CDC Duplex Hacks with Maria Laverde from Duplex Building Design

[00:00:00] As investors and developers, we see the world differently. This podcast uncovers the untold truths of what it really takes to become a multi-million dollar residential developer. On Nathan Battishall, let's get to work. Well, welcome to the Residential Developer Podcast. My name is Nathan Battishall. I'm

[00:00:24] the host. And this is our very first episode. And it's very fitting that I introduce you today. My partner in crime, someone who's been working alongside me for quite a while now. She's an incredible designer. There's amazing insights. So I want to introduce to you today,

[00:00:41] Maria Laverde. Welcome to the podcast, Maria. Thank you for having me. It's good to have you here. Well, you know, obviously our audience is developers, investors. You and I talk to them day in, day out. So I thought today what we could talk about is

[00:00:57] a little bit about CDC duplexes, just some hacks. Everything CDC duplex. I know it comes natural to you for those who don't know Maria's design. Upwards of 300, I'd say, duplexes, CDC. Yeah.

[00:01:13] In the last three or four years since the low-rise code came out. So do you want to tell us, just give us a little bit of background about yourself? Obviously, you came over from

[00:01:23] Columbia, recently went back and spent some time back in Columbia. Do you want to just tell us a little bit about yourself, about your background, where you grew up? What led you into design and specifically becoming a real specialist around duplexes and working with investors

[00:01:40] and developers on development-based projects? Right. Well, I am originally from Columbia. And I studied my bachelor's degree in engineering there. I decided to move to Australia in 2013 to learn English. And I never came back. I decided to stay in Australia, studying building design.

[00:02:09] So with the idea, I could go back to Columbia and work, but I never did. So I started working as a building designer in Australia. And after visiting some of the designs that I have

[00:02:22] already done built, I decided to also study interior design. So I'm a civil engineer, building designer, interior designer, color consultant. And I am a live-of-all assessor as well. So a little bit of... Pretty much a specialist in everything and anything

[00:02:42] design. Hopefully, yeah. Which is the aim that we have in the company. Yeah, that is the aim. And my focus is duplexes. I love them. And that is probably the main reason why I work at Duplex Building Design. Yeah, excellent. Excellent. And in terms of obviously design,

[00:03:05] you have always had a passion in design, like what actually made you want to go into design? Obviously going from engineering to building design. Yes, they're similar in some ways, but quite different. Obviously design is very creative. And I know you're super creative too.

[00:03:20] So I guess why building design? Why not graphic design? Why not another design base? I love the aesthetics of houses. I love the feeling of being in a beautiful, well-designed

[00:03:36] house. I am the person that goes in the car looking around houses and thinking, what would I have done better? Or if that would be my house? What would I change to make it stand out? So I always knew

[00:03:49] that it was about architecture, but in general, I like design. I like arts. I like handcrafts. So I wanted something that I could have physically in front of me and that would last. So that was probably what I picked design and architecture. And my favorite part is residential,

[00:04:12] over commercial, personal preference. And I like the low to medium duplexes is the perfect example of it. And look, obviously you've been lucky enough to be in the industry when the low rise diversity code came out. Obviously that's such an

[00:04:34] incredible space now, which we're obviously going to unpack today around doing duplexes under the low rise code. You were obviously already in the industry when it was introduced three or four years ago. What are some of the things that you've seen as a result? What are some

[00:04:53] advantages you've seen for developers and investors since that low rise code has come in? Have you seen that there's been an improvement in that space of duplexes or have you seen that

[00:05:04] it's actually gone backwards now that we can do these type of developments under this low rise code? Yeah, well, I was lucky enough to be already working in the industry when the CDC low rise

[00:05:18] diversity code came out. And even more, because before it came out, there were some competitions to make part of the actual CDC writing code. So I was involved in that as well.

[00:05:33] So pretty much I knew the code before it came out by heart, which was a big advantage on our side. But I also think that it hit the time where the code came out and the boom in the

[00:05:50] industry in the construction also ramp up. Yeah. So I think that it is a huge benefit for developers and for first time owners this code because it is so fast track that you don't have to be paying

[00:06:07] holding blocks for sometimes six months, eight months a year that might take a DA to be approved while if you are doing CDC, you just do it faster. And it is black or white, there is no gray.

[00:06:23] So you know that you get in and you get out as quick as you can, you build it properly and you are out of it or you are already living on it. So it's a huge benefit benefits

[00:06:32] for investors and for people that is not as familiar with the construction. And by saying that it means it's faster moving the construction within the industry in New South Wales. So definitely

[00:06:49] it's a huge improvement. Yes. Yeah. And I guess leading up to that low rise code coming out, as you said, you were doing all of your duplexes via DA. Were you starting to find some frustration

[00:07:03] both yourself as a designer and within the company duplex building design? But were you seeing a frustration in investors and developers too where because of the stress around delays like some DAs like what are we talking six, seven months even 12 months some DAs for duplexes in a

[00:07:23] contentious area where there's objections? I wish I can say soon you were. I still say I am because some of the duplexes unfortunately we still have to go to DA. So definitely I experience frustration myself, the clients as well, because there is a lot of subjective

[00:07:49] approaches when you do DA. As I said in CDC, you have a comply or you don't. So there is no much personal interpretation about the codes and the regulations. And I'm not saying that

[00:08:07] it's always bad to go to DA. There are a lot of benefits okay. But if the aim is to be an investor if the aim is to sometimes be upfront to time cost best approach to the site definitely

[00:08:23] I would say that CDC is the way of going. Yeah and I guess with the interest rates now obviously most investors and developers are paying higher interest and some are even having to get private money which obviously involves even higher interest rates at times probably never

[00:08:39] been more critical than it is I guess in the climate we're in now where every month every month it adds up like even one of my own developments at the moment we're paying 20k a

[00:08:50] month in interest and you know that's all just coming even though we're not paying it now we're paying it at the end of the project but look it all comes off at the end profit. So

[00:09:00] like that six months in council it can add up. You can chew right into your margin and then some projects it nearly becomes pointless doing the development doesn't it. Yeah so

[00:09:12] I believe that the fact of having this way of approval it is what New South Wales needs in relation to the housing crisis because it doesn't mean they are not well designed or that

[00:09:29] there is probably even better designs because you have the time to spend and the money but in relation to the approval it means you can't get an approval in what two months three months

[00:09:46] if you if you get onto all the consultants on time. So we are talking about a CDC meaning from beginning to ready for construction in three months or less as opposed to a DA. Nine months

[00:10:03] to nine months or twelve months for DA and you have to add to that a CDC so definitely is a benefit. Yeah so it's obviously a huge advantage in the industry and the fact you've done so many

[00:10:14] obviously you've got some you've developed a lot of tricks and hacks so we're going to pull out some things we're going to try and get some of Maria's brain some of your brain today

[00:10:22] and we're just going to try and lay it out because obviously the whole point of what we're trying to do here is to educate help just give value to investors and developers who are looking

[00:10:32] at the potential of doing a duplex and even at some stage we'll get you back on and we'll talk about other developments too like detached dual occupancies keeping your house doing a new one there's just so many odd things we can do isn't there triplex's fourplexes

[00:10:45] yeah they're called in terraces obviously don't they but so I think that's just another episode in itself terraces nice ones yeah excellent and I guess it'd be good just to get a bit of an

[00:10:56] idea even just around the design process because I think obviously you'd know this back the front because you're doing it day in day out the design process but like I know I know even myself that

[00:11:10] a good smooth design process can take a lot of stress away from the project but it can also deal with a lot of complexity I'm sure you've had it before where clients haven't been able to get the

[00:11:21] ideas out of their head so I think it's even good for investors and developers to understand how to bring a suitable brief or how to be clear on what you're wanting to achieve because at

[00:11:33] the end of the day like we spoke about time such a valuable thing but also avoiding the backward and forward even if it's a high end like obviously you do high end you do mid spec

[00:11:43] you do all different diversities of projects depending on the area that it's in because it's all about obviously the client making good money and a great product but I guess it'd be good

[00:11:53] just to get some ideas out of your head just how you found because I find that you're incredible at hitting a brief and that's an important thing as a designer and I think it's an

[00:12:04] important thing as a developer and an investor to have I guess have a designer that just have a designer that just understands the process so it'd be good just even if you even if you can

[00:12:17] just run us through what you find projects that have worked really smoothly and really well what are some of the key things you found in that design process that have been fundamental I think that one of the major and most important things even before

[00:12:35] we start the project or I start the project is that I know developers most of the times are busy but I need or at least before I build a relationship with them knowing what they are after

[00:12:47] it is important for them to actually sit a little bit and write a brief because sometimes they are thinking that you get what they have in their mind so at least give me

[00:13:00] something give me I want a mid-spec I want a high spec and what that defines for them the way of construction and things like that after a few projects you probably already know

[00:13:13] the developer that much that you don't even call them you're already on to the design and they just say yep yep yep but before I think a good brief not a huge but at least a conversation

[00:13:25] about what they are after yeah in order for me to hit a brief is I want the best for the site always but sometimes I need to think this is for the benefit of the developer

[00:13:41] but also sometimes for the home owners so exactly so it means as a designers sometimes we think oh but that is not correct so we do what do we want kind of thing so I try to compromise in what

[00:14:00] I believe is the best while giving what they want hearing what they want and making it compliant if it comes down to the point where I totally disagree with their request then I try to

[00:14:16] take them out in the sense of showing them how it looks what they want and showing them my version of what they want with an improved area even if they decide to go for what they want

[00:14:29] well is is their investment correct is their choice but most of the times they they go with my option yeah so that is mostly to be able to be clear at the brief and the other key element

[00:14:43] is that when they receive a concept take a little bit of time to analyze what they have received because sometimes they are again busy they approve it and then you go to a head when they realize

[00:14:57] that there is something that they actually didn't want it haven't digested it exactly or they just gave you the feedback way too quick to keep moving and and they just didn't think about their

[00:15:11] request yeah so that that is probably the best advice I can give to to give a good brief to spend a little bit of time on what is the change that they want and and be clear with them because

[00:15:28] many times they they request the changes but as a designer you keep making them and sometimes you cannot hit what they want because they haven't really been able to be clear with what they want

[00:15:41] because they didn't want to sketch it up or give you a call or things like that and that can be tricky kind of just to jump in I think I think you've nailed something there in terms of that

[00:15:52] because you've got isn't it interesting every client in our case in this case you're talking about investors and developers you're dealing with different personalities aren't you because some are very dominant so they're just like this this this and this but then you get others who

[00:16:10] they can micro manage yeah hard of lines which you know even if you are a developer and investor listening to this podcast like one of the things that I think can hinder your progress as a

[00:16:24] developer can be where you're micro managed and what that can do then you tend not to get the best out of your team like whether it be designer engineer builder because people get too constricted

[00:16:36] but you spoke about something I didn't I hadn't thought of that and I just think that's a really amazing point that a developer an investor could have an idea of what they've got in mind for

[00:16:49] their duplex but all of a sudden as a designer because you've seen it day in day out you've designed hundreds of these things and you've probably also heard feedback from agents and

[00:16:58] from clients where something didn't work and you can see that an investor wants to do a particular element of the designer you know that the end buyer is going to detest that so and that's where I think

[00:17:11] it can be so critical kind of like to have a designer who actually has the courage to speak up not not so much for their own ego to get their design idea across but because deep down you

[00:17:21] want that product to be amazing for the client but you want the end user the person who buys that product just to say how amazing is this jeep like this just feels it flows it yeah like you

[00:17:34] want to just speak into that because I think I think everybody I think everybody that works with us is extremely proud of their designs for me and the team that I work with they are

[00:17:46] our babies so I definitely always want them to be as best as they can we also not draft theirs it's all right to be drafted but we we want to do a design so if the builder or

[00:18:03] the developer comes to us with this is exactly what we want and sketch it well that is all right but we can't give you our input as a designers to make it better yeah so that is when it doesn't

[00:18:19] mean in a rude way to say we can improve the layout that you gave us and let me prove you let me show you so that is when the developer and his it needs to be a bit more mind open minded

[00:18:37] in the sense of being able to receive that feedback doesn't mean they have to approve it but they might run it through their real estate and then they were here yes they're most likely to be right

[00:18:52] because we work with this all the time yeah another developer might do 10 a year yeah we do 300 so it's a it's a big difference yeah and in terms of the design side of it I think the tricky thing can

[00:19:07] be then if because you've seen so much of this in terms of a good layout a good design the obviously the developers obviously looking at their way of seeing things but like a poor design can actually

[00:19:20] then mean it could take two three four five months to sell the product if there was some really you know big design flaws in in the design like if you say what are your thoughts around that

[00:19:32] because I think I think my thought about around the design itself is that if somebody takes a fourth plan or a facade and thinks that it's extremely easy to do that anybody could

[00:19:48] do it it means you are a good designer yeah okay because it's not that easy right it's a lot of thought into how things can flow so as the good good good designers mean it looks like

[00:20:05] a three-year-old can do it yeah yeah and if you hit that that's you have reached the top at design yeah because it is about harmony it's about you being able to know where things should

[00:20:22] go without thinking that they should go there yeah and that is to the other side of the brain so when you when you can develop a layout which under Maria's perspective is the most important

[00:20:37] part of the design the layout then we can work around the architectural style how the house looks like and the colors and all of these other things that are also important but as long as there

[00:20:53] is a good feel of the house somebody will buy it straight away but even better if there are small touches or it's a good design it is pretty it is well built it has it does have

[00:21:10] good quality people not just buy it they would pay extra to have it yeah yeah so that is when it is important to pick a good designer because we just don't want the person to sell them we

[00:21:25] want them to sell them fast and get top dollar yeah and you touched on flow there and it's interesting isn't it because a lot more people the end buy now are looking at how a house flows

[00:21:37] in this case how a jeep likes flows do you want to talk a little bit about that just in terms of flow like what are you looking for when you talk about flow and and look not not that an investor or

[00:21:49] developer needs to fully embed themselves engage themselves but I think it is important for them to understand that what a good designer is is thinking about when it is flow because it's I'm sure it can be frustrating for you sometimes you could create this incredibly well

[00:22:04] design floor plan like you said a good design looks simple because you've thought through all those sort of things but sometimes a developer can look at it and just say oh that that was easy

[00:22:17] but you may a good designer what like you said will make it easy but what are some things you're thinking about obviously every design is different but just just to get some things out

[00:22:27] of your head what what are some things that in terms of flow like you you might even talk about certain parts of a typical four bedroom for example duplex what are some things you're

[00:22:38] thinking of in your head and your designer brain yeah I think um a lot of our furnishing where things will go or where potentially can go um and because of my background I also like to

[00:22:53] change the layouts so I my preference is not to think that the sofa or the head of the bed head must always go on that wall so I like to at least have two options in my head so I like to think about

[00:23:07] it I have a preference of obviously not having to open the part of the room into your dining table uh I like the idea of as bigger the house gets and as the budget allows us to have

[00:23:22] most likely two living areas where we can have a bit of parents retreat teenagers retreat office things like that but hopefully we can always give something of the feel of luxury doesn't matter at which budget allocation I love the idea of making it feel

[00:23:47] grant light uh some features simple features that make you feel like this is not just what I could afford right this is oh yeah this is my house because this is what I could pay no this is my house

[00:24:03] and I absolutely love what the designer did doesn't matter which budget it is no always has to be the expensive high end where you can give a little bit of granted feeling so as big as

[00:24:18] spaces for certain areas an island most of the times and an open living which is what we do 99 percent of the time yeah unless sometimes we request um another backgrounds uh cultural background yeah cultural backgrounds they request sometimes something different yep but in the

[00:24:39] general terms we try to give as much light as much um seeing through uh an open spaces yeah that's mostly that's good and I guess we've got a record number of I guess you'd say my parents

[00:24:54] our parents generation now that are getting close to retirement like the baby boomer generation so I've seen this and I don't know if you have but there's more and more people now looking at the

[00:25:04] option of a duplex with like a like a master bedroom slash guest bedroom with an ensuite downstairs so you can have like you know as you're getting older so you don't have to walk

[00:25:14] upstairs but you can have the upstairs section for either for the grandkids and the kids when they come to visit or even now we're seeing so many um you know older older kids having to

[00:25:26] stay living living with parents or moving in with their parents for a uh a while to save for a mortgage like are you seeing that now there's a real trend of people wanting a bedroom downstairs

[00:25:36] where possible yes totally yes uh multi-purpose bedroom downstairs or master sometimes there is one thing under the cdc which is the topic um which we see not that often but we have seen

[00:25:51] it and is that the duplex don't have to be identical yeah right sometimes they can be semi-detached attached or fully detached and the fact that they don't have to be identical means that if you own

[00:26:04] a block where you can have one side two story and you can have the other half or the other dwelling single story so that would be a really good way of um downsizing also the layouts

[00:26:21] don't have to be the same so you can have half of the house for an investment for a young family or for an standard duplex well half of the other like the other half uh it is accessible

[00:26:35] livable all of these um future proof dwellings so currently i'm working in malua bay in a duplex where half of it is for a couple where the lady is in a wheelchair so it's great because

[00:26:49] half of the duplex is fully accessible while the other one is standard so one of them is a bit big because it's for them and the other one is smaller so it is it is really good but in future

[00:27:03] proofing uh grandparents yes we can have masters at the ground floor we can have a guest bedroom downstairs meaning that if the day comes where you prefer to be at the lower level you

[00:27:17] can still have a master in the first floor or we can allow for half a lift or or just use it um for storage or walking linen at the moment but no way in that hey my

[00:27:32] designer did it so if there is a day that i need a lift i have already my lift core available so pretty much you just need to bring the lift in and it would be accessible so it is like those

[00:27:46] sort of things that if you think that will help you in the future we can plan and design for it that's so good and i guess um in terms of even even understanding the development strategy is

[00:28:01] important isn't it too because if they're looking to they might be wanting to sell one side straight away and maybe hold the other side for a long-term rental and i think you touched

[00:28:10] on to something really great there you don't have to design each one exactly the same so for example if you're wanting to sell one straight away well you might have to have some features in

[00:28:22] that to be able to sell it and make maximum profit whereas the one you're holding long term as a rental you may you may not need certain features because you know you could have certain features in

[00:28:32] that are maybe not as up-spect but if you're holding it for a long-term rental like who's going to know what the difference in certain tiles or certain finishes that rental like you're

[00:28:43] going to get very similar rent potentially anyway so do you come across across sort of clients that might want to live in one side for a little bit then sell it or live in one side and then sell

[00:28:54] the other where you've had to do it slightly different yes to the point of that match is slightly different and that sometimes we have designed the touch dwelling that are totally

[00:29:04] different one is white and the other one is black yeah so they definitely don't need to be the same and sometimes if they might want to sell and rent the other or they might want to live in one

[00:29:16] and sell the other yes so it is actually sometimes the opposite where they have used a much higher specs where they want to live in and then they sell the other with not not low but just meet

[00:29:28] specs yes so we we do that um and it is also sometimes clients are going to to sell them both straight away or they we have had some cases lately where they sell them off plans

[00:29:44] so that means they are allowed for the new owners to have their input in the finishes and things like that so there's a lot of flexibility around in that sense uh where where we're not

[00:30:00] attached to it must be used or it must be selected finishes or looks you might want one to look modern and the other one to look um Hamptons for example that is mostly when they are detached

[00:30:14] yeah when they are attached um they don't have to be identical but obviously we wanted to be a cohesive design so we don't want to be attached yeah and two different architectural styles yeah

[00:30:29] so essentially if you're if you're looking to say sell sell one you may there may be some things the agent wants you to do internally yeah some extra finishes you could do on that side

[00:30:40] but if you want to hold this one for quite a while some of those finishes the agent may say look um you're not going to get any extra rent by spending that extra money on the extra 20

[00:30:50] mil bench type or the yeah you know going ridiculous on on your stone on your tiles on some of your finishes because it's just going to get wear and tear um and if you're holding it for 10

[00:31:01] 20 years well you know that that extra 50k could be better in your pocket than on a build that's not going to net any extra rent yeah so so so that's possible like yeah 100 yeah that's great

[00:31:13] so yeah there's one of the possibilities yeah so i guess so an important thing is very much like you said in that initial brief um it's so important isn't it for the developer to know

[00:31:26] what their plan is to have that strategy in mind it is important yes to the developer to communicate as well to let them guide them in certain areas especially because the market is moving very fast so what he was demanded before covid or just right after covid

[00:31:48] what is demanded now uh it is different yeah the the trends are changing the the architectural trends are changing very fast so what certain people wanted five years ago is different to what they

[00:32:05] are looking for now yeah so if if a developer is so narrow minded in the sense of this is what i want and this is because it worked five years ago and he's been working in the last five years is like

[00:32:21] okay but if we want to keep growing or keep pushing ahead we need to also go with the with the flow of the market at the moment yeah and it is moving so quick it is yeah it's just some sometimes

[00:32:35] it's not even every year it's every couple of months yeah well yeah it is it is ridiculous how fast the the trend the demands the approval process everything is changing really fast and look what

[00:32:52] obviously i want to talk a little bit about just some of the things compliance side of things we won't don't have to go too into depth but i guess often we can get come across sites where

[00:33:05] someone's gone on board a side of an agent that's got issues and constraints where you can't do cdc but do you think it's important for a design firm a design company planners designers to be

[00:33:19] involved before the before a developer goes and buys the site like do you do you find that there are issues where developers are buying often buying sites without really like getting getting someone to look in depth into the constraints and and whether a cdc can be done

[00:33:35] some developers yes especially when they are new into the business and some people that is trying to have development as a side business they usually trust the real estate nothing wrong they're trying to sell but they they don't have that full knowledge of what are the full requirements

[00:34:01] so it does come more often that you might think that some land owners come and say well i want a duplex or i want a townhouse development like well i'm really sorry but your block is not suitable

[00:34:14] for that or in that particular council is not suitable so it is important to hear the feedback from people who works in that field especially because currently the requirements might change

[00:34:30] from council to council so what my work in Sydney might not work in day Laura so it is it you need to be aware of that um that is important to receive the feedback prior to

[00:34:43] buying i think and be able to know well if i cannot fit a duplex what is it still worth to have the land or if you want townhouses is it still feasible if i have four happy if i have five

[00:35:01] but it's still feasible so that is the sort of thing that it is really important to hear from experts on yes we are going to be able to fit this but also then other parts of before buying the land

[00:35:14] are very important like covenants easements solar orientation sewers all of these things are really important but um as well as the the lot size deal with yeah all of them maybe we could talk about

[00:35:29] it a few just a few of these things and obviously like you said it's important part of it being a good developer is having your dream team and we're going to talk a lot about developing your

[00:35:39] dream team over the life of this podcast because for me having a great team of consultants of professionals around you will take the stress away from a project will make your life easier

[00:35:50] will ensure that you don't buy bad sites um and so look it'd be just just for someone who's at least looking for sites to bring a planner or bring a designer like what let's talk about just some

[00:36:05] of the i guess some of the constraints like what are we talking like what size what size blocks do it do we need to look for obviously every council is different but what about that well it depends

[00:36:14] if the actual council defines a minimum lot size um so if it does define it then it refers to what the council minimum lot site is but if the council doesn't have a minimum lot size for

[00:36:27] a dual lock then it's 450 but um then it also comes down to the width of the block it is important to know that for example the block might be uh an irregular shape so the fact that you look at a block

[00:36:43] and that the the boundary at the front says 14 meters and it it is plays out at the back is when you look at the block you say okay it's not cdc but that is not the case the

[00:36:55] 15 meters is required at the building line so where the actual building is set back so as long as it is where you are setting it back it does comply so it's all of these tricks and things that you need

[00:37:06] to hear and it needs to be analyzed by the expert so this is what we're talking that is plays out what happened if he's this place in what happened if the the block says at the boundary 15 meters

[00:37:19] but i know the point at the back is 15 minutes so we don't comply do it yeah that's interesting isn't it because a lot of people they do think that they see on the real estate normally the real

[00:37:28] estate will tell you the blocks 14 meters wide so straight away they throw that side away but like he said if it's plays out and so in terms of the building line you just hit something really good

[00:37:38] there because i think a lot of investors and developers probably don't know this they probably think it is 15 at the boundary but so how is the building line determined okay so is it

[00:37:50] four and a half or is it six or like councils have different setbacks how's the front setback determined under the cdc well that is if depends if it is a new land subdivision so if it is a new

[00:38:02] land it is based on the lot size yes so it sometimes might be four and a half for the actual building for an standard 15 meter block for 150 square four and a half meters at the

[00:38:17] building line and the garage must be one meter setback so five and a half that is if you don't have neighbors or if the neighbors are getting built yeah but a lot for an infill so for an infill

[00:38:29] a lot of infill how do we determine that that is that that is um that is for for for new lots is is a code that is a black or white this is your four and a half if you have a this this

[00:38:45] blocks between this area but if you have neighbors then we need the average setback of the two immediate neighbors to a habitable yes very important to a habitable not to the garage not to the car

[00:39:00] board not to the porch not to the balcony to the habitable yes so what is habitable a living a bedroom yeah things like that so the average of those two is your required front setback

[00:39:12] which it would be your building line and i'm guessing i'm guessing you've seen it happen where someone's bought a block where it makes a lot of the constraints but the two neighbors might be

[00:39:22] let's say 10 meters or 15 meters back so that can obviously that can really break it a CDC count it it is yeah it is the downside of the of the uh CDC because um in council through the a for

[00:39:36] example you you are required what six meters most of the times for the front setback regardless of what your neighbors are doing yes unfortunately with CDC they're trying unfortunately for the set for the requirement but understandable for the um heritage like the the cohesive neighborhood

[00:39:55] you need the average of your neighbor so it comes down then to what we were talking before about a good assessment of your site because it might meet everything the inside but if your

[00:40:08] neighbors are 10 meters you also need 10 meters yes so and we cannot do anything about it yeah unless you buy the neighbors and knock them down yeah that's it so check your neighbors check your

[00:40:19] neighbors yeah check your neighbors yeah but also important to know um sometimes they then you need to know the neighbors um where are they facing yes because there are times but well sometimes

[00:40:33] the the blocks go side to side or your neighbor goes side to side even you don't so you might look at the neighbor and the neighbor actually has the entry their garages and everything facing

[00:40:46] the opposite street so that means that you don't that neighbor is uh while you are looking at your front setback that is your rear neighbor setback so that is not applicable so if so if the so if this

[00:41:00] neighbor on the left has a laneway behind it and that house next door is actually facing the laneway what you're saying is that one then would not count no no because that is the rear

[00:41:10] setback so you could go the next one over if it's within 40 meters if it is within 40 meters you are required to go to the next one otherwise you might have just to match the one on your

[00:41:20] right yeah yeah so i think that that feedback alone is a good reason why it's so important to be have someone doing these checks yeah um i don't know if i believe they are a few real estate agents

[00:41:33] and some town planners are there uh covering all of these requirements but i believe that if you can have your dream team where you have a good real estate agent passing it through your designer

[00:41:46] to make sure yeah all of these requirements are met before you purchase your land that is that is the way of doing it you're right aren't you because even even yourself like i'm sure you're relying on other consultants whether it be stormwater engineers arborists like there's probably

[00:42:04] a range of different people you need to be talking with even to look at the constraints with with all your experience even looking at a site for a developer or an investor i'm sure you're relying on a whole range of different team yeah before the clients even purchase

[00:42:19] that site just to just to ensure that stormwater works it works from a bushfire perspective they are there are certain consultants that i don't like to even begin this the design before hearing

[00:42:31] their feedback um and yes some of them are definitely arborist to know what can we do with the trees on site if we can propose to knock them down or if we need to design around them

[00:42:46] another requirement is the bushfire important because if you are more than ball 29 you cannot even have a dual occupancy so um and also because if if by providing one more meter

[00:43:01] two more meters in your design your bow for the house changes to a lower and you're saving that amount of money you better do it yeah right so that is the sort of things that are important to find

[00:43:14] out before you actually get to into the design and then you have to then start building and building more to make changes or adapt the design to the constraints for the feedback from the

[00:43:27] consultants that's so good and i i reckon i reckon we've got another episode alone don't we just talking about constraints so i know so we might park that one but i really want to talk about a case study or

[00:43:42] even just tell us about a project you're proud of or a project that you had really good success with the client we then maybe just talk about a few key elements that i guess might help people

[00:43:52] that are wanting to do a development or do a duplex just a case study i guess is there a project that they are they are different they are different projects with different outcomes that make me proud

[00:44:05] so depends of what you want to look from which perspective i feel proud of jobs where people have brought their sights and said all right i have won a duplex here and we have

[00:44:18] been able to tell them all right well if this is an investment we're not going to knock this house we're going to have the duplex the other house next to it and we are having suddenly

[00:44:30] an extra house yeah with keeping the existing house so it is a huge profit for the developer we have done that in several places some of them attached dwellings to the existing where

[00:44:43] it was an standing home so it is it is a personal win sometimes they might not be the most the full new brand new two duplexes design that you think but they are still very good and we can make a design of the new dwelling

[00:45:05] a be cohesive with existing dwelling and don't look like a totally different house so that is one of the things i know is profit just jumping into that yeah like being able to

[00:45:16] the rare time where you can do that sometimes being able to keep a dwelling huge for profit it is a huge profit yeah yeah which is investors yeah not having to knock down a house to then

[00:45:25] build it again so sometimes and we're i've seen this sometimes you can even get land virtually the land for the second dwelling then for free potentially for free yeah so that is one of the win things in relation to investment yes personally i have been experiencing now extra

[00:45:47] features especially at meet to high end where we can have dual purpose or for example have pools in places where before it was a bit tricky or one of the also big wins is ucdc in locations

[00:46:04] where the the people who lives around in the neighborhood are so hesitant to you developing yes and then cdc as long as you comply well i'm sorry so it is being amazing to hear sometimes

[00:46:19] clients coming and saying oh well they just have objected that much that i have had refusals from council yeah and be able to have a beautiful well done and well designed and not affecting

[00:46:33] the neighbors without having to hear that much complaints is amazing so those are also personal wins and obviously my my wins are to see a pretty well designed house and built that is yeah that's

[00:46:53] the dream is a visitor's owner yeah be able to walk through a finished project yeah getting an approval is a big win big win especially ring the bell ring the bell yeah that is that is the achievement

[00:47:08] the maximum achievement to get it approved but even better when the client walks out happy when or when they hit a good price at selling them when i have had a few projects that when

[00:47:26] they sell they are record sales yeah that's a pretty big win that's a big win that's a big win and especially when i have here your feedback and now they're getting much more money in their

[00:47:38] pockets that they thought yeah that's a massive win yeah so yeah i'm very proud to what i for what i do that's great well it's been so good to have you on maria i'm sure this would be the

[00:47:48] first of many chats we're going to be having i'm sure we will about everything design everything development but look just for just for listeners wanting who've enjoyed listening to you and

[00:48:01] wanting to work with you do you want to i i guess just give us a little bit of information how people can contact you where they can find you um and just i guess a little bit of a little bit more

[00:48:11] around um what you what you know you you and the team can offer well um i work at duplex building design i work at the kaiama based office but i am the head building design so

[00:48:25] if you if i'm not the building designer looking after the project i will always be involved in different ways yeah i have a team that works with me um that they are extremely capable

[00:48:39] all of them so if it is not maria looking after the team they would you can be assured that somebody very capable is working with you and that i will always be there as well

[00:48:53] you can contact us through social media call our office email us there's a lot of different ways of contacting us we can help you with the design we can help you with the side constraints analyzing your site before you purchase it or or finding just the most suitable

[00:49:12] layout what can you feed sometimes people comes with thinking they can't feed only two and then we ended up feeding three so definitely we can help everybody with that amazing well it's been good

[00:49:25] having you on look just for a couple of minutes do you want to just share any just last insights last thoughts just around um for maybe first time investors first time developers just is there

[00:49:36] any insights you know just you can leave us with in regards to doing a duplex well thank you for having me and especially for the first one it is a pleasure it's been amazing to work with you

[00:49:49] um and my thoughts are build your dream team build somebody who knows what you are after that you pretty much trust them that you receive the plans and the design and you say yep let's keep

[00:50:07] moving because there is nothing worse than somebody that is in a totally different page so just spend your time with one design uh so you and the designer can be um speak the same

[00:50:23] language um we are also many designers in our office so if you if i cannot pick your brain i'm sure there will be somebody else in my office that will so if we might do a shift

[00:50:38] in designer for you to feel comfortable but there will be your dream team will make your life easier you will always get less headaches um and then the same with consultants we work with unbelievable

[00:50:54] professional consultants so if we if you connect with the five or ten people that you always go with they all know what you are after and less headaches faster and not yeah you could just go

[00:51:10] through it easier very well thank you it's been good to have you on thank you well thank you for listening in uh we hope you've enjoyed this very first episode we're excited for the future of

[00:51:22] this podcast and we we just want to be a resource we want to be part of your dream team and bring really good education really good thoughts really good things uh to to the table for you to

[00:51:33] consume week in week out so make sure you tune in from five a.m every single Wednesday so thanks for listening in be sure to follow us be sure to like us and there'll also be information about maria and juplex building design in the show notes