Architect's Guide to Buying a House
A 15 point checklist to help you quickly spot a good property and ignore the unsuitable ones.
Buying a house in Sydney can be challenging for many reasons. This guide is written from an architect's perspective — not a builder's, agent's or solicitor's — and covers the things that genuinely affect a property's long-term value and renovation potential.
The guide is in five basic parts and includes a checklist you can use for each property you assess. It's written for beginners: no jargon, nothing too technical. You may still need advice from other professionals, but this gives you a solid starting framework.
1Initial planning
Settle on your priorities
There is no point rushing in to buy a home and then finding out that you wanted a big backyard or space for two cars. You should also include some dollar value or budget, though purchase price is not a factor discussed in this guide.
As an architect, I often visit a home and find out that what my clients want is not feasible on their site — they bought the wrong property. If you are unsure about a property's renovation potential, ask an architect before you buy.
Some everyday 'must-have' items include the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and car-parking, but should also include more obscure items such as a lap pool, space for a boat or trailer, proximity to the right schools, a granny flat, or views from a future upper-level addition.
List your must-have items (priorities):
2Initial planning
Your long-term goals
Despite what you might think right now, you may want more from your property in the future. It is worth understanding that some homes are more natural and cheaper to renovate and add to than others, while some are just impossible without a complete and costly rebuild.
These days the cost of stamp duty, advertising, agent's fees and legals could make you think twice about buying and selling for short-term use.
Future goals are similar to must-have items, except you can live without them for now.
Possible long-term goals (future planning):
3Initial planning
Preferred suburb / location
To start with, ask yourself a few questions:
- Where do you want to live?
- Close to shops, park or beach?
- Future work or school commutes?
- What locations or streets can you afford?
- Distance from friends and family?
List of preferred suburbs and locations:
4Property research
Where's the sun?
What is the home's orientation? Does it get enough sun? The agent's photos always look bright — so what's the best orientation regardless?
Generally speaking, the best orientation allows you to take full advantage of the sun — sun to living areas and backyard or private space. The best and most controllable sun comes from the North.
Proper orientation will also allow you to cast less shadow on your neighbour's home and protect you more from your neighbours possibly overshadowing you in the future.
"Generally, the best orientation is south to the street, which gives you a north-facing backyard."
You will have to work this out yourself because properties vary in shape and orientation, and many agents will claim every backyard faces North. If you can't get north, then west is the next best orientation for the yard because it offers afternoon sun.
Another reason to have south at the front is privacy. If the north sun comes from the front, opening the blinds to let the sun in may affect your privacy.
5Property research
High side of the street
Almost all sites have some slope, and it is generally much better to slope down to the road.
"Generally, high-side-of-the-street properties are the best."
There are quite a few reasons for this, but the most important one is stormwater runoff. These days many councils have controls that can force you into costly stormwater systems. If you can't drain your roof or surface water to the street quickly, you may need a pump-out pit, pumps, dispersion trenches, and possibly an on-site detention system (OSD).
In some cases, it is almost impossible to get adequate drainage without an easement. Easements can be very expensive and take a long time to arrange.
Beware of battle-axe blocks on the low side of the street that don't have the use of a drainage easement or a water frontage, especially if they are small blocks with clay soil.
If you are unsure about a site's drainage, get specific advice from a stormwater engineer who is familiar with the council's controls.
6Check the contract
Check the planning certificate
Every contract for sale must come with a current Section 10.7 Planning Certificate from the Council (formerly a s.149 certificate) which lists the following information and more:
- Council locality & zoning
- List of applicable codes & legislation
- Complying Development Codes
- Local transport services & on-street parking
- Easements and facilities, i.e. sewer mains
- Heritage or conservation issues, incl. neighbours
- Bushfire danger levels (BAL)
- Geotechnical hazards or flood-prone land
- Acid sulphate soils
- Scenic protection or foreshore protection areas
- Environmentally sensitive areas
- Road widening and re-alignment
- Tree preservation orders
- s94 contributions
- Restrictive covenants
Other issues may come up depending on the property.
"If you have any doubts or concerns after looking through the Section 10.7, ask your architect, the agent, or talk to the duty planner at the local council. You can also contact a planner familiar with the area."
This guide does not give legal advice. For issues to do with forms of title you should seek legal advice or talk with your conveyancer.
7Check the contract
Check the sewer diagram
Sewer diagrams usually come with the contract of sale — if not, ask the agent.
It's important to check this diagram (A4 size plan) as many properties have a sewer main running through them. While it is not usually impossible to build over one, it is undoubtedly more expensive and time-consuming.
This is especially true if the sewer main has an inspection chamber — and sometimes these chambers are underground and not visible on-site at all. It is also worth noting where the sewer line goes as it may need complete replacement during a renovation.
8Check the contract
General Housing Code (Complying Development)
Complying Development is part of the State Environmental Planning Policy (NSW), which aims to simplify the design approval process. If the project meets this code's basic requirements, newly single or two-storey houses and alterations and additions can receive faster approval.
"It's a plus if the property can achieve approval under this code — because it gives you a quicker and less expensive alternative to the whole council DA process."
Check the s.10.7 certificate for information about complying development and approval under each of the 'Exempt and Complying Development Codes 2008', and specifically the General Housing Code.
Note: s.149 certificates issued before 25 February 2011 are not current concerning complying development.
9Open for inspection
Good access
This is such an essential item and one that every builder understands — it is the first thing they look for.
It's not just access to the house or garage, but also to the driveway, entry and exit from the street, a space to park, space for turning, space for visitors, deliveries, and heavy vehicles like moving vans, fire engines and cranes.
A driveway that requires a 4WD to use, or a busy road that you have to back your car onto blind, may be impossible to rectify.
10Open for inspection
Potential
Properties are often bought and sold on potential, but what is potential really? In our opinion, it can be something positive or negative. You might buy for the positive and sell for the negative.
On the positive side, you might enjoy spectacular views from a new upper level, or fulfil the opportunity to transform an old house from a dark cellular cottage into a bright flowing period mansion.
Some other positive potentials:
- Subdivision
- Dual occupancy / strata
- Granny flat
- Additions, extensions, garages, pools
- Water, district or bush views
- Renovation potential, i.e. classic old home
- Large block, relatively underdeveloped
On the negative side, there may be the possibility of losing views, sun or privacy because of neighbouring development.
Some other negative potentials:
- Demolition of unapproved building work
- Tree problems that keep recurring
- Possible flooding, bushfire risk, landslip
11Open for inspection
Sloping land
I'm not against sloping land — some sites are fantastic because of the slope. However, on the whole, they have the potential for lots of problems and regularly cost a lot more to build or renovate on than flat sites.
A site with a significant slope can have serious problems now and in the future: land slippage (geotechnical issues), surface and site water drainage, difficulties with access or increased bushfire risk.
Sloping sites are generally a lot more expensive to build on because of extra design complexity, different levels, high cost of retaining walls, difficult foundations and substantial drainage systems.
Many sloping sites also don't have access to the project home market, and project homes are the most cost-effective homes to build. The cost of building a one-off custom home is often twice the cost of a similarly sized project home.
If you are considering a sloping site, make sure it is giving you back something worth the extra cost.
12About the house
How's the architecture?
This item is a mixture of many things, but you should first ask yourself how well the house is laid out. Some homes suffer from being designed 'back to front'.
What are the bones of the house like — will it be cheap to renovate and improve or will almost everything have to be changed or replaced?
Many homes are of a particular style, from an era, have a history or heritage value. It's hard to weigh up the value of street appeal, charm, character and architectural features versus today's modern lifestyle, future maintenance and energy costs.
"Try asking yourself if it's a house you could fall in love with."
13About the house
Pest and building inspection
These reports are essential, but often their value is limited by what the inspector can get access to during their visit. Ideally, they should assist you with the following:
- Is the house healthy to live in now?
- Is the electrical wiring in a safe condition?
- Could there be rising damp or toxic mould?
- Are there condensation problems?
- Are there structural or foundation problems?
- How much repair or maintenance work needs to be done right now?
- Does it show evidence of termites, and are there current termite treatments in place?
"Pest and building inspection reports are important, but understand that they are often full of standard warnings and pessimistic disclaimers — best to focus on the specific and identified issues."
14About the house
Asbestos
More than 60% of homes in Australia will contain some form of asbestos. Any home built before 1990 could contain asbestos products — talk to your building inspector or get a specific asbestos assessment report done.
If you are planning on doing some of your renovation work, be sure that you are not breaking, cutting, sanding, screwing or grinding any asbestos-containing building materials, as it can be very harmful.
15About the house
Architect's approval
That's right — before you buy, talk to an architect. When you have been through all the parts, get an architect involved and go over it again. You may have missed something.
"We can even give you some more specific advice on possible renovation costs."
This 'Pre-Purchase Advice' is generally cheaper than the cost of a pest or building report, and just as essential.
Property Checklist
Download our Property Checklist to help you work through all 15 points at each property you inspect.
Or book a pre-purchase consultation and we'll walk through the property with you in person — assessing all of these points and giving you a clear picture of what's achievable before you commit.
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