Online tool makes due diligence easy for investors

Landchecker is a free tool available to investors, developed over two years using government open source data and has had over 2,000 sign ups since its launch in February.

The product is a colour coded map that updates with property planning information such as planning zones, planning overlays, permit activity, bushfire and floor prone areas, cultural heritage sensitive areas as well as local information such as closest schools, council areas and satellite information.

“As a property developer and architect, I was getting frustrated with how clunky and inefficient the tools were when I needed to research development areas,” Landchecker founder Will Leaf said. 

“Every time I reviewed a site, I’d be switching between Google Maps satellite view, the Victorian government website and council websites in an attempt to find the information I needed to assess whether or not the site had development or renovation potential. Landchecker does it all in one place for free,” said Mr Leaf.

Mr Leaf believes the invention will level the playing field for property buyers, allowing them to make informed decisions before they purchase.

The platform is currently available for all properties in Victoria, with an aim to expand along the eastern coast in 2017. Currently it allows users to access PDF property reports on any property in Victoria.

These reports will provide a concise summary of the planning controls relating to each property, as well as the actual planning schemes and schedules.

The reports will also include site dimensions and site area, something which the government website actually charges users for.

“Along with attending open for inspections and speaking to property valuers for the necessary information, consumers need to be aware there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes that might not affect them at the time of purchase, but may have an impact later on when they want to renovate or develop,” said Mr Leaf.

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