Splitting a block is a common way for Perth home owners to build a second home, help family into the market or free up value in their land.
Most people start by thinking about the house they want to build. A question that gets less attention early on is what kind of title the new lots will have.
That choice affects how you own the land, who looks after shared areas, what insurance you need and how easy the lots are to sell later. Cornerstone Town Planning is a South Perth town planning consultancy that handles subdivision applications, including advice on choosing between strata and green title.
This guide explains the main title types in Western Australia in plain terms, so you can have a better conversation with your planner, surveyor and lawyer.
Who approves a subdivision in WA
In Western Australia, the Western Australian Planning Commission (WAPC) decides subdivision applications. Your local council is asked for comment, along with service providers such as water and power.
The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage publishes the forms, guides and checklists for each type of application on its subdivision application forms and guidelines page. Freehold and survey-strata subdivisions use one set of forms. Built strata plans use another.
Once approval is granted, conditions usually need to be cleared before new titles can be issued through Landgate. Those conditions often cover things like sewer and water connections, crossovers, retaining and the removal of old structures.
Green title explained
“Green title” is the everyday name for freehold title. You own the lot outright, and there is no strata company.
Each owner looks after their own land and buildings. There are no strata levies, no shared bylaws and no strata meetings to attend.
Many people like green title for that simplicity. It can also suit buyers who want full control over what they do with their block, within the normal planning and building rules.
The trade-off is that each green title lot usually needs its own access to a public road and its own service connections. On some blocks, meeting those requirements can add cost or may not be practical at all.
Built strata explained
Built strata is the type most people picture when they hear the word strata. It is common in apartments, units and some townhouses.
Lot boundaries are defined by the buildings themselves, such as walls, floors and ceilings. Areas outside the lots, like the roof, driveways, gardens or the building structure, are often common property owned by all the owners together.
A strata company manages the common property. Owners pay levies and usually share building insurance, and bylaws set out the rules for living together.
Built strata can make sense for higher density projects, where the buildings are joined or share a lot of infrastructure.
Survey-strata explained
Survey-strata sits somewhere between green title and built strata. It is very common for duplex and small group housing sites in Perth.
Lot boundaries are set by a survey of the land rather than by the buildings. Each owner generally owns and is responsible for their own lot and the home built on it.
A strata company still exists, and there may be common property such as a shared driveway or bin area. Some survey-strata schemes have very little common property, which keeps costs and admin low.
For many backyard subdivisions, survey-strata allows lots to share a driveway or services in a way that freehold rules may not easily allow.
Questions to ask when choosing a title
There is no single right answer. The best title depends on the site, your plans and what future owners are likely to want.
Some useful questions to talk through with your planner:
- Does each lot have its own frontage to a public road?
- Will the lots share a driveway, bin area or services?
- Are the homes going to be attached or separate?
- Who will own the lots in five or ten years, and how will they want to manage them?
- How might the title type affect resale to future buyers?
Your answers will usually make one option the clear fit. If not, a planner can set out the pros and cons of each for your block.
How the title links to your design
Title choice and design go hand in hand. The size and shape of the lots, the position of the driveway and the location of each house all affect which title will work.
Lot size and site requirements are set by your council’s planning scheme and the state’s housing codes. A planner will check these early, along with any local planning policies that apply in your street.
Getting the title and the design right together tends to avoid redesigns later. It also helps the surveyor prepare accurate plans for the application.
Costs and timing to plan for
Every subdivision has costs beyond the WAPC application fee. Surveying, service connections, demolition, retaining, crossovers and legal work can all add up.
Some of these costs vary with the title type. A green title lot that needs its own separate services, for example, may cost more to set up than a survey-strata lot that shares a connection.
Approvals also have time limits. Once you have approval, you need to clear the conditions and lodge the final plans within set timeframes, so it pays to have finance and contractors lined up.
When to involve a town planner
Plenty of home owners start with an online search and a call to the council. That is a good first step.
A town planner becomes valuable once you are weighing up options or the site has complications. Sloping land, odd-shaped lots, heritage controls, easements or a nearby road widening can all change the picture.
A planner can look at the site, advise on the best title, prepare the subdivision design and application, deal with referral agencies and help clear conditions through to new titles.
Before you lodge
Before you commit to a subdivision, take a few practical steps.
Get a copy of your certificate of title and check for easements or covenants. Look up your zoning and density coding on your council’s online maps. Talk to a licensed surveyor and a town planner about which title suits your block.
Then plan your budget with the title choice in mind. A clear decision at the start makes the rest of the process much easier to manage.
