Should I sell
or develop?
This question is usually argued in the abstract, and it does not have to be. A duplex, a subdivision, townhouses: each one either works on your block or it does not. Enter the address and see which paths are open, with the rules behind each one, before you weigh them against selling.
An initial assessment. Speak to a professional before you make any decisions.
PiFi does not pick one for you
Worth saying before anything else. PiFi reports which paths a block allows and what each of them rests on. It does not rank them, does not score one against another, and does not tell you to sell or to build. The reason is honest rather than modest: the right answer turns on your timeframe, your finances and whether you want to run a project, and none of that is in the land.
What goes on the table
Granny flat
A second, smaller home on the same block and the same title. The smallest change of the development options, and the one that leaves the existing house alone. This check runs on the New South Wales rules and answers for that state only.
Duplex
Two attached homes in place of one. It usually asks for more width across the front of the block than a granny flat does.
Subdivision
Splitting the land into separate blocks. This one changes the title rather than the buildings, and it has the longest approval road.
Townhouses
Three or more attached homes on the one block. It asks the most of the land and is the least common outcome on a standard suburban block.
Renovation
Changing the house rather than the block: an extension, a kitchen, a bathroom, a garage or a shed. It is always on the list, because PiFi does not assess it against the block the way it assesses the development paths. Read it as an option to price.
Something other than housing
Some blocks allow neighbourhood shops, a child care centre or a medical centre. These are reported separately, because they are far less common than the residential paths.
What each path comes with
For each development path, PiFi reports whether it is permitted on your block, and the detail behind that answer. The granny flat check runs on the New South Wales rules, so outside NSW read that one as unanswered rather than as a no. On a subdivision you also get an indicative number of blocks the land could become, and an uplift figure built on it. That figure subtracts no development cost and the block count is a starting point rather than a survey, so it belongs at the top of a feasibility. Open the subdivision itself and PiFi does put planning and construction costs against it.
Deciding against real options
The value of asking the block first is that it narrows the argument. A block that cannot be split is not a subdivision decision, however attractive the idea was. A block that allows three paths is a genuinely open question, and worth the time it takes to price each one properly. Either way you are choosing between things that exist, which is a different conversation from the one most people have with themselves about their own house.
Common questions
Should I sell my property or develop it?
Start by finding out what the block actually allows. Enter the address and PiFi lists the development paths permitted on it, with the detail behind each, so the choice is made against real options rather than a guess.
Does PiFi tell me which option is best?
No. PiFi reports which paths are permitted and what each one rests on. It does not rank them and it does not recommend one, because the right answer depends on your timeframe, your finances and your appetite for a build.
What if my block cannot be developed at all?
You still get an answer, and it comes back path by path. Each development option is reported on its own, so a block with no room for a duplex or a subdivision shows that against each one, rather than leaving you to guess. The granny flat check runs on the New South Wales rules, so outside NSW read that one as unanswered rather than as a no.
Can I see what renovating would do?
Renovation is always on the list. PiFi does not assess it against the block the way it assesses the development paths, so read it as an option to price rather than as a permission you have been given.