New Urban Developments - what to look for before making one your new home.

In Brisbane, that has translated into dozens of small-scale projects around the center of town such as the Showground Hill development. In Sydney and Perth, planners have plumped for a mix of smaller communities and large-scale sites, while in Melbourne it seems, big is best.

The push for urban renewal is providing home buyers with a range of interesting new options.

If your search brings up a property in an urban renewal project, here is our handy list to help you find the right home.

Planned for living?

When it comes to a new community, purchasers won’t have finished buildings and streetscapes they can see. Instead they must make their judgements from a slick website, artist impressions and a site map showing the layout of the development.

These can be valuable guides, but you will need to look closely to determine if the new community has appeal and functionality.

• Are residences integrated with open spaces, other facilities and any commercial areas?

• The height and bulk of buildings and their proximity to each other

• What will the property have in its sight line?

• Car access

• Are adjacent properties producing any unwanted sounds or smells?

Urban renewal projects which deliver a great lifestyle and a sense of privacy are more desirable and tend to have a better market performance over time.

Service central

One great attribute of many urban renewal projects is that they sit well within a metropolitan area and in some cases, like Port Adelaide, they are quite close to the center of town.

But a great location is more than just geography – buyers should investigate whether a new project is in an area that has all the services they will need to enjoy living there.

Services to look for include:

• Public transport

• Childcare services and schools

• Shops – especially a supermarket

• Cafes and entertainment

• Healthcare – especially GPs.

Appeal

It is hard to lay down rules which define whether a building or development has architectural appeal – beauty as they say is in the eye of the beholder.

But there are some guidelines you can use to judge appeal:

• Does the development feel warm and welcoming?

• Are the buildings too angular, close together or do they have a ‘cookie-cutter’ feel?

• Does the project have appeal from the street and interior walkways?

• Does the design create an appealing micro-environment?

• Does the community’s design work with or against the surrounding landscape?

There are some exciting new communities popping up across Australia – if you choose wisely to suit your needs there’s little doubt you’ll enjoy a great new lifestyle!