How To Find The Best Canal Front Land For Your Build

Slope

The way a property slopes can alter building plans drastically. Slopes either have to be cut, filled, or your building will have to be designed on a general slope. Additionally, slopes can lead to erosion and greater groundwater and ground movement. This means you’ll have to get better foundations to ensure your house doesn't up and slide into the canal.

Most canal-side land will be sloped towards the canal, so it is an issue that many people cannot avoid when building canal-side. The soil on the land is just as important. If you have a steep slope but solid soil, you might get away better than someone with less of a slope but more porous soil. Whether it be the sand content in the soil, clay, or rocks, they can all affect how well your soil sticks together to give you a good foundation.

It's important to get a survey done to ensure that the slope on your chosen prospect of land isn't unreasonably steep.

Sloped Canal Front Land, Specialists in Building Sloped Home, Symcorp.

Size and Shape

While size is usually what the real estate agents talk about, the shape of the property borders is just as crucial. Having an awkward shape that doesn't fit your plans can be a real hassle and mean you cannot build your proposed design without significant alterations. Maybe think twice before buying a block of land that has a unique border line.

Size is the other side of the coin, however, if you have a block in mind that's in a great location but simply too small for your family, then you will be building an immovable object in a place you ultimately don't want it. Code for canal front homes also stipulate the house must be placed a certain distance back from the canal. That's why you see so many canal homes with a pool right in front of the canal; the houses need to be set back to avoid flood surges. This will ultimately mean your proposed block will need to be much bigger than your house. The benefit of buying a block on the bigger side, though, is that you can sell part of your land off once you've established your home.

Floor Plan

Fire Regulations and Risks

Usually more relevant when planning a home on acreage, the Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating can also, in some circumstances, affect waterfront properties. If the property backs onto a bush reserve, there is a likelihood it could be assigned a BAL. While it shouldn't be expected to be above medium (BAL-19) it is still something that will affect how you can design your house and how much it will cost.

BAL-12.5 (Low) is the first and least severe fire rating your canal home could face. While it is the least severe, it still stipulates many alterations. BAL-12.5 buildings must have:

Thicker glass
Fire-resistant frames
All openable windows to be fitted with metal screens
Inclosed subfloor
Fire-retardant decks

BAL-19 (Medium) is probably the highest level you can expect your canal front home to be faced with. Due to the body of water on one side of your property that will act as a firebreak, you cannot expect too serious of a rating. Although if a block of land is deemed medium BAL on one side, it will be restricted to that on all sides of the house. BAL-19 is, of course, stricter than BAL-12.5, but with the escalation, many of the principles stay the same:

Glass must be 1mm thicker than BAL-12.5
Higher performing fire-resistant frames
Metal screens are still mandatory at the same level
Bushfire shutters can be used
Subfloor exposed joists must be made of fire-retardant material
Decks must be made of materials that won't auto-ignite from radiant heat, and they cannot be made of plastics or materials that can melt.

BAL- 29 (High), BAL-40 (Very High), and BAL-FZ (Flame Zone) should not be expected, but could in rare cases be possible. It is always important no matter where the land is to check the Bushfire Attack Level before you buy.

Block Restrictions

Local Governmets, State Goverments, and Home owners association will all affect the freedom that you have with your building. Waterfront homes always have more restrictions on them due to the unpredictability water can have, shifting foundations, flooding homes, washing away jetties & docks etc… waterways have to be navigable aswell, putting restrictions on jetty placement or having a jetty at all.

This can be:

Setback from waterways, although allowable encroachments can help
Pontoon and jetty restrictions, check whether you can even have a jetty
Revetment Walls
Minimum habitable floor levels
Building height
Site Coverage
Street setback
Stormwater management

These can all affect your ability to design your dream home to its very important to understand the restrictions on the land before you buy it. Additionally, there will be developer covenants on many canals, which are restrictions set by the original developer to maintain uniform housing. This can restrict the building materials & colour paletes, roof style & pitch, landscaping requirements, and fence types and heights. Ensure you investigate the original developer if there is one because they can alter possible design freedom.

Property Setback

Future Developments

Luxury waterfront properties will always be in high demand, everyone wants a slice of those water views. Ask neighbours and contact the original developer (if there is one) to see what the current plans are in the area. We can look into it for you and ensure there wont be any projects that will disrupt your property. Future developments are always an uncertainty but before buying a property, so its important you can have your home established before any plans are finalised near you.

Location

While being in a secluded private location is always nice, if its too far away from everything else then it can become an annoyance. Alot of us want to avoid the suburbs but what happens when you need to do anything, having to drive 20 minutes to get groceries will get old very quickly. Its also about other stuff that you might go to. If you have kids this is even more important. The things you should consider probably are:

Groceries shops
Pharmacy
Local Parks
Local Dog Parks
Resturants
Hospitals
Doctors Offices
Education
Beaches
Walking & Cycling Paths
Neighbors

These can all greatly affect your life, the perfect block wont be so perfect if its 30 minutes away from everything. Also consider the roads in the area, do you like them, is there too many roundabouts, stoplights?

Location Important Property

Amenities

Setting up amenities can be a drawn out process, before you buy always check the condition of the water, electrical, sewage, and internet. It is expensive and will take a long time to get all the forms done and have the council, enegex, etc come out to install pipes and wires. It also depends on where the amenities are located on the property as you might have to run them or reroute them to the right position. Always ensure the connection is close by if it isnt on the property because the longer they have tp run it to get to your house, the more you’ll pay.

Environmental issues

Canals, whether they’re man made or natural are home to many species of fish, birds, lizards, etc… get an environmental check before you buy so you know what you can & have to do. Seagrass and other environmental aspects can affect your house, whether it means you need to take special precautions with your jetty, or reinforce your revetment wall.

If you want further professional advice, contact us.

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