Before You Buy or Build

Before buying land or making plans, it is important to understand what may be permitted on the property, what services are available and what planning controls may apply.

Before Purchasing Vacant Land

Before committing to the purchase of vacant land, you should consider:

What zoning applies to the property
Whether a dwelling is permitted
Availability of water, sewer and electricity services
Whether planning constraints apply
Access to the property
Minimum lot size and other development standards

The fact the land is advertised for sale does not necessarily mean that a dwelling can be built on the property.

Find Your Property Zoning

Property zoning information is publicly available and can be viewed using the NSW Spatial Viewer linked on the icon below.

Enter the address of the property (or the Lot/Section/Deposited Plan) and select from the auto-fill results. Next to the results on the left side of the screen is an icon for papers. Select the icon to generate a property report detailing the zoning, minimum lot size for building a dwelling, and State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) information.

Common Questions

What should I check before buying vacant land?

Before purchasing vacant land, we recommend checking:

The zoning of the property.
Whether a dwelling is permitted in that zone.
Minimum lot size requirements.
Whether water, sewer and electricity services are available.
Whether the land is affected by flooding, bushfire or other constraints.
Whether there are easements affecting the property.
What approvals may be required for your intended use.

You can find much of this information using the NSW Spatial Viewer, the Cobar Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and Council’s planning resources.

Can I put a transportable or manufactured home on my land?

In many cases, yes. However, transportable, manufactured, modular and flat-pack homes are generally not exempt from planning or building approval requirements simply because they are built off-site.

The approval pathway depends on the type of home and where it will be located. Some prefabricated homes are assessed in a similar way to a conventional dwelling, while others may require approvals under the Local Government Act 1993.

Before purchasing a transportable or manufactured home, you should consider:

Whether a dwelling is permitted on the land,
Whether water, sewer and electricity services are available,
Site access for delivery and installation, and
Any planning or building approvals that may be required.

Purchasing a transportable or manufactured home does not guarantee it can be installed on a particular property. Approval requirements should be confirmed before purchasing or arranging delivery.

Can I build a shed and live in it?

Can I live in a caravan while building?

Living in a caravan on vacant land while building a house is not automatically permitted in NSW.

While some exemptions exist for caravans on land that already contains a dwelling house, living in a caravan on vacant land during construction will generally require approval and may be subject to conditions relating to water supply, toilet facilities, wastewater disposal and waste management.

Before moving a caravan onto a property, you should ensure that: