18 Offers on a Perth Subdivision Property. Here’s How It Was Won.
18 Offers. One Strategic Win.
The home open for this Perth subdivision property was packed. Developers, home buyers, investors. Eighteen offers followed.
Our client was not chasing a simple rental. They wanted an add-value property with a clear pathway to subdivision.
The strategy was to hold and rent the property while equity grows, and in five to ten years develop it. That could mean retain and build. It could mean triplex. Different pathways depending on what the market offered.
They trusted us to identify the right option.
That kind of brief narrows the field quickly.
We had sifted through the available properties within the client’s budget and identified a very good block in an established residential suburb, not too distant from the city and with the amenities and transport tenants and future home buyers expect.
The zoning was appropriate with potential development solutions aligned with our client’s objectives. The block shape and slope were ideal for development. Taken together, it attracts serious competition.
What Proper Due Diligence Actually Looks Like
When you are buying with a ten-year horizon, you are not just checking today’s condition. You are pressure-testing the future strategy.
We confirmed the zoning and ensured there were no proposed rezonings that would alter development potential. We examined what could realistically be built on this site under the current code and whether those outcomes were viable.
We also investigated whether developer contributions or public open space contributions would apply at subdivision stage. These costs can materially affect feasibility, and they are not always obvious from a quick search.
The sewer alignment across the block was examined in relation to the likely future building footprint. A poorly positioned sewer can constrain building placement or increase construction costs.
Beyond planning and services, we reviewed environmental overlays and statutory registers. Bushfire mapping, flood risk, contamination databases, heritage listings, airport noise exposure, crime data, school catchments and NBN availability were all considered.
If any one of these elements is missed, it can limit growth potential or complicate development later.
A small oversight today can become a costly constraint tomorrow.
The Easements That Needed Interpreting
The title revealed two easements, hidden on an old planning diagram.
One referenced road widening. Physical inspection and review of the land sketches suggested the widening had already been implemented historically, but there was no clear written confirmation. We carefully examined the relevant documents and, after discussion with the planning authority, it was agreed that the widening had effectively already occurred, so our client was not risking losing some land to become a widened road.
The second was a council drainage easement running along the opposite side of the house. We assessed its position in relation to a future subdivision concept and confirmed it would not interfere with creating a new lot.
Easements are rarely a simple yes or no issue. They need to be interpreted in light of the long-term plan.
The Garage
The garage had clearly been added after the original dwelling was built. The building plans indicated it was not part of the initial approval. The planning officer could find no record of an approval, but that did not mean there was not one.
At building inspection, its structural soundness would be formally assessed.
Importantly, when the property is eventually developed, that garage will be removed as part of forming the new subdivided lot. If it needed to come down earlier, there is already a carport in place for a tenant. The rental use would not be compromised.
The key question was not whether the garage was perfect. It was whether it compromised the long-term strategy. It did not.
Negotiating in a Field of 18 Offers
One competing buyer had submitted an as-is offer, likely to be fairly close in price to ours. No building inspection. No working order clause. Easy for the seller to accept, with no obligation to fix anything or risk the deal collapsing if a serious issue was uncovered.
The selling agent asked us to remove both conditions to be a closer match to the other offer, but that would mean more risk for our client.
We had no intention of removing the building inspection and our client definitely wanted to keep the working order clause.
Instead of reacting, we asked more questions. Eventually, we uncovered the seller’s specific concern. It was not the garage. It was the patios. Older patio roofs that may require repair or removal.
After discussing it thoroughly, our client was entirely comfortable excluding the patios from the building inspection clause. They accepted that those roofs may need repair or removal in time.
What remained in place was the full building inspection for the rest of the property, and the working order clause.
We also requested that the selling agent, whose firm managed the property, confirm with the property manager whether there were any known items not in working order. They advised that to their knowledge everything was functioning.
The contract was written for vacant possession.
The adjustment was precise. The protection remained intact.
Pricing With Discipline
With eighteen offers, emotion can distort judgement.
We assessed recent comparable sales, considered the uplift provided by the site’s development capability, and factored in the current rate of price movement in that pocket of the market.
The final price was not guesswork. It was measured against evidence and future potential.
It secured the property.
The Result
Secured against 17 other buyers.
Future development options preserved.
Risk understood and managed.
Protections maintained.
Buying well is not about rushing.
It is about knowing what matters, asking the right questions, and negotiating with precision.
If you want a clear subdivision strategy built into your next property purchase, book a private strategy call.
https://calendly.com/propwiz-liz/buyers-agent-private-strategy-call
Or, visit our Contact Us page or Getting Started form to begin your buying journey.
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Established in 2004, Property Wizards works with local, interstate and overseas home and investment buyers seeking to buy property in the greater Perth metropolitan area. Property Wizards takes away the stress of buying property and saves you time and money. Regardless of market conditions, our research, knowledge, and access to silent sales means we find and negotiate properties with potential to outperform the market in capital growth and rental returns. Importantly, we provide home buyers and property investors with the same level of representation that property sellers have benefited from for years.
