https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuMGKFhST94

Spending hours on sites that experienced property developers reject in seconds? This episode will change how you approach site acquisition.

Peter Kelly sits down with Gav from the site acquisition team. Gav reviews hundreds of development sites in Melbourne every week. Together they reveal how to spot subdivision opportunities fast. And how to kill bad deals even faster.

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The Trap Most New Developers Fall Into

Emotional attachment kills deals. You find a flat 800m² block. It looks north-facing. You start imagining the finished product. But experienced developers know the first thing developers look for is not the dream outcome, it is the hidden constraint that could kill the deal.

Solar panels on a neighbouring single-storey home. Native trees on the nature strip. A power pole blocking your crossover. These are deal-killers. Not minor issues.

Spot them early. Move on fast. That’s what separates efficient developers from those who waste weeks on the wrong site.

Free Tools That Speed Up Your Assessment

You don’t need expensive software to screen sites, but you do need a clear property development site analysis process. Gav uses Google Maps, real estate portals, and Land Checker to identify development site red flags from his desk.

Gav also shares a clever Street View trick. He spotted a parked Porsche Cayenne on Street View. He knew the car’s length. That let him estimate the tree-to-boundary clearance instantly. Real-world thinking that saves real time.

Know Your Council Before You Commit

Every council operates differently. Some councils fiercely protect native trees. Others enforce strict rules on solar access and shadowing. That is why smart development site acquisition starts with understanding the municipality before you fall in love with the block.

A great-looking site can still be a dead duck in the wrong municipality.

How to Train Your Eye Over Time

Pick a specific suburb or council area. Learn the block sizes, planning overlays, and price points in that pocket. Then screen three to twenty sites daily using the due diligence checklist from this episode.

Every site makes you faster. Every roadblock teaches you something new.