Two contemporary homes on a single Melbourne block, designed by SQM Architects
For Melbourne Homeowners

Understand What Your Block Allows. Then Make It Happen.

A second home for family. An extension. Two homes where one stands now. Enter your address and see your zone, overlays and lot rules, in plain English, in about two minutes.

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98%
Planning Approval Rate
210+
Projects Delivered
67%
Repeat Client Rate
15+
Years in Melbourne Suburbs
Sound Familiar?

Most Owners Make Their Biggest Property Decision Without Knowing What Their Block Allows

The parents who need to be closer. The adult kids who cannot crack the market. The house that got small after the second child, sitting on land bigger than anyone needs. The rules that decide what is possible are public. Someone just has to read them for you.

Without the Rules

What Usually Happens
  • The Sale

    The block sells to a buyer who checked what it allowed. They knew more about your land than you did

  • The Extension

    Designed first, checked later. Council sends it back, and the redesign costs months and fees

  • The Granny Flat

    Ruled out on a guess, when the zone may have allowed it all along

  • The Wait

    Years of wondering what the block could do, because finding out felt like a big step

With the Rules

After a Free Check
  • The Sale

    You know what the block allows before any agent or buyer names a price

  • The Extension

    Designed to the rules from day one, which is what keeps council approvals quick

  • The Granny Flat

    A clear yes, no, or here is what fits, based on your actual zone and lot

  • The Decision

    Extend, build, sell or stay, decided with the facts. The check takes about two minutes

Start With Your Question

Three Ways Homeowners Unlock a Block

A Second Home on One Block

A granny flat or small second dwelling for parents, adult kids, or rent. Find out:

  • Whether your zone and lot allow a second dwelling
  • When a planning permit is needed, and when it may not be
  • How much of your garden the rules leave room to build on
Check My Block →

An Extension or Renovation

More room, without the cost and upheaval of moving. Find out:

  • Whether your plans need a planning permit at all
  • How overlays like heritage may affect your site
  • What setbacks and height rules mean for your design
Ask About My Plans →

Two Homes Where One Stands

The family home sits on more land than you need. Could it become two? Find out:

  • Whether your lot could support two dwellings
  • What subdivision involves, in plain English
  • What the block may support before you talk to agents
See What Fits →

Buying? Check Before You Offer

A property you are thinking of purchasing, checked before you commit. Find out:

  • The zone, overlays and rules that come with the title
  • Risks like overshadowing or overlooking if you extend later
  • What the block could allow, before you set your price
Check Before I Buy →
How It Works

From Curiosity to Certainty

01

Free Property Check

Enter your address. You see your zone, any overlays, your lot’s key rules, and what each one means for a second dwelling, extension or two-dwelling project.

02

Plain-English Feasibility

An architect-prepared report on what your block could support, the approval pathway and timeframes. Fixed fee, credited toward design fees if you proceed.

03

Design & Permits

The same team that takes Melbourne developers through council takes you through design, planning permit and documentation.

A Real One

The Rowville Family Who Thought They Needed a Permit

This family wanted a proper outdoor living space and assumed months of council process stood in the way. The site check said otherwise: designed the right way, their rear extension needed no planning permit at all. Knowing the rules before designing did not just save time. It changed what they built.

Rowville rear extension - contemporary pavilion by SQM Architects

Rowville Rear Extension

Family Home | Knox Council | No Planning Permit Required
5.0

Google Reviews

Homeowners Who Checked First

Neville Hiscox
Neville Hiscox

I recently had a 30-minute strategy consultation with Sammi to discuss a potential renovation, and it was incredibly valuable. She was approachable, honest, and clearly very knowledgeable. Sammi took the time to understand my initial ideas and offered thoughtful insights and practical considerations that I hadn’t previously thought about. It was a genuinely helpful session, and I appreciated her balanced advice and openness. I would happily recommend her to others considering architectural advice for a professional renovation.

Des Ryan
Des Ryan

Today I discussed a problem regarding my deck extension and access to it I had a reasonable idea of rules and regulations. However Sammi’s advice was clear, concise and very illuminating. Her information crystallized what i need to do going forward and for that I am extremely grateful I initially found SQM architects online website whilst googling for information on decks and ramps in Victoria I found their site to be so clear easy to comprehend Des Ryan Warrnambool Vic

mrandmrsdrummond
mrandmrsdrummond

We needed SQM on short notice to conduct a review of a property we were thinking of purchasing to help assess any potential overshadowing and overlooking issues if we were to add a second story. They were responsive, friendly, thorough, and took the time to talk through the final report. Thanks Sammi.

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30 minutes with our Principal Architect · Free · No obligation

Our Promise

If Your Block Cannot Do What You Hoped, We Say So

A feasibility answer is only useful if it is honest. You will get what the rules actually allow, in writing, including when the answer is no and what your block can do instead.

Lead Guarantee

The Walk-Away Promise

If your site doesn’t stack up commercially, we’ll tell you before you spend a cent on design. We’ve turned away $200K+ in potential fees because the projects didn’t work for our clients. Your interests come first — even when it costs us.

Common Questions

Straight Answers First

No. Many owners check years before doing anything, and some check simply to understand what they own before making other decisions, like renovating versus moving, or how to think about the property for retirement or the kids. Knowing what the block allows costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Not always. Many extensions need only a building permit, but a planning permit may be required where an overlay applies (such as heritage or significant landscape), where zone rules like garden area or setbacks are affected, or in other site-specific cases. The property check identifies which rules apply to your address.
A planning permit is the council’s permission for what you want to do with the land, whether the use and design fit the planning scheme. A building permit is the technical approval that the construction itself complies with building regulations, issued by a building surveyor. Some projects need both, some only a building permit. Which applies to yours is exactly what the free check helps establish.
In many Victorian residential zones a small second dwelling may be possible, and recent reforms have simplified some pathways. What your block allows depends on its zone, lot size, garden area requirements and any overlays, which is exactly what the free check looks at.
It depends on the lot size, zone, garden area requirement and site conditions. Some blocks that look big enough are constrained by overlays or easements; some that look ordinary have real potential. An initial check gives you an evidence-based starting point before you commit to anything.
It varies with the council, the project and whether neighbours object. Straightforward applications may be decided in a few months; allow longer where overlays apply or objections arise. Designing to the rules from day one, which is what the feasibility work is for, is the single biggest thing you can do to keep the process short.
The property check is free. A full architect-prepared feasibility report is a fixed fee, quoted after the free check, and credited toward your design fees if you proceed with the project.

Find Out What Your Property Allows

Two minutes, no obligation, and you will know more about your block than most owners ever do. The same architects Melbourne developers use to get projects approved, working on your home.

Check My Property Free

Prefer to talk it through first? Book a free 30-minute call · No obligation · ARBV Reg. No. 51498