Want to save time on property buying? Log onto Landchecker
An online tool, Landchecker, that promises to do all the due diligence for property buyers saving them precious time, was launched this month.
Launched earlier in September by founders of Melbourne architecture agency Ewert Leaf and property developer Moda Corp, Landchecker collects all relevant information about a property so people can easily perform due diligence before they invest and also keep property records up-to-date.
“People are often unaware of the planning controls that affect their home so this tool enables them to quickly check their land for any underlying constraints or opportunities,” Landchecker founder and Ewert Leaf co-director Will Leaf said. The tool took 18 months to develop.
“As architects and developers, we found we were assessing data through several different websites which became time consuming and frustrating. Landchecker aggregates this information on a single platform.”
For a given address, Landchecker will prepare a property report and the relevant planning controls, such as zones, overlays, schools, bushfire and flood-prone areas and places of cultural sensitivity. It costs $5.99.
The founding team includes Toby Ewert, Ed Farquharson, technical partner Simon Holland, chief technical officer Tim Asquith and general manager Jim Leaf.
“Homebuyers often don’t understand where to find this information and currently it is found through several different websites,” Leaf said. “We are helping people to access it quickly in a user-friendly, legible manner.”
“Landchecker will ensure people are better prepared when they meet with agents or legal representatives because they will be able to ask the right questions – for example, what impact does this heritage overlay have on the value of this property or its potential for redevelopment?’” he said.
A property professional or investor can access a real-time map and also get permit data, which will also show applications pending and approved.
Leaf said Landchecker could change the parameters of transparency in property.
“In a society where transparency is becoming a critical part of business, we think it will become popular with financial institutions and mortgage brokers as a means of creating loyalty with customers. Would you bank with someone who didn’t tell you that your house was in a flooding overlay if they had the capacity to do so?”
