Benchmarks
Small developer rule-of-thumb in SEQ: target ≥20% margin on Code Assessable subdivisions, ≥25% on Code Assessable townhouses, ≥30% on Impact Assessable proposals to compensate for the longer timeline and outcome uncertainty. Big developers run on tighter margins (12-18%) because they have lower cost of capital and diversified pipelines.
The line items that actually move the needle
Land cost (always biggest), construction cost (typically 50-65% of TDC), infrastructure charges (5-12% of TDC), professional fees and approvals (3-8% of TDC), holding costs and finance (5-15% of TDC depending on duration). Sales and marketing (3-5%). Most amateur feasibility errors are: under-estimating finance during construction, missing the GST margin scheme treatment on subdivision sales, and ignoring the Information Request risk that adds 3-6 months.
FAQ
Common questions.
- What end-value should I use?
- Comparable settled sales within 500-1000m, last 6 months, similar end-product. Casa Daily's listing intelligence pulls comparable sales automatically — don't trust the agent's quote.
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