Smarter Dual Occupancy in Melbourne: Fast-Track Your Development in 2025

Dual Occupancy in Melbourne Is Now Easier Than Ever — Thanks to New 2025 Planning Rules

Thanks to the Victorian Government’s new unit development regulations, obtaining permits is now faster and far more predictable, provided your proposal aligns with the new guidelines. If you desire a home transformation, there is now greater opportunity to develop two large family homes on your property for not much more than the cost of one, shrewdly upgrading your living conditions whilst simultaneously improving your bank account. As experienced design professionals, we help our clients take full advantage of this streamlined process, getting our clients to the “shovel-ready” stage much sooner than was previously possible.

We also assist our clients in approaching builders from a well-informed, competitive position, ensuring they achieve the best possible build quality and value for money. Not only do we recommend the most suitable builders at the right time, but we also empower our clients with the knowledge to confidently negotiate the best deals, no matter who they ultimately choose to build with.

With over 30 years of experience in property development design, our expertise and client care are reflected in the glowing reviews we’ve received on Google and Facebook. We’re particularly excited about the opportunities these new government initiatives bring smart property owners.

What Are the New Unit Development Regulations?

In 2025, the Victorian Government introduced the “deemed to comply” process to reduce permit times and provide greater certainty for unit developments in established suburbs. Now is the perfect time to transform your home via. a dual occupancy development. Whether or not your property qualifies for this fast-track system — and whether you’re an experienced developer or a first-timer — we’re here to guide you through the process. In fact, we offer the most value to those new to development who own quality property ripe for development.

Whether you’re planning a home for your family or looking to make money off your property, or both, we can help, ideally, using this new “deemed to comply” pathway where possible.

This system consolidates regulations by:

• Removing subjective requirements like “neighbourhood character” assessments, favouring clear, measurable standards.
• Eliminating neighbour objections for proposals that meet the guidelines.
• Introducing enforceable timeframes for council decisions, though it remains to be seen how strictly this will be applied.

Combined with favourable adjustments to some numerical standards, these changes mean you can now develop multiple large quality homes with good yard space more freely and efficiently than ever before.

Why Now Is a Great Time to Build?

We’re hearing from our network of builders that availability has improved, more so than at any point in the last five years. At the same time, many real estate agents anticipate that Melbourne’s market, after a period of slow growth, could rebound strongly with the combination of pent-up demand and likely interest rate cuts.

Regardless of whether values rise or not, the current environment makes it a highly favourable time to develop, especially for those looking to create two, family-sized homes for slightly more than the cost of one.

For more insights, check out our other blog post, “Knock down ONE and rebuild TWO—The smarter way to re-create your family home!“.

What Can You Achieve Under These New Rules?

The relaxing of several regulations means those two homes you’re envisioning can now be large family homes — featuring four or five bedrooms, multiple living areas, large rear gardens and even space for that pool you always dreamed of.

Your Dream Home Is Far More Affordable When Astutely Developing

The extra value generated through clever, strategic development will offset affordability concerns. Done wisely, the second dwelling can effectively cover your entire building cost.

We help clients make these crucial decisions, for example adding, an extra bedroom, or a swimming pool should offer payback if also added to the second house. In many of Melbourne’s middle-ring suburbs, a knockdown-one-and-rebuild-two house transformation project can pay for itself, potentially leaving you with no net building costs, and in many cases, even adding significantly to your savings.

“You can have your cake and eat it too” if you approach this process wisely. Depending on your location, every dollar spent on your house should offer the same or better monetary reward if also spent on the second house, upgrading your family home whilst also improving your bank balance.

Getting Started Is Easy

It all begins with a simple phone call. We offer free, expert advice over the phone to clarify what’s theoretically possible on your particular site.

If you’d like to take the next step, our startup fees remain very low. We’ll visit your home to measure-up, we will meet with you to discuss your brief, and then prepare an initial sketch design. This affordable first stage will provide you with a lot of answers without the need for costly surveys or reports, it considers many factors like council regulation, sustainability and sunlight as well as ease of construction and appropriateness for the site.

Using this initial design, we can seek expert advice from our network of trusted consultants early in the process, before you invest further, to test feasibility and profitability. This includes obtaining:

• A builder’s ballpark cost estimate.
• A real estate appraisal.
• An expert town planner’s review.

You can also use the drawings to discuss finance with your bank.

Step-By-Step Guidance

If early signs are positive, you can confidently move towards full planning applications. We advise always progressing to “shovel-ready” independently, without locking into a builder too soon. This leaves you free to compare quotes later in a competitive environment, ensuring you secure the best value and most suitable builder for your particular project.

Over the years, we’ve consistently delivered high-quality, innovative designs at affordable rates, often achieving results our clients never imagined possible — transforming not only their homes, but their financial positions too. Over the years, astute development carefully managed has proven the panacea for our clients desperate to transform their home, particularly those with affordability concerns.

Take a look at our Ivanhoe or Fairfield projects, where our advice dramatically enhanced our clients’ outcomes. You can find their testimonials on Google and Facebook.

Now’s the Time to Act

If you own property in Melbourne’s middle suburbs, 2025 presents a unique opportunity to shrewdly transform your home thanks to the government’s push to cut red tape. We’d love to help guide you through the process, just as we’ve done for so many satisfied clients over the past 30+ years.