Whether you are looking for a home or investment property, here are 6 online maps that help you decide where to buy.
- Google Map / Earth (Anywhere)
Check the:
Neighbourhood
Nearby shopping Centres, café, facilities, amenities
Nearby transportation -train and bus stations.
Nearby government agencies, police station, fire station
Nearby institutions – hospitals, medical centre, schools
In Western Australia
- Intramaps or other Local Government online maps
These maps have a lot of information to unpack. Some of the information in these maps are (depending on what the local government want to publicly share):
a. Property Information / Lot Boundaries
It shows the area, dimensions and zoning of the property.
b. Residential Code (RCode)
Knowing the residential code/zoning of the property gives you an idea on the buildable area of the land. For investors, it is the initial documentation to consult to know if the land is subdividable (must check the council’s planning policy too).
Example, 1000 sqm. of land in R20 zone
This means that the buildable area (area of the house + other structures like a shed) is 50%. Therefore, you can build 500 sqm house (including other structures) on 1000 sqm of land. Click RCode link to find out more:
c. Local Planning Scheme Policy
You found out that the property you want is subdividable by checking the RCode. However, RCode shouldn’t only be the basis, local governments planning policies work conjointly with RCode.
d. Utilities
It shows you the location of the council’s sewer, water, power line. You can find out more in detail the location of these utilities through Dial Before You Dig.
Search for Intramaps of your local government
Sample link: https://imaps.swan.wa.gov.au/intramaps80/
- Dial Before You Dig
As the name goes, always check with them prior to excavation or construction to avoid damaging existing utilities.
Another use for this is to check if there is a sewer line that runs in the property that you are looking to buy. If there is, you can’t build a permanent structure above the sewer line. However, you can build close to the sewer line, but you may need to build piling thus can significantly add to the construction cost.
Dial Before You Dig link: https://www.1100.com.au/
- Ground Water Table
Soft soil is one of the problems if the land is close to the groundwater table. It is more likely that you may need to remediate the foundation (earthworks), have stronger footing and slab, proper stormwater drainage and dewatering. Therefore, this takes a lot of planning, time and added cost.
Link: https://maps.water.wa.gov.au/#/webmap/gwm
- Bushfire Prone Area
If you love to live in Perth hills, please expect that most of the properties here are in Bushfire prone area. It’s fine to buy an existing house with a bushfire prone area layer. However, if you want to build or do additions, it’s more expensive due to material upgrades to comply with the Bushfire Prone Areas Construction requirements. You check the DFES website for bushfire prone area layer on properties.
Link: https://maps.slip.wa.gov.au/landgate/bushfireprone/
- Flight Path
Kids love to see planes but as parents, we want quiet time too. If the sound of the plane is not an option or if you want to build a 3-storey house, avoid buying or building in the flight path locations.
Link: https://www.airservicesaustralia.com/community/environment/aircraft-noise/webtrak/
If I missed on other maps, I would love to know, please leave in the comment section below.
Thank you.