17/08/2026
Thinking about developing your property? Start here, before you spend money on plans.
One of the most common mistakes I see is people getting excited about an idea and immediately engaging someone to start drawing it.
The drawings aren't necessarily the first thing you need.
Before spending heavily on design, I'd want to understand:
• What can actually be done on the site under the planning rules?
• Is resource consent likely to be required?
• Are there servicing, wastewater, access or infrastructure constraints?
• Are there landscape, environmental or site-specific issues that could affect consent?
• Is what you're proposing realistically buildable?
• And importantly — does it still make financial sense once all of that is considered?
Sometimes the answer is straightforward. Other times, identifying one issue early can save thousands of dollars in unnecessary design work.
My background spans landscape architecture, resource consenting, construction, estimating and commercial management, so I tend to look at the whole project rather than one piece of it.
If you're sitting on a property around Waimauku, Kumeū, Riverhead, Coatesville, Helensville or wider Auckland and have been thinking “I wonder what we could actually do here?” feel free to send me a message.
An initial conversation may be all you need to work out the sensible next step.
Cora | Lawton Advisory
Independent commercial, buildability & consenting advice
lawtonadvisory.co.nz
