Case Study: Lucky 13

A development of 13 smart, new residential units. Designed and built for an overseas investor who suddenly found himself with three dilapidated old houses in Welshpool.

The investor, who lives in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, had been at a loss as to what to do. When an unexpected turn of events left him with a trio of undesirable properties in a city he had rarely visited.

“The arrangement that had been in place to develop the sites fell apart. Our client, along with his business partner, was left with expired planning permission for 12 properties. They had no clue what to do next,” says Plunkett Development Specialist Clem Longman. “Someone recommended he talk to Plunkett and we handled everything for him from start to finish. He couldn’t be happier.”

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Step By Step

Our team obtained up-to-date feature surveys for the three blocks. We took the necessary steps to get the land amalgamated into a single lot of 4,250sqm which was then separated into individual strata-titled blocks.

The three old brick and tile homes were demolished and plans were drawn up and approved for 13 new residential units. Not only was this one more unit than the original plans had allowed for, but each of the homes now included a double garage.

“It was a great result and miles better than the original plan,” Clem says. “Our goal was to maximise the potential of the 4,250sqm lot we had created. Getting as many units as possible on the site.”

The homes took 10 months to build. Once completed, they were each estimated to be worth between $400,000 and $500,000.

Design and specification

The brick-built single-storey properties had either three or four bedrooms, and an alfresco. The homes were built to a specification that was carefully selected by the Plunkett Developments team to suit the target market.

“The specification needed to be modern and marketable, while maximising the budget,” Clem says. “It was a completely turnkey project. When we handed the units over, someone could move straight in. People often don’t realise that Plunkett Developments routinely handles developments of 25 or 30 units. We do townhouses as well as single-storey homes.”

Behind the scenes

The project took about two years from start to finish. During this time Clem made two trips to Kota Kinabalu to meet his client to get planning documents and 13 individual development contracts signed.

“While projects of this size, and larger, are typical for us, our client was dealing with the unknown. We kept him informed every step of the way, looking after the entire project from start to finish,” Clem says.

A fixed-price contract and a turnkey specification gave the investor an additional level of confidence. They were reassurance that everything was covered.

Whether it’s splitting a block for a simple duplex or triplex development, or managing a large-scale multi-unit project, Plunkett can help. We look after everything from subdivision, demolition, design, planning and construction. You can trust us with all the finer details, right down to the landscaping, window treatments and floor coverings.

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