Answers to our most frequently
asked questions?

Your first step is to see if you can afford to build a new home. We also work closely with building partners and other experts who can help you determine your overall budget and help you along your journey.

Once you’ve got an understanding of what you can afford, you can then begin the exciting process of visiting different estates and their display villages to develop a list of what you like about them (or don’t like). We encourage you to visit Kaduna Park in Officer South and the recently completed Timbertop in Officer to get an idea of the level of care and detail we put into every Parklea estate.

One last tip – be sure to talk to the helpful sales teams and take notes at every estate because after a long day exploring it can all become a bit of a blur!

That’s a good question! Your perfect lot will be determined by a couple of key factors; your budget, location and the size of the house you’re looking to build.

When you compare the dimensions of a house’s footprint to a lot, keep in mind you’ll need to allow for some additional space around your home. If you already have a home design in mind, your builder will be able to provide you with the minimum size requirements of the block and frontage you’ll require.

As far as budget goes, again, you’ll need to factor the size of the home you want to build. There’s no point in buying a large block if you can only afford to build a small home, or vice versa. You’re not alone here and we can always help you work out what you need.

Finally, think about the lot’s street location. Does the sun come up in the right direction? Is it a corner lot? Is it close to a park or shops? Would it be convenient to be within walking distance a school in the future?

As with picking your lot, size and budget may be a factor in selecting your home’s design and your builder will be able to help. If you don’t have a builder yet, why not visit our Kaduna Park display village to get an idea of what is achievable within your budget.

Our hot tip – don’t just build a home which fits your lifestyle today, ask if it will still suit you and your family’s needs in 10 years’ time.

The street facing width of a lot is called its frontage and it often determines the size of the home you can build on your lot. Most builders offer standard 3- and 4-bedroom home designs in frontage sizes ranging from 10.5 – 16m. If you already have a home design in mind, you’ll need to ensure your lot has the correct frontage to be able to build it.

A setback is a specified distance from the front boundary peg which is usually adjoining a footpath, or property line, to the start of your building structure. Setbacks are common in residential areas and as you can’t build in the setback area, most homes in a street are ‘set back’ at a similar distance from the front boundary line or footpath. Setback distances can vary between streets, developments and councils so ask a team member if you need some help determining the setback of a particular block.

If you’re buying or building your first home, you could be eligible to receive financial assistance from the Victorian State Government in the form of the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG).

Your mortgage broker will be able to help you assess if you’re eligible for the grant, and if you are able to submit your application once you have received a Certificate of Occupancy for your home. You may even choose to nominate your broker or approved agent to lodge the application on your behalf. Visit the Victorian State Revenue Office website to find out more about the grant.

The most effective way to build a new residential estate is to divide and release the land in sections we call ‘stages’. A stage is a section or area of the estate containing a varying number of residential lots of land which will become available for private purchase, and at times a stage may also include commercial and/or public areas too.

The official plan that shows the individual lots and their dimensions within a stage is called the Plan of Subdivision (POS). We register this plan with the Victorian Land Registry Service in order to title and settle the land with the new purchaser.

As groups of lots (stages) are released to the public, we’re already leap-frogging ahead to start on the infrastructure for upcoming stages. This way we don’t have to build all of the infrastructure for the entire estate before we start selling lots and as we gradually complete pockets of the estate buyers can start enjoying their new community faster.

When lots of land are in high demand, entire stages may sell out very quickly, so quickly in fact that we haven’t had time to properly create the roads and infrastructure for the next stages. When this happens, some buyers choose to buy off the plan, meaning that although they may be able to see where the lot is roughly located from a distance, they’re unable to actually visit the site due to a lack of safe access while construction of the infrastructure is taking place.

Instead, a buyer will use maps and plans provided by Parklea to help visualise the area and select their lot based on its dimensions, orientation and proximity to proposed community areas.

Once you’ve selected a lot to buy, you’ll sign a legal Contract of Sale, outlining your details, the seller’s details, the deposit, the agreed final price, and a settlement date for the final payment and transfer of ownership to take place.

To ensure you’re ready at settlement, you will need to appoint a legal representative such as a Conveyancer or Solicitor and promptly review and return any documents they may require.

If you require a loan, you’ll also need to contact your lender to organise finance approval before the settlement date. Your lender will most likely want to see your finalised building plans and a signed building contract with your selected builder before granting you approval, so it’s a good idea to already have a builder and floorplan in mind when looking for your land to elevate any stress as settlement approaches.

A Certificate of Title, known simply as a land title, is a legal document issued by a State Government which lists important information about a specific property including the names of the current and previous land owners and a legal description of the land which may include information on boundaries, covenants and easements. On settlement, the title will transfer from the seller to the buyer.

When you buy at Ridgelea, you may choose to purchase an ‘untitled lot’, meaning that a title has yet to be issued for the specific land allotment you are looking to buy. The reason behind this is that a new division (or lot) is being created. The developer will hold the title for the larger piece of land being developed and as stages and individual lots are divided, each lot then requires its own title. The developer handles this process as a new lot will not be issued a title until all of the required infrastructure such as roads are in place. Without a title, a property’s settlement cannot go ahead so selecting an ‘untitled lot’ will give you additional time to save and plan your build while you wait.

Once your block receives a Certificate of Title it’s ready for settlement and Ridgelea’s legal representative will notify your legal representative.

Settlement is the term used for the process of transferring a property from the seller (in this case the developer or land owner) to the buyer (you).

The process is completed on a predetermined Settlement date in your contract where your legal representative meets with your lender (if you require a loan) and the seller’s legal representative. At this time the seller will be paid the purchase price as per your signed Contract of Sale agreement. Your legal representative can advise you of any other fees and charges you will also be required to pay on the settlement day. The legal ownership of the property will transfer from the seller to the buyer (you), and the title of the property transfers to your name.

Settlement can only happen once a property has a Certificate of Title. It’s also worth noting that if you require a loan, you will start paying your lender mortgage repayments from this date onwards.

We recommend arranging settlement through an expert such as a conveyancer or solicitor. There are many moving parts when it comes to the settlement process and an expert will be ready for any unforeseen events. They’ll also help you with finer details such as notifying the local council and authorities that you’re the new owner.

Pricing for a conveyancer or solicitor can vary and some will even offer a fixed price. Do some research and ask your friends if they’ve dealt with a good legal representative lately.

Yes. We strongly recommend that you inspect your block before settlement to make sure it is free from rubbish and debris as after settlement it will become your responsibility. Please ensure you contact the Ridgelea sales team prior to making a site visit.

Ridgelea will ensure that all pegs are in the correct location prior to construction. Our surveyors will re-peg each block once all construction works are complete. On the rare occasion that pegs are missing from your block, please speak to our sales team who will arrange any necessary re-pegging prior to settlement of the land taking place.

We’ll notify you or your legal representative once your lot becomes titled which means all infrastructure including roads and services are complete and you’re ready for settlement. After settlement you’re ready to build, however prior to commencing construction, your plans must be approved by Ridgelea’s Design Review Panel (DRP) and you must have received a building permit from the Cardinia Shire Council.

To get started faster, your builder can submit your plans to the DRP for approval before settlement by emailing them to contactus@parklea.com

The construction of all homes must commence within 12 months of settlement and they must be completed within 12 months of their commencement.

As a future resident of Ridgelea we know you’ll be eager to create your new home in an estate where your own expectations of quality are reflected throughout your neighbourhood.

For this reason, the Ridgelea Design Guidelines have been created to achieve a consistent standard of build to ensure every house meets the same expectations that you have for your own home. The guidelines help you design your new home with high levels of amenity, privacy, sustainability, streetscape appeal, and control architectural form by building materials, colours and landscape treatments. Individuality is encouraged and the design of all new homes must reflect contemporary Australian design character.

Before a Building Permit is issued, or construction works started, the design and siting of a proposed dwelling at Ridgelea must be approved by the Design Review Panel (DRP). The DRP is appointed by the developer to oversee and implement the objectives of the Design Guidelines.

In addition to the Design Guidelines, a Creation of Restriction will be registered on the Plan of Subdivision for your specific block. Building Envelopes have been defined for each allotment and you will find the one applicable to your block attached to your Plan of Subdivision. The envelopes show the building setbacks concerning your allotment.

Your builder can submit plans to the DRP before settlement by emailing them to contactus@parklea.com

Ridgelea uses clean fill, tested by a geotechnical and environmental consultant and classified as suitable material to achieve level one compaction.

It’s common for underground essential services such as sewage or drainage pipes to travel through a private property, usually along the property’s boundary. An easement is an allocated section of your land in which these services lie beneath and that local authorities have permission to access in the rare event that maintenance or repairs are required. You own the land; however, you’re not permitted to block access to these services by building over an easement.

Any easements will appear on your Plan of Subdivision and we recommend that you ask your legal representative about easements on your lot prior to settlement. The Ridgelea sales team will be able to help you locate any easements on your land (if any).

The Cardinia Shire allocates street numbers. Contact them on 1300 787 624 with your street name and lot number on hand to find out your street number which will be available after the land has been registered at the titles office.

Yes, Ridgelea will use nbn™ to provide phone and data services to all homes and businesses within Ridgelea, meaning you’ll have the freedom to choose from a large range of popular phone and internet providers. For more information, please visit www.nbnco.com.au/residential/getting-connected/preparing-for-the-nbn/new-property-developments