Building on the Peninsula is different to building in Melbourne. The blocks are bigger and the views are better, but the ground, the weather and the planning rules all ask more of a build. Here is what to work through before you lock in a design.
1. Check your planning overlays
Most Peninsula properties sit under at least one planning overlay in the Mornington Peninsula Planning Scheme. Common ones are the Vegetation Protection Overlay, Significant Landscape Overlay and Environmental Significance Overlay. Some areas also have a Design and Development Overlay that caps building height. Each can trigger its own planning permit before you get to a building permit.
Download a free property report from VicPlan and bring it to your first meeting with your architect or designer. It shapes what you can build, where it can sit on the block, and which trees can come out.
2. Know your ground
Coastal blocks are often sandy, sloping or both. A site survey and soil test early on set the footing design, which is one of the biggest cost variables on a Peninsula build. It is far cheaper to know this before the drawings are finished than to redesign later.
3. Build for the coast
Salt air and strong winds are hard on a house. Choose materials and fixings suited to coastal exposure, from stainless fixings to cladding, finishes and windows rated for the site. Getting this right at design stage costs little; replacing failed materials in five years costs a lot.
4. Check bushfire requirements
Parts of the Peninsula are bushfire prone. A Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) assessment sets the construction standard, and a higher rating can change your glazing, cladding and decking. Have it done early so the design accounts for it.
5. Bring your builder in early
On an architect-designed home, involving the builder during design means you get real costings before the drawings are final. Buildability questions are answered on paper, not on site. Taylor regularly meets clients and their architects at concept stage for exactly this reason.
6. Allow time for approvals
Where overlays stack up, the planning permit can take months. Plan the timeline in three parts: planning permit, building permit, then construction. Starting the approvals early is the simplest way to keep a summer move-in date realistic.
Thinking about building on the Peninsula?
Taylor Built is a Sorrento based builder of custom and architectural homes across the Mornington Peninsula. Call Taylor on 0404 111 954 or tell us about your project.
