| 47 “It’s really about finding the development strategy that suits the client’s goals.” DEVELOPMENT Subdivide Simplified Smoothing the path to subdivision Troy Patchett T T Virginia Wright When Troy Patchett says he walks the talk when it comes to subdividing property in the wider Auckland region he means what he says. As well as advising numerous landowners on what they can do within the frequently changing rules around subdivision,Troy and his colleagues take the same risks as their clients, with more than one development on the go of their own. Troy had already been in the construction industry for several years when the Auckland City Council changed the rules around subdivision about 10 years ago. “We could see that there were a lot of sites that were going to become subdividable, and that meant a lot of what we call accidental or first-time developers,” explains Troy. He’s talking about people whose often longheld property had unexpectedly become eligible for subdivision, which financially speaking, had the potential to be life-changing. Troy set up Subdivide Simplified primarily with these people in mind. “Really, at the heart of it we’re a project management firm. “We work for builders, planners and other professionals. If a client has a block of land and they know they can do something but they’re not sure what, we start the conversation to get an appreciation for their appetite for risk, their financial capacity, and where they sit in terms of how aggressively (or not) they want to approach the subdivision. “It’s the start of a one- to two-year relationship involving significant risks, so it’s important to understand each other’s expectations,” says Troy. From Subdivide Simplified’s point of view, they develop the site to the client’s requirements. “It’s rarely straightforward with Auckland Council, so it’s nice to keep things as compliant as possible, which makes for a smoother process through council, and sometimes a more user-friendly style of development that’s a bit more spacious for future occupants. “It’s really about finding the development strategy that suits the client’s goals,” Troy explains. A big part of what Subdivide Simplified wants to achieve is that their clients not only reach their financial goals, but also enjoy the process on the way. The latest rule change has the potential to allow big changes to the Auckland landscape as development intensifies, but Troy is aware that it might take time for people to catch up. There’s a world of difference between adding another dwelling, and a three-storey attached development with minimal back yards. He finds many of his clients happy to walk a middle path and arguably ‘underdevelop’, whether it’s due to a social commitment to the neighbourhood, or in pursuit of a smaller budget, or both. “It means it’s more likely to go easily through the consent process as well, and helps the client have the confidence that the project will go through on time and on budget,” says Troy. Given that a curve ball invariably awaits somewhere along the line, the fewer complications the better, and when they do occur Troy is clear that communication is the key to everyone coming successfully out the other side, just as it’s the key to the process as a whole: managing expectations from the start, at the same time as they work out whether they are the right fit for each other. With processes honed over years of experience, Subdivide Simplified’s success rate so far is 100% in terms of satisfied clients achieving what they wanted, and making a return on the project, whether that was developing to hold and rent out the properties, developing to sell, or a mix of the two. No mean feat given the inherent unpredictability of Auckland’s property market. REGISTERED ELECTRICIAN AND ELECTRICAL INSPECTOR For all your domestic and industrial electrial works. Contact Us 021 273 6903 elvin@prasadnz.com peda.co.nz HeatPumps Electrical Inspections and COV New house wiring Reno and alterations Solar installs In 2020 Chartered Civil Engineer Anthony Cook made the natural progression from subcontracting his services as a civil engineer, specialising in land development and subdivision, to setting up his own company ARC Civil. His cadetship (the engineering equivalent of an apprenticeship) had focused on Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and transport engineering, and working for di erent companies over 16 years gave him a well-rounded understanding of the intricacies of land development. At the same time he took it upon himself to learn critical town planning, leadership, and project management aspects. ARC Civil now employs four senior sta as the business of smoothing the way for what are typically brown ield, in ill subdivisions has grown and spread with developments from Pukekohe to Wellsford. With over 60 years combined experience, they manage and assist the land development side of subdivisions from concept until completion. Including managing site investigation, scheme plans, doing reports and any drawings needed for civil and tra ic engineering, writing the town planning report, and answering any council questions that may arise. “The whole goal is to get the council’s approval to do the project and we’re totally client focused as we do it. It seems obvious to say but we genuinely want the project to be a success and the client to be satis ied. It’s a very simple business model but if your customer’s happy then you’re going to get repeat work, we promise: rapid response time to queries, doing the design accurately without taking shortcuts, and having highly skilled trained sta on the job. Everything’s linked together so providing all the services including the town planning means we’re not losing time having to go back and forth between di erent companies. We’re very familiar with the rules and know where and when you can push the envelope,” explains Anthony. ARC’s successful collaboration with Subdivide Simpli ied began when Troy and Anthony met through an industry Facebook group. They found common ground in the challenges of dealing with council, and having worked out that their specialist skills were complementary decided to trial a project with ARC Civil providing the civil and tra ic engineering expertise required to get the consents across the line. The two companies share a successful approach to the work they do: attention to detail, a focus on following up, and always actively making sure on behalf on the client that things are running as smoothly as they can. They also share a familiarity with council processes and town planning requirements which is no doubt why the various projects they collaborate on have a high strike rate when it comes to gaining the consents they need in order to progress and become a successful development with happy clients. Keeping Customers Happy Proudly Supporting Subdivide Simplified Smart design, Rapid results. Committed to Your Success: We genuinely strive for project success and client satisfaction. Brownfield Infill Specialists: Our core business is civil engineering design and documentation for brownfield infill subdivisions. Responsive & Competitive: Expect rapid response times and competitive rates for above-market, detailed advice from land development experts. Get your project moving. 0226393046 hello@arccivil.co.nz
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