Belgrave land checks: zoning, overlays and covenants for kit homes
Transcript
Charles Christodoulou: Most blocks of land won’t have problems, but I’d encourage your daughter – before she signs any contract for the land – to pop into the council, show them the address, and ask: “Is this land suitable for normal residential living?” They should be able to look it up on their computer system and quickly tell her if there are any overlays.
Charles Christodoulou: It’s very important to check overlays and zonings – remember those two words: zonings, overlays – and also covenants. Sometimes a covenant says you cannot build more than one dwelling, or that 70% or 75% of the house must be brick veneer. Now, a kit home is not brick externally – it uses fibre-cement cladding, which looks like weatherboard – so if she’s looking at a kit home, double-check there is no such covenant on the land.
Charles Christodoulou: We’ve got what we call VicPlan. Type in the address of any land in Victoria and, on the left-hand side of the screen, it will show all the zonings and overlays.
Checking land near Belgrave: council checks that matter
Don’t rely on listing terms like “studio.” Councils assess zoning, overlays, and covenants. Before signing, visit council with the property details and ask if the land is suitable for normal residential living.
What to ask council (pre-application visit)
“Is this land suitable for normal residential living?”
“Are there any restrictions, overlays, or covenants that could affect building?”
The three essentials to check
Zonings – e.g. GRZ (General Residential), NRZ (Neighbourhood Residential), RGZ (Residential Growth), AC (Activity Centre).
Overlays – e.g. bushfire, flood, heritage, cultural.
Covenants – some estates require 70–75% brick veneer, which can restrict kit homes that use fibre-cement cladding.
Practical tips
Go in person: Council staff can look up your address and advise on zoning/overlays and general suitability.
Who to speak to: For land issues, a subdivision officer; for building matters, a building services officer.
Desktop check (Victoria): Use VicPlan to see zoning and overlays by address. Covenants won’t show there.