Chester can connect planning, surveying and engineering information to what you want to do with the land. This guide shows the evidence to gather, what to look for and how to recognise an answer that is still only an assumption.
01
Begin with one sentence about your proposed use
“Is this a good site?” is too broad. Try one of these instead:
- “Could we keep the house and sell a rear section?”
- “Could a parent live in a self-contained home here?”
- “Could we build three townhouses and still use the site safely?”
- “Can we buy this land knowing we can connect the proposed building to wastewater?”
The answer determines which facts matter most. A sloping rear corner may be irrelevant to an extension at the front but decisive for a proposed rear lot. A shared driveway may be acceptable for family living and problematic for a separate title. Put your intended use and deadline at the top of every review.
02
The four layers of evidence
1. The legal property
Order a current Record of Title and relevant instruments. It identifies ownership and registered rights or restrictions such as mortgages, easements and covenants. LINZ explains what a current title contains and how to order it. Do not stop at the title's list of instrument numbers: the underlying documents may contain the route or terms that matter to your idea.
Mark any rights of way, service easements, consent notices, covenants, shared ownership or cross-lease interests on a plan. A surveyor can relate them to the physical site; your solicitor should explain their legal effect. If a planned driveway relies on crossing someone else's land, establish the legal right before designing as if access is available.
2. The planning position
Check the applicable zone, subdivision and land-use provisions, overlays, precincts and relevant national standards against the proposed activity. For Auckland, the Unitary Plan property tools are a starting point. Elsewhere, the local plan applies. A zone name tells you where to begin reading; it does not approve a specific house, lot count or driveway.
Check the date of previous advice. Rules and plan status can change, and an old approval may relate to a different design. A neighbour's development may have different title rights, services or conditions. Ask the reviewer to state the proposal assessed, the provisions considered and which issues need more work.
3. The physical site
Look at boundaries, levels, existing buildings, trees, retaining, ground condition and natural hazards. Aerial imagery can suggest a building area but cannot confirm precise boundaries or usable levels. Auckland Council's planning-map disclaimer advises that boundaries and mapped pipes be verified before reliance for design or works.
Walk the site after heavy rain if possible. Observe where water moves, where ground stays wet and how vehicles actually enter. Those observations are clues, not a substitute for flood or geotechnical assessment. Auckland Council's flood-map explanation describes mapped flood plains, flood-prone areas and overland flow paths; a mapped feature should lead to a site-specific design question.
4. The service network
Find the apparent locations of water, wastewater, stormwater, power and communications. Then ask four separate questions: Where is the asset really? At what level? Does it have capacity? What approvals or rights are needed to connect? A line on a map answers none of those conclusively. For unserviced land, investigate whether on-site solutions can work and how much area they require.
This is particularly important where the project relies on infrastructure beyond the boundary. An off-site route can affect cost, legal agreements and programme even when the land itself has room for the proposed building.
03
What should you order, and what does each item do?
Swipe or scroll sideways to see every column.
| Source | Useful for | What it cannot settle alone |
|---|---|---|
| Record of Title and instruments | Ownership, registered rights and restrictions | Exact location of every feature on the ground or legal advice on a complex interest |
| LIM | Information held by the council about the property at issue date | Every physical condition or the viability of your proposed design |
| Council property file | Previous applications, approved plans and records that may explain existing buildings or drainage | Proof that old works were built exactly as drawn or that an approval covers a new scheme |
| Planning and flood maps | Early screening for zones, overlays, hazards and mapped assets | A boundary survey, site inspection or connection approval |
| Topographic/boundary survey | Measured levels, features or verified boundaries within the agreed survey scope | Ground bearing strength or network capacity |
| Specialist advice | A defined ground, flood, access or servicing question | A universal guarantee about every future design |
A LIM and property file are complementary. If the LIM flags a consent, the property file may contain plans and conditions worth reading. If an old drainage plan shows a pipe near the proposed building, verify its location and condition before committing to foundations. Your solicitor can also explain how the information affects a purchase agreement.
04
Turn a warning into a next test
“There is a constraint” should not be the end of a review. Ask what it might change and what evidence would resolve it.
Swipe or scroll sideways to see every column.
| Finding | Why it matters | Useful next action |
|---|---|---|
| Overland flow path crosses the rear yard | A future home or fence could interrupt water movement | Check mapped extent and levels; assess a safe building and drainage layout |
| Wastewater pipe shown nearby | Connection may be too high, too small or across another title | Locate it and confirm levels, capacity, route and approvals |
| Easement on title | It may protect access or reserve land for services | Obtain the instrument and plot its location; get legal interpretation |
| Existing house close to proposed boundary | Subdivision may leave an impractical retained property | Survey the building and test both lots, access and services together |
| Steep or filled ground | Retaining and foundation costs may change viability | Commission targeted geotechnical and level information |
| Former commercial or agricultural use | Ground conditions may require further assessment | Review site history and seek contamination advice where indicated |
The right next action depends on your proposed use. A flagged issue may be manageable, but its cost and effect should be understood before you treat the concept as settled.
05
Buying under a short deadline
Tell the reviewer the date your purchase decision becomes binding and the minimum outcome the site must support. Supply the title, sale documents, LIM and property file if available. Ask for the first review to sort findings into:
- Potential deal breakers: an issue that could prevent the intended use or require a change you would not accept.
- Price or programme risks: an issue that may be solvable but could materially affect cost or timing.
- Later design questions: matters that can be resolved after the purchase without undermining the decision.
Make the uncertainty visible. A desk review may find a likely service route but cannot confirm capacity before the deadline. Ask whether a purchase condition, longer due-diligence period or a different offer structure is appropriate; your solicitor should advise on the contract. Do not turn an unverified assumption into a firm purchase premise merely because the deadline is close.
06
What a useful site review should say
Agree the deliverable before the work begins. It may be a short issues memo, an options study or a detailed report. Regardless of length, it should contain:
- The specific proposal assessed and documents reviewed.
- A plan or clear description of the plausible options.
- The planning, title, access, services and site findings that affect those options.
- Which statements are verified, inferred from records or still untested.
- The issue most likely to change the decision and the next investigation to resolve it.
- A clear action: proceed, compare an alternative, investigate a defined risk or stop.
That gives you something to brief a designer with, use in purchase discussions or take to a lender. A list of zoning terms without their implications for your idea is much less useful.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions about site due diligence
Is a LIM enough to tell me whether I can subdivide?
No. A LIM is valuable council-held information, but subdivision feasibility asks what your proposed lots would look like and how they would function. You still need to consider title interests, relevant rules, access, building areas, services, physical levels and likely works. A LIM may point you to an old consent or hazard information; it does not design a new subdivision for you.
Start with the LIM and title, then ask for a concept assessment tied to the split you have in mind. If a proposed rear section depends on a narrow driveway or uncertain drainage route, investigate those issues before taking a lot count to a valuer.
The map shows a pipe at the boundary. Can I count on connecting to it?
No. Check the pipe's actual position, depth, condition, capacity and ownership, then the route and permission for a new connection. A pipe on the wrong side of a retaining wall or at an unsuitable level may require a different solution. If the route crosses another property, legal rights can become a separate project dependency.
Ask an engineer or qualified service professional to identify exactly which facts remain unverified. Price the connection only after the design is developed enough to show the route and any required network work.
Does a flood mark on a council map make the land unusable?
Not automatically. The mark identifies a question to examine. The location, depth or nature of the hazard, the proposed building use, safe access and the ability to manage effects all matter. Do not dismiss the mark because the current lawn looks dry, and do not assume every part of the title is affected in the same way.
Request the available mapping and property information, then have the relevant specialist assess a specific layout. Moving a building, preserving an overland flow path or changing the stormwater approach may alter the options. The feasibility decision should state the likely design implications and what more must be tested.
An old consent shows a house in the spot I want. Can I reuse it?
Read the decision, approved plans, conditions and any evidence that the consent was implemented. Establish what the approval actually authorised, whether it remains relevant and whether your new proposal differs. A sketch in a property file or a historic application is not itself permission to build today.
Use the old information where it is reliable: surveyed levels, previous ground reports and service plans may save repeated work. Have the current team verify that it is accurate and adequate for the proposed design before relying on it.
Can you check a property before I go unconditional?
Yes, if the scope and time available are clear. Send the address, proposed use, documents already held and the exact deadline immediately. A focused review can screen planning, title, mapped hazards and apparent services; more detailed survey, ground or network checks may not be possible in a very short period.
Ask for a written statement of findings and unresolved risks, then use it with your solicitor when deciding whether to proceed or seek more time. The value of a rapid review is knowing what you do and do not know before the decision becomes binding.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Start with the decision in front of you
Send Chester the address, what you hope to do, the documents you have and the date you need an answer. We can help scope the review around the property question that matters most.
Ask about a site reviewExplore building or extending, subdivision, development feasibility and project costs.
