Choosing Your Block: What to Look for Before You Buy

So you've decided to build. Maybe you've been scrolling through house designs late at night, imagining the kitchen, the alfresco, the walk-in wardrobe. It's an exciting time — and it should be.

But before you fall in love with a block of land, there are some things worth knowing. The land you choose will shape almost every decision that follows: your design options, your build cost, your timeline, and ultimately, how much you enjoy living there. Getting it right from the start can save you tens of thousands of dollars and a lot of frustration down the track.

At Riverview Homes, we've built on all kinds of sites — steep slopes, narrow lots, battle-axe blocks, and everything in between. Here's what we'd tell a friend before they signed a contract on a piece of land.

1. Understand the Soil Before You Buy

This one surprises a lot of first-time builders. The ground beneath your future home matters enormously — and not all ground is equal.

In Australia, soil is classified by its reactivity: how much it moves and shifts with changes in moisture. Sites can range from Class A (stable, minimal movement) through to Class P (problem sites — think filled land, soft clay, or mine subsidence areas). The higher the classification, the more engineered your slab needs to be — and the more it costs.

A soil report (also called a geotechnical report) will tell you what you're dealing with. These typically cost a few hundred dollars and are well worth it before you exchange contracts. If a block already has a soil report available, ask to see it. If it doesn't, consider making your purchase conditional on a satisfactory result.

Don't assume that because neighbouring blocks have built cheaply, yours will too. Soil conditions can vary significantly within a short distance.

2. Know What a Sloping Block Really Means

A sloping block can produce a stunning home — split-level designs, elevated outlooks, clever use of space. We build on them regularly and love what's possible. But a slope also means additional cost, and you need to go in with your eyes open.

Retaining walls, cut-and-fill earthworks, and more complex footings all add up. As a rough guide, a significantly sloping site can add anywhere from $30,000 to well over $80,000 to a build compared to a flat block, depending on the degree of slope and the design response.

Before you buy, ask a builder — ideally yours — to walk the site with you and give you a realistic sense of what the site conditions will mean for your budget. A sloping block priced attractively on paper can quickly become expensive once you account for the site works involved.

The direction of the slope matters too. A block that falls away to the rear can actually work in your favour for passive solar design and natural light. One that rises steeply from the street may limit your design options or require a significant cut into the hillside.

3. Check for Easements and Overlays

An easement is a right that someone else — usually a utility provider or a neighbour — holds over part of your land. Common examples include drainage easements, sewerage easements, and right-of-way easements.

Easements restrict what you can build in certain areas of your block. A drainage easement running down the middle of your lot, for example, might push your footprint into a corner you hadn't planned for. In some cases, easements are workable. In others, they significantly compromise what's possible.

You can find easement information on the 88B document that's provided as part of the Contract of Sale for any property — your solicitor or conveyancer will review this as part of a standard due diligence process. Make sure they flag anything that affects the building envelope, and then run it past your builder before you commit.

Similarly, check for any planning overlays that might apply — heritage, bushfire, flood, or biodiversity overlays can all affect what you're permitted to build and what additional requirements apply to your build.

4. Look at the Orientation

This is one that buyers often overlook entirely, and it can have a real impact on how much you enjoy living in your home day to day.

In Sydney and surrounds, north-facing backyards are highly prized — and for good reason. A north-facing orientation allows your main living areas to face north, capturing winter sun and keeping the home naturally warm. With smart design, this also means less reliance on heating and cooling systems, and a home that feels brighter and more connected to the outdoors year-round.

It's not a dealbreaker if your block doesn't face north — good design can compensate in many ways — but it's worth understanding from the outset what orientation you're working with and how it will influence your design.

5. Consider Access and Neighbours

A battle-axe block — one that sits behind another property and is accessed via a narrow driveway — can be a great find. They often offer more privacy and can be excellent value. But they do come with some considerations.

Access for construction is one. Getting materials, concrete trucks, and scaffolding into a tight site adds cost and complexity. Your builder needs to be comfortable working in those conditions — and not all are.

Width and access constraints also affect your design. A narrow frontage will limit how wide your home can be and where garage access is possible.

Also take a moment to look at the neighbouring properties. Are there two-storey homes that will overlook your main living areas or outdoor spaces? Are there existing structures close to the boundary? These things influence your privacy, your natural light, and sometimes your planning options.

6. Don't Skip the Council Research

Before you buy, spend twenty minutes on the local council's website. Look up the zoning for the property and understand what's permitted. R2 low-density residential zones, for example, have different rules to R3 medium-density zones — and what you're envisioning may not be possible under the local controls.

Key things to check:

• Minimum lot size for the type of dwelling you want to build

• Maximum floor space ratio (FSR) — this limits the total area you can build relative to the land area

• Height limits

• Setback requirements — how far the building must sit from boundaries

• Whether a secondary dwelling (granny flat) is permitted if that's part of your plan

If you're unsure how to interpret the planning rules, a good builder or town planner can help you make sense of it before you're committed.

A Final Word: Bring Your Builder Early

The single best thing you can do before buying land is involve your builder in the conversation. Most experienced custom builders — including us — are happy to walk a site with a prospective client and give an honest read on what it means for the build.

It costs you nothing to make that call, and it could save you a great deal. We've seen clients fall in love with a block that looked beautiful on a sunny day, only to discover after purchase that the site costs made the project unviable within their budget. We've also helped clients see the potential in blocks they'd almost dismissed — and those have become some of our favourite projects.

The land is the foundation of everything. Get it right, and the rest of the journey becomes a whole lot more enjoyable.

Thinking about a block you've found? We're always happy to have a look and share our honest thoughts — no obligations. Get in touch with the team at Riverview Homes.