing now applies to new builds only, for properties bought after 12 May 2026. Anything you already own is grandfathered.
• The 50% CGT discount is being replaced from 1 July 2027.
• Help to Buy got more places and higher income caps.

The upshot: the settings now favour adding a new dwelling (granny flat, duplex, rebuild) over buying an established one.

Dates in the graphic. planland.com.au/guides/2026-budget-changes

08/10/2026

How long does a DA really take?

Council's part (Aug 2026 figures): Sutherland 83 days, Georges River 63, Canterbury-Bankstown 79, Bayside 70.

Your part, before council even sees it: survey, design, engineers, BASIX, documentation. Usually 3–5 months.

Add them up and a straightforward DA is 6–9 months from first call to consent. Which is why "we'll start when the market picks up" tends to mean "we'll be ready a year after everyone else."

planland.com.au/guides/cdc-vs-da

08/10/2026

"Granny flats are capped at 60 m²" — not quite. That's the default; plenty of LEPs allow up to 100 m².

What actually stops one: frontage, rear setback, a lot under ~450 m², flood, or heritage — not the floor area headline. And no, you don't need extra parking.

Full guide:

planland.com.au/guides/granny-flats