7 Questions to ask your potential developer

In the past couple of years, it seems that every man and his dog has decided to cash in on the perceived property boom and call themselves a developer. Most of these fly-by-nights will disappear in a couple of years, with a bank account full of money and some will leave a trail of destruction and heartache for the rest of us to clean up. This always happens with tradesmen and estate agents during every boom cycle; but this is the first time it has happened in the area of land subdivisions. It is the single reason for me writing this article. If I can save even 1 family from the physical damage and financial burden these cowboys leave behind I will be a happy camper.

1) The first thing is to find out if you are speaking with a salesperson or your potential project manager. Has the company sent out a salesperson to work their charm on you; or is the person your future project manager who has come for a first site visit? A salesperson will not be in a position to answer any further questions so tick this company off your list immediately.

2) Ask if the person has worked with your shire before. There are no issues if they have not, but what you are looking for here is their preparedness to be truthful, and to see if they bring up any comparisons, or knowledge they have about your council or town.

3) Ask about anticipated issues for ANY type of subdivision in your particular area. An experienced developer will immediately have the ability to identify at least 2 potential or common problems in developments similar to yours.

4) Ask them to explain worst case and best case scenarios for your particular block. In order to answer this, they will usually need to refer to work done for past clients as an example unless they have recently worked within your shire.

5) Ask if they have any alternative solutions to achieve your aim (whatever that may be) With our vast knowledge and contacts we sometimes are aware of particular buyers looking for particular size or location of land and can work with local shire or council to make it happen.

6) Do you get their direct phone number or do you have to go through the office? This is just an indication of how easy they are to contact and shows their attitude towards their clients/ employers

7) Ask about the process of making changes to the development plan- an experienced and amenable developer will explain each step in the process, where the costs apply and where the line is drawn for the point of no return.

You can slip these questions in as you walk around your property and answer questions which the visitor has. Do not offer up any information unless asked, the questions asked of you are one of the best ways of assessing potential developers. Have they arrived on site with a brief already prepared for you, to show how ‘professional’ they are? Or do they arrive and ask about what your plans are, your dreams, what you want to get out of this work?

Do they use their 1 mouth and 2 ears proportionally? Or are they trying to sell themselves to you.

An understanding of their background is more than helpful as well, you really do need to be working with someone who has great negotiation skills, because working with government employees (who essentially have no understanding of very much at all) involves a massive amount of patience, an ability to explain regulations and interpretations at their level, whilst stroking their egos, is paramount, in order that they will willingly tick the boxes which you need ticked.

Choosing a developer or project manager is a choice which can sometimes be difficult, or quite lengthy. Never be in a rush with this choice, it can take a while to find someone whom you feel ‘gets’ you or who you feel comfortable with. Go with your gut instinct over smooth sales talk and glossy brochures, because your gut is never wrong.Making the right choice in the beginning- or bailing out on a bad decision as early as possible, has the potential to save -or make – you, hundreds of thousands of dollars, protect your mental health and keep your family together.

If you would like a property faesibility assessment call us on - 08 9304 4741

or email us at client@thewomandeveloper.com let us know the best way to contact you and we will organize an informal chat.