Why is a feasibility report important?

Written by

The Designfire

28 July 2021

 • 

13 min read

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When you purchase a car, you get an expert opinion from a mechanic. When you purchase a business, you get an expert opinion from an accountant and/or a lawyer. When it comes to an alteration, renovation or property development project, you have to get an expert opinion beforehand and as early as possible in the process to ensure it is safe, compliant, and achievable.

The best place to start is a feasibility report which can confirm your interests in the project. It checks your property to ensure when you do begin your project, it will be safe, compliant, and feasible.

Think of it as giving you the nod to go ahead or taking you back to the drawing board.

What is a feasibility report you might be asking?

Great question.

A feasibility report is a preliminary compliance assessment of the proposed construction work (commercial/residential, development/renovation) that you are about to start.

The report looks into whether the construction will be viable by assessing the likely consulting time, costs involved alongside any potential compliance risks or restrictions.

With so many definitions on what a feasibility report is, you may be feeling as though it is a confusing and unnecessary extra when starting your project.

And it might come at a hefty cost.
Costly? Not anymore, because THE DESIGNFIRE is now offering a professionally written completely free feasibility report you can use a foundation of your property development planning.

GET A FREE FEASIBILITY REPORT NOW

Let’s break it right down together, so you understand how much a feasibility report will help you.

DO YOU NEED A FEASIBILITY REPORT?
Ultimately, if you are going to do any project that requires a building consent, we highly recommend obtaining a building report. It’s the right thing to do.

Projects like that tend to blow the budget, take twice as long and have hidden challenges, you might overlook because you are “not in the same game”.

You don’t have to end up a hero of a horror story, but you might very well waste a lot of time, effort and money fixing challenges, which could be highlighted for your attention in a professional feasibility report.

If you are involved in a commercial development, perhaps as a project developer, you should definitely consider a feasibility report.

You know that there are a lot of extra compliance considerations – such as fire exits – that go into the development, there will be extra required consent forms that you do not want to miss or discover you need them in the last minute.

You don’t have to be a commercial developer to benefit from a feasibility report.

When you are building your own home or even making alterations or renovations that require consent, the report is beneficial. It will allow you to start your project with a fair amount of knowledge on what is required from you to successfully accomplish it.

And when we say beneficial, we really mean mandatory if you are the type of person who prefers certainty, hates surprises and generally loves to be in control.

Yes, a feasibility report is for those who ultimately want to:
• Minimise risk
• Reduce financial exposure
• Want to be in control
• Know about possible complications well in advance
• Actively dislikes surprises that cost time, money and cause unnecessary stress

IS YOUR PROJECT VIABLE FROM START TO FINISH?
Imagine starting your project and having to change your plans time and time again as you become aware of the liabilities and infrastructural flaws involved. Imagine the strain on your nervous system, bank account, and the pressure from other parties involved.

No one wants to go through an experience like that.

Yet, time and time again, property developers are caught in the thrill of progressing the project without sufficient feasibility done at the very early stages.

You don’t need to think hard to pull forward those stories you’ve heard.

Delays in construction.

Building consents taking twice as long.

Constantly having the council on your property to assess and approve.

Or looking into the future where your development becomes a leaky build.

Now imagine that you can avoid it all, by simply getting a feasibility report at the click of a button.
To make sure you have no financial constraint, it’s completely free of charge and of no obligation to use our services.

We are doing this because we want you to succeed with your project. And we are happy to share our expertise to ensure you don’t get into any obvious trap. We would like to note, that this free feasibility report is done without visiting the site and is still a rather high level.

Simply by answering a few questions about your property you can receive a high-level feasibility report for free, without the need for someone to spend hours walking around your site.

Yes, it might take around 5 days, because a qualified professional is going to create it. It is created for you, about your site and for the purposes of the exact project you have in mind. Your report is completely unique and covers a few key areas that need to be considered.

Getting a free feasibility report is an opportunity you would want to grasp with both hands – correct?

Because when you think about it, by answering a few questions you could easily avoid:
• Delays in consent at a later stage, because you already know what you can/can’t do.
• Hidden areas of risk with your project in the future
• Missing a consent requirement whilst well into your build
• Asking yourself if your project could have been designed better for the site.

Got a property development project in mind?
Get your feasibility report done in five days from now and get professional input in your project planning at an early stage as possible

FORMING A WORKABLE PROJECT PLAN
The feasibility report takes into consideration your project as a whole:

• The layout you’re wanting to achieve,
• The function or the requirement for the use of the space
• the placement of fire exits,
• wheelchair access,
• and all extras like that balcony which could delay the project due to building consent

If your plan isn’t attainable due to codes and restrictions, we suggest what could be achieved – keeping the location, the purpose of the building, and your ideas in mind.

Remember, at this stage, this isn’t a full architecture design; it is a heads up, so you can save time and money.

THE DESIGNFIRE feasibility report also builds upon the vision you may have. It looks at what you are ideally after and if it’s a workable idea or what else could be achieved. In some cases, we can end up creating more space and options that work for you.

Since you are able to share with us what you are ideally after, and we can give you the options before you begin digging holes and building walls.

By having your feasibility report early on in the build process, you are able to save yourself time and money due to having an expert opinion behind you.

Sometimes we think the feasibility report gives enormous peace of mind and serves as a foundation for your future success. On the other hand, it can steer you away from a project that can turn into an overpriced nightmare, just because an expert will look at the location of the site and other important considerations at as early stage as possible. So, you can move onto a next, more profitable development, if need be.

THE OVERWHELMING PAIN POINT: COST ESTIMATES
After you get a free feasibility report form THE DESIGNFIRE, you may need to consider getting a paid more in-depth one.

This is because without visiting the site (keeping our overhead low) the findings and costs in the free feasibility report from THE DESIGNFIRE are estimations, as we know this is something you need from the get-go.

When we calculate the costs involved with the construction, we have taken the extra time to learn and look for those potential hidden costs that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.

This is why we share all possible costs that would be associated with the work going on. These can include more than just bare essentials:
• concept design,
• building consents (incl. application to the local council)
• land surveyor fee,
• Fire engineering report
• Civil Engineering fee’s
• Structural Engineering fees

The costs are all estimates, but it can give you a fair idea of the Ball Park figure.

Of course, you have the option to do the feasibility report yourself, yet there will be a high chance something will go amiss unless you are qualified in the industry.

The other option would be to go somewhere else and receive a paid high-level report.

Why take those risks when THE DESIGNFIRE can offer you a free report based on over a decade of experience? Having specialists in knowing local compliance in order to provide you with the best service possible.

Even though this report is provided for free – with no obligation to continue using our services – we want to ensure your project goes as seamlessly as possible.

Based on its’ findings, we may recommend you need to invest in more work done to dig deeper and do more feasibility study. Fortunately, THE DESIGNFIRE team has the knowledge and expertise to do it for you at the level required.

Since we have both architectural and fire engineering expertise in house, THE DESIGNFIRE feasibility report is usually more comprehensive (even the free version) than anyone else on the market.

The assessment of fire components is important for every development and in particular for commercial development. Catering for this side allows us to become the expert you need for property development to progress successfully.

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE
Timing is everything. When you are not familiar with construction realities, it’s easy to miscalculate or misinterpret how long things take.

THE DESIGNFIRE team has an extensive background in the construction world. That means that we understand the process and time that is usually involved in the success of these projects. We also understand the pitfalls and the potential challenges. And are happy to warn you about any at the earliest stage.

In-depth knowledge of the NZ construction process allows us to provide you a quality feasibility report even without visiting the site.

This is one of many examples of how we operate using our experience, expertise and knowledge to your advantage, saving resources where possible to achieve outcomes required.

WHAT’S INCLUDED
It’s only natural to be curious about what’s included in the free feasibility report. Here is a list of what’s included:
• Potential compliance restrictions
• Proposed density possibilities along with car parking potential
• Other potential consent applications needed along with an indicated time frame.
• A timeline broken down into project segments
• Concept design
• Indication of costs for building consents (incl. application to the local council)
• Indication of land surveyor fee
• Fire engineering report fee
• Indication of Civil Engineering fee
• Indication of Structural Engineering fee
• Indication of AEE Planning report

We understand how each project is unique in its own way. That is why we work on personalisation for each build idea you bring to us.

Understanding the timing of a construction process and the sequence of events required, we allow for lead time, concept design, and building consent documentation approval.

That is why this timeline is as realistic as possible without visiting the site.

It already accounts for foreseeable possible delays in the time that different stages of the project can take.

With a feasibility report from THE DESIGNFIRE you can avoid more than just one headache:
• Delayed consents
• Unknown site elements
• Restrictions from the local councils
• Unaware changes to regulations and guidelines
• Information from neighbours in regard to access points
• Time delays due to not factoring in elements and their process times

Our job is done when we deliver you a credible assessment, from an expert, on your project.

THE IN’S AND OUT’S OF YOUR SITE

Your site information is a key factor in your feasibility report.

By looking at the zone, overlays, controls, designations, and even precincts, your feasibility report can send you in the right direction for making sure your project is abiding by the codes of these property traits.

Each aspect of the site can determine what consents you may need and restrictions you may have when building – for example you wouldn’t have placed the Sky Tower right beside the airport due to it being in a restricted airspace zone. However, not all consents and site designations are as obvious.

There are multiple Commercial and Residential zones that your property can be under, with each zone having its own restriction and complications when you build. By not being completely aware of these zones, you could delay your build by not just days or weeks, but potentially months.

By having more knowledge on the ins and outs of your site, it means that when you come to start building your project, you are aware of exactly what applies to your property. This ensures you will be seeing your project come to completion whilst also be distinguishing the key factor your site holds within the project as a whole.

Quite possibly, the biggest benefit of the feasibility report from THE DESIGNFIRE is that you can assess what is needed for the build to go ahead sustainably.

Looking into all of the important aspects of the project, you can gather an idea if your project is feasible. The report is giving you a sound piece of confidence in your build.

Being able to clearly layout your project idea to THE DEISGNFIRE team helps to ensure you the best piece of mind we can possibly give you to start your project – and it’s for free!

With a feasibility report, you will become more knowledgeable about the basics of your site.

Of course, there will be surprises that can arise. But by having taken the time at the start of the build to receive a feasibility report, you can avoid many unexpected costs, delays, and surprises.

Usually, a feasibility report is an investment; an unavoidable cost.

Here at THE DESIGNFIRE, we offer the report for free. This is because we believe that you deserve a sound mind when it comes to your project.

We don’t want your project to end up as a horror story passed from project site to project site. We want your project to be the most talked about in the best way possible.

This report isn’t conducted by a special program or machine. It is truly curated by experts in their field. The team at THE DESIGNFIRE focuses on your projects feasibility report and are the ones who deliver it to you.

THE DESIGNFIRE’s free feasibility report can give you the expert opinion that you need because we care that your project will be safe, compliant and achievable.

So, what are you waiting for?

Get your free Feasibility Report today.