Before buying in a new development, verify that services reach your specific home, find out when they will be usable and what they will cost, and establish who will maintain shared infrastructure. Check drainage and site risks, approvals and unfinished works, connectivity, and your inspection and warranty options. Treat sales statements as unconfirmed until you can match them to provider records, authority documents, or written contract commitments.
Start with services to your exact home
A development can have services nearby without a usable connection to your plot. Ask the seller or developer for written details for the specific address or lot, then verify them with the relevant providers. Consumer Affairs Victoria cautions that unconnected services may be unavailable or may involve connection fees; the guidance applies in Victoria, but the distinction matters wherever you buy. See the Consumer Affairs Victoria due diligence checklist.
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- Which water, wastewater or sewerage, electricity, gas or other heating-fuel services are available?
- Does each connection reach the home, or only the development or plot boundary? Is a meter, activation, or further work needed?
- Who supplies each service, when will it be ready, and is there a one-off connection or upgrade charge?
- Who owns and maintains shared equipment, and are there ongoing fees?
- What broadband and mobile services can actually be ordered at this address?
For Australian buyers, government guidance says to check before signing that the developer has arranged telecommunications infrastructure, and to ask what infrastructure and retail services will be provided, by whom, and when. It also directs buyers to official provider-register or mapping tools and includes mobile coverage. These are Australian recommendations, not rules for other countries. Read the Australian Government guidance on telecommunications in new developments.
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Ask how foul wastewater and rainwater or surface water are handled. Find out whether they use separate systems, where each discharges, and whether the connections are complete and operational. Ask whether drainage assets such as private sewers, pumps, or attenuation basins are public or private, who maintains them, and whether owners contribute to recurring costs. Have a conveyancer review easements and legal responsibilities, and check details with the relevant drainage authority or water and sewer provider.
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In England, Building Regulations require new buildings to have adequate drainage to carry sewage to a public sewer or a private sewer that connects to one, according to the House of Commons Library’s briefing published 27 May 2026. This is an England-specific legal reference; requirements and terminology differ elsewhere. See Sewerage connections for new housing developments (England).
Ask what local searches cover and whether a site-specific flood, mining, or other specialist search is appropriate. UK government home-buying guidance notes that local searches do not necessarily reveal every development on neighbouring land. A conveyancer can advise on further enquiries and searches for the property’s location. See How to buy a home.
Verify approvals, completion documents, and unfinished estate works
Request the planning permission reference and approved plans, building-control or equivalent approvals, and the final inspection, completion, or occupancy document required locally. Compare the approved plans and sale documents with what is built. Ask for a written list of incomplete work, including roads, footpaths, lighting, landscaping, play areas, drainage, utility equipment, and later phases.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteFor each shared asset, establish who is responsible now, whether a public authority or utility is expected to adopt it, when that is expected, and who pays for maintenance until then. Ask a local conveyancer to review planning conditions, infrastructure contributions, easements, management-company documents, and obligations that may bind the property.
In Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria says owners are responsible for ensuring planning and building permits are obtained and that the required Certificate of Final Inspection or Occupancy Permit is issued when work is complete. The relevant approvals and document names vary by jurisdiction. See its plans and permits checklist. In the UK, local searches cover some restrictions and external factors, but not every neighbouring development; ask your conveyancer whether additional enquiries are needed.
Check broadband and mobile coverage independently
Ask which network operator serves the address, what connection technology is planned, which retail providers you can choose, when service is expected, and whether charges apply. Confirm availability with the network operator for the particular plot or building rather than relying on a development-wide claim. If mobile reception matters to your household, check it at the location; a nearby coverage indication is not proof of reliable signal inside the home.
Installed infrastructure does not necessarily mean every retail service is live. Australian government guidance warns that missing telecommunications infrastructure can cause delays and extra costs, and provides official register and mapping checks. Buyers elsewhere should use the equivalent local authority or provider tools.
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Arrange an inspection and understand your recourse
A valuation is not a substitute for a physical inspection. Consider an independent building inspector, surveyor, or architect with a suitable scope and local qualifications. In Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria recommends considering a qualified inspector before signing. It lists mould, lifting tiles, peeling paint, and pools of water in wet areas as possible signs of excessive moisture; those observations alone do not establish the cause or extent. See Inspect properties before you buy.
For a new build, the UK government recommends considering a snagging survey once the home is built and before completion, then reporting defects or unfinished work to the developer. Where possible, agree inspection timing and access in the contract so you can raise issues before completion.
Obtain the warranty or insurance documents and check the named provider, duration, covered defects, exclusions, claims process, and transferability. Consumer Affairs Victoria’s due-diligence guide advises buyers to ask about owner-builder insurance or a builder’s warranty for relevant work. Coverage varies: do not assume a familiar warranty name includes every workmanship or shared-infrastructure issue.
Compare developments using the same evidence
When weighing more than one property, compare like with like rather than relying on broad claims that a development is “fully serviced.” Record the evidence and its date for each location.
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|---|---|
| Service readiness | Provider confirmation for the exact home or plot, connection status, activation needs, ready date, and fees |
| Drainage and site risk | Drainage arrangements, flood or other relevant search results, ownership and maintenance obligations |
| Approvals and shared works | Approved plans, required completion documents, unfinished works, and adoption status or timetable |
| Ongoing costs | Connection charges, shared-asset maintenance, and management arrangements |
| Connectivity | Address-specific fixed-service options, technology, expected availability, and mobile coverage |
| Inspection and recourse | Independent inspection findings and the actual warranty or insurance terms |
Give more weight to dated records from providers and authorities and to contract documents than to verbal assurances or sales material. Ask your conveyancer or relevant local professional to explain records whose legal effect or maintenance obligations are unclear.
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