Subdividing

If you're thinking about subdividing, it's important you take a look at the District Plan, and get in touch with us to discuss what you're considering. 

Some helpful resources we've produced include our Land development minimum requirements [PDF 11.48 MB] guide.

Check out the information on our Guidelines – Subdivision and development page.

Subdividing the property

Subdividing is a term for splitting a piece of land into individual lots, each with its own separate and saleable "record of title". You don’t need to subdivide to build an additional dwelling on your property.

• If you choose to subdivide, you’ll need to set up services, such as water, sewerage, electricity, gas, and phone at your own cost, ensuring the connections are separate. Ongoing costs of the services will also be separate. You will also need a resource consent to subdivide.
• If you don't subdivide, the additional dwelling will share your existing service connections. The ongoing costs of these services may need to be shared between you and whoever is living in the additional dwelling.

You can still choose to arrange for separate metering for these services – this may be beneficial if the dwelling will be subdivided at a later date and can make the property more appealing to buyers when the time comes for you to sell it. Remember that if the existing infrastructure where the new dwelling will be located is not adequate for services, it’s likely you’ll need to upgrade the connection to these services at your own cost. This may include separating the connections for potential subdivision in the future.  We can help explain the specific subdivision requirements. You can also seek advice from a surveyor or other professional experienced in the process, who can advise on what is feasible.

Financing the project

Adding a dwelling to your property can be a significant financial decision.

We recommend you speak to a financial specialist if you need to obtain finance for the project.  

Some relocatable building companies may offer finance options for the purchase.  

See page 21 of our Thinking about adding an additional dwelling? A guide for Kāpiti residential property owners, for some general information on costs for a building project.