Published by Little Fish Property
How to win in property and development—real insights from the frontline, backed by $500M+ in deals and projects.
Listen on Apple Podcasts8 min
The real advantage of dual occupancy has nothing to do with rent, flexibility, or even owning a second home outright. Two new government rule changes just tilted the property game toward one strategy, and most investors haven’t caught up. In this video, Peter Kelly breaks down why putting two new homes on one block is pulling ahead of holding a single property right now. Australia isn’t building enough homes, vacancy rates are near record lows, and negative gearing now only applies to new builds, not existing ones. This walks through what that shift means for your next purchase, and how to tell if your block can actually deliver two homes at wholesale instead of retail. 🔥 You’ll learn The pricing edge that beats capital growth Why new builds win the tax game How dual occupancy creates two new homes Building equity without subdividing first Why one house leaves you with fewer options How the housing shortage supports rents How Victoria’s planning changes lower barriers The mistake that turns speed into losses Why flexibility matters more than yield How to know if your block works 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:01 One Block, Two Homes 02:10 The 2027 Housing Collision 03:23 The Negative Gearing Shift 04:38 Buying at Wholesale Price 06:09 Dual Occupancy Without Subdividing 07:13 Putting It All Together
17 min
Most beginners chase the perfect site for months, then get knocked back the second they ask for the money. The fix is simple: lock in your funding before you ever start looking. In this episode of Inside Property Development, I sit down with Gavin, Head of Acquisitions at Little Fish, to break down the three main ways to fund a townhouse development in 2026 — residential finance, development finance, and private funding. We explain who each option suits, the type of project it works for, and the pros and cons you need to understand before you commit a dollar. You'll learn why a development loan is nothing like a normal home loan, and why the lender effectively becomes your business partner once you go down that path. We cover how your borrowing capacity against GRV shapes the size and suburb of your project, and why getting your accountant and broker working together from day one can make or break your strategy. Whether you're planning your first townhouse project or scaling up your next one, this episode will help you fund it properly from the start. 🔥In this episode: The 3 ways to fund a townhouse build Why funding a build isn't a home loan How lenders become your business partner Why you sort finance before finding a site How borrowing capacity sets your project size Why your accountant comes before your broker How development finance frees up your cash flow The beginner mistake that wastes months 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 0:47 Why dev funding isn't a normal home loan 9:02 The 3 funding options in 2026 12:56 The biggest mistake first-time developers make 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
8 min
There's one decision in this strategy that outweighs your money, your bank, and the block itself, and getting it wrong turns a cheap entry into your most expensive mistake. Most people rule themselves out because they think the bank wants a mountain of cash. It doesn't. It wants equity and serviceability, and a joint venture on a dual occupancy lets two everyday earners combine both to fund what neither could carry alone. Buy at wholesale instead of retail and that margin becomes built-in equity from day one. And with negative gearing now new-build only, holding right now pays more than it has in years. 🔥 You'll learn Why banks value equity over cash How build-to-hold boosts borrowing power The joint venture two families use Why wholesale beats retail on equity Why negative gearing favours new builds How depreciation puts money back yearly Why the wrong partner wrecks deals Why separate titles guarantee clean exits 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:53 What Banks Really Want 02:13 The Joint Venture Strategy 03:38 Buying at Wholesale Rates 04:38 Why Hold New Builds 05:55 Choosing the Right Partner 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
10 min
If you own a block of land in Victoria right now, you might already be a developer and not know it yet. The 2025 planning reforms are flowing through in 2026, and they've quietly changed which sites work and which ones don't. Sites that couldn't hit the numbers before can now. The approval process has been tightened in your favour. And the window to act before asking prices catch up is still open, but it won't be for long. This is the plain-English breakdown of what changed, where the opportunities are hiding, and what still trips people up even under the new code. 🔥 You'll learn What the new rules actually changed Why first-floor setbacks were quietly killing yield How one site went from three dwellings to four Where to find sites that benefit most How to use VicPlan to check any address Why corner sites deserve a second look What still wrecks a feasibility under the new code Why overpaying now is a real risk The one thing that separates two developers on the same site 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:23 What Actually Changed 02:54 A Real Example 04:14 Where to Find the Opportunities 06:31 What Still Trips People Up 08:47 Pulling It Together 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
24 min
Build costs have nearly doubled while selling prices have barely moved. Here are the two plays that still make real money in 2026. In this episode of Inside Property Development, I sit down with Gavin, Head of Acquisitions at Little Fish, to break down why the old develop-and-sell playbook has stopped stacking up. Build costs have jumped 50% to 100% in just a few years, while Victorian selling prices have barely moved — and that's quietly wiped the margin out of the suburbs that used to work. You'll see real Melbourne project numbers, like a Newport corner site that cost $930k to build and would cost $2 million today, and why pouring a slab in Footscray now costs the same as Brighton East. More importantly, you'll learn the two strategies still working right now: building new to hold long term in growth pockets like Geelong, and developing higher-end product for buyers who still have money to spend. If you're tired of forcing old deals that no longer stack up, this episode shows you exactly where the opportunity has moved. 🔥In this episode: Why the old develop-and-sell playbook died How build costs nearly doubled in a few years The Newport site now costs $1M more Why outer suburbs no longer stack up Why interstate buyers are flooding Victoria The two plays that still work in 2026 The build-to-hold play in Geelong Targeting the higher-end owner-occupier market 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:00 What was the old property development playbook, and why did it work for so long? 02:11 What changed, and why has the middle of the market become so much harder? 08:59 Where is property development still working in 2026? 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
7 min
Most people sign with the wrong builder not because they didn't try, but because they skipped one step that decides everything before a single quote is even sent. Get this decision wrong and you're looking at months lost, tens of thousands gone, and starting from scratch. This is the exact two-part process Pete has used across ten years of tendering builders. Not a checklist. Not a shortcut. The real method, from building a shortlist to running a competitive tender with builders you've already vetted. 🔥 You'll learn The one step most people skip entirely Why your shortlist decides everything How to find quality builders before they quote Exactly how many builders to shortlist The question that reveals a builder's true character Why competitive tenders only work with the right list How to compare builders without taking on risk 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:39 The Two-Part Builder Process 01:23 How to Find Quality Builders 02:56 How Many Builders to Shortlist 03:48 Digging Deeper on Each Builder 04:57 Turning the Shortlist into Pricing 05:50 Putting It All Together 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
11 min
Most people get the build right and the finance structure completely wrong. Get the loan structure wrong at the start, and you can find yourself stuck halfway through a build with no way forward. This video walks through exactly how a real dual occupancy project gets funded in 2026. A side-by-side build, two homes kept as rentals, all-in cost of two-point-three-seven million. Real numbers. No theory. The part most people never see explained properly is how the debt splits across two stages, why the lender changes between site and build, and how you can finish with most of your debt sitting against income-producing assets instead of your own home. 🔥 You'll learn Why one lender rarely does both stages How to free up equity at stage one Why purpose of borrowing must be set on day one The lender swap most people miss at build stage How 78% of debt ends up against rental income What LVR means at each stage of the project Why a construction-specialist lender changes the deal How depreciation works when you build new The structure that decides if the project works 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:08 The Project 02:37 Stage 1: Acquire the Site 04:45 Stage 2: The Build 06:25 End State: Where the Debt Sits 08:17 Depreciation 09:36 Synthesis 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
15 min
Most developers blame the builder when a project runs late. But the delay was usually locked in months before anyone stepped on site. In this episode of Inside Property Development, I sit down with Claire from our project management team who runs development projects day to day and deals with timelines, contractors and approvals constantly, to unpack what actually causes projects to run late, which stages are most vulnerable, and how to keep things moving. You'll learn why most delays are inside your control, how the months you spend at your desk before each stage decide your timeline, and why the cheapest builder almost always costs you more at the other end. We also break down the res code and VicSmart traps, the Melbourne Water queue you can't skip, and the design block that quietly eats three months. Whether you're planning a dual occupancy, a townhouse project or your first development, this one will help you stack the odds in your favour before you ever hand over control. 🔥In this episode: Why most delays are actually in your control The cheap builder trap that stings later How a 12-month build becomes 18 months The res code traps that quietly delay you The Melbourne Water queue you can't skip Why "TBC" on your schedule destroys budgets The interior design block that eats months Turn 20 potential delays into just three 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:41 What usually causes delays during development projects? 07:19 Which stages of a project are most vulnerable to delays? 09:51 What can developers do to keep projects moving? 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
12 min
Most people spend thousands on the wrong type of education because they asked the wrong question first. There are four real paths into property development education. Most people only know three of them, and plenty pick the wrong one for where they actually are right now. This isn't a course review or a sales pitch. It's a plain-English breakdown of what each option does, what it can't do, and how to match the right format to your current situation so you don't burn twelve months on something that was never going to work for you. There's also a fourth path almost no one talks about. For the right person, on the right deal, it can be the smartest move on a first project. 🔥 You'll learn Why "best course" is the wrong question What a course can't do once you're mid-project Why networks beat education for real-time intel What real mentoring looks like vs group coaching The builder contract mistake mentoring caught early Why partnering beats 100% of a struggling project How to match the right option to your situation 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:04 The Right Question to Ask 02:16 Property Development Courses 03:44 Property Developer Networks 05:28 Property Development Mentoring 08:09 Partnering With Experience 10:12 How To Choose the Right Option 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
9 min
One of our clients created three hundred and fifty thousand dollars of equity in eighteen months without earning a single extra dollar at work. Most Australians are taught that getting wealthy means earning more. Chase the promotion, switch to a higher-paying job, pick up a side hustle. But the higher your wage climbs, the harder the tax system works against you, and the more your lifestyle quietly absorbs every extra dollar. This isn't surface-level money advice. It's a clear look at why so many Australians earning good money still feel like they're treading water. If that's you, this explains exactly what's going wrong, and what the people quietly breaking through are doing differently. 🔥 You'll learn How the tax system punishes wage earners The third wealth lever nobody talks about Why earning more rarely makes you wealthy Passive investing vs manufacturing your own equity Why $80k can beat $300k How a dual occupancy creates equity fast How to make your salary fund wealth Why new builds unlock bigger tax benefits Zero to two properties in one move 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:05 The Salary Trap 02:26 It’s Not What You Earn 03:20 The Third Wealth Lever 04:44 Real Example 06:08 How Salary Actually Fits In 07:35 Synthesis 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
19 min
Overnight, the investor who could afford a million-dollar property can now only stretch to eight hundred grand. The rules didn't just change. They redrew where investors are allowed to make money. The headlines are calling it a disaster. For the right kind of investor, it's the opposite. This is a plain-English breakdown of what the budget actually changed and where the smart money is moving next. Whether you already hold an investment property, you're about to buy, or you're weighing your first development, the strategy that worked for the last decade needs a rethink. Pete and Gav lay out what replaces it. 🔥 You'll learn What negative gearing actually did for investors Why established homes lost their tax break The build play that brings it back How to develop and buy at wholesale Why the land component drives your growth Why new builds win on yield The trap of rushing to buy new Where the opportunity has moved in Victoria 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:57 What's Negative Gearing? 04:45 What has changed 07:18 Where does the opportunity move now? 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
15 min
Most people think a dual occupancy costs the land plus the build, and that single assumption is what gets them stuck halfway through. If you're planning your first dual occupancy and trying to work out whether you can actually afford it, watch this before you commit a dollar. The real question isn't what it costs to build. It's how much money you need access to before you start. The build is the biggest number, but it's never the whole project. Before construction there's the site, stamp duty, design, planning and consultants. While it runs there's interest, rates and holding costs that stack up over twelve to eighteen months. This is the full picture, from the day you settle on the site to the day you sell, refinance or hold it long term. That's the window you actually need to fund. 🔥 You'll learn The real project cost beginners always miss The contribution benchmark lenders actually expect Cash versus equity, what banks allow Where the money actually gets spent The holding cost trap that catches beginners How much buffer you really need Why you need a development finance broker LVR and GRV explained simply The four-point checklist before you commit 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:08 The Money Question 02:03 Where the Money Actually Goes 07:11 The Benchmark 08:52 Cash Versus Equity 09:59 A Couple of Finance Terms 11:58 The Biggest Risk 12:37 The Four Point Checklist 14:34 Next Steps 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
10 min
The formula your parents used to build wealth in this country no longer works. Asset prices have moved so far ahead of wages that the gap is now wider than at any point in modern history. And as holding costs climb and new taxes tighten, the people standing still are losing ground every single day without realising it. This video breaks down what's actually driving that gap, why buy and hold has quietly become a slow bleed for most Australians, and what a small group are doing right now to manufacture serious equity while everyone else waits for the market to save them. 🔥 You'll learn Why the old wealth-building playbook is finished The real cost of passive property ownership Why negative gearing only works for high earners What manufactured equity means and why it works The non-negotiable rule for any development site Four ways to activate a block and force value up Why the next 5 years reward action over patience How to set up a project with full exit optionality Why your numbers must work without market growth 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:21 What Actually Happening 02:53 Why Buy and Hold is Broken 04:37 The Shift + Rule That Makes It Work 06:44 The Bulletproof Play, Optionality 08:09 Synthesis 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
15 min
Most beginners build their consultant team in the wrong order and it costs them months and thousands before they even break ground. In this episode of Inside Property Development, I sit down with Marcus from our project management team, someone who coordinates consultants across multiple live development projects every single day, to break down exactly who you need, when you need them, and what separates a consultant team that protects your project from one that quietly destroys it. You'll learn the right order to engage consultants from day one, why your building designer's network matters more than their fee, and how to avoid the costly gaps that only show up at tender, when it's too late to fix them cheaply. If you're building your first development team or you've already been burned by the wrong hire, this episode will sharpen how you think about every consultant on your list. 🔥In this episode: The four consultants you need before planning Why the land surveyor goes first, always How a good designer balances your brief against council Why cheap quotes hide expensive gaps What builders know about your consultants that you don't How slow communication costs you time and money on site Why council familiarity is a hidden profit lever 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:37 What consultants are involved in a typical development? 08:23 Which consultants have the biggest impact on a project? 10:25 What mistakes do beginners make when choosing consultants? 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
10 min
Most developers write off these suburbs the moment they see the postcode, and that's exactly why the margins are still there. You don't need a premium postcode to make development work. You need a suburb where the entry price, planning process, and end values line up. My team and I have delivered hundreds of projects across Melbourne and regional Victoria. Some of the strongest returns came from suburbs that never make anyone's hot list. These five suburbs are where experienced developers are moving right now. One of them isn't even a townhouse play. It's running a completely different strategy, and when you see why, it might reshape how you approach your next project. 🔥 You'll learn Why Rosebud works when most of the Peninsula doesn't The zoning mistake that locks up your capital Why owner-occupier rates predict your resale values How Clayton plays a completely different game The overlay check that saves you months When to build for renters vs owner-occupiers Why Rosanna's slopes filter out lazy developers The Thornbury price gap that creates the real margin Why your numbers need to work today, not someday 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:16 Rosebud 02:51 Herne Hill 04:29 Clayton 06:09 Rosanna 07:17 Thornbury 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
18 min
Most people think subdividing a property is just slicing a block in half. The real process has dozens of moving parts, and getting one wrong can cost you months and thousands. In this episode of Inside Property Development, I sit down with Sasha from our project management team, who deals with subdivisions every single day, to break down exactly how the subdivision process works from start to finish. You'll learn the two ways to subdivide, when to engage your land surveyor, why the VicSmart pathway can deliver a permit in 10 days, the proactive council sign-offs that prevent delays, and how statements of compliance turn into actual titles in your hand. Whether you're planning your first dual occupancy or thinking about subdividing your backyard, this episode will show you exactly what's involved and how to avoid the mistakes that quietly cost most developers months. 🔥In this episode: The two ways to subdivide a property Why "tackle it at the end" loses you time When to engage your land surveyor early VicSmart: 10-day permits for dual occupancy The frame stage trigger most people miss Council sign-offs you should chase proactively Why pre-construction subdivision is rarely worth it The 500sqm rule that changes the game 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:41 What are the key stages involved in subdividing a property? 08:10 What parts of the process usually take the longest? 13:23 What about pre-construction subdivision? 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
12 min
One line in the 2026 Budget could add eighty thousand dollars to the tax bill on a single investment property. If you own an investment property, or you're about to buy one, the rules just shifted underneath you. Most people are panicking and assuming property investing in Australia is finished. It isn't. It's been redirected. Negative gearing has been gutted on existing property and the fifty percent capital gains discount is gone. But the budget didn't treat every property the same way. The government drew a clear line between existing stock and new stock, and that line tells you exactly where investor money is being pushed next. This covers what changed, who's grandfathered, why develop and hold just hit a sweet spot, and the four checks I'd run before touching any new build. 🔥 You'll learn Why negative gearing isn't dead Why one change costs eighty grand Where investor money gets pushed next The carve out protecting new property How indexation replaced the CGT discount Who gets grandfathered, who doesn't Why develop and hold got stronger The fence the budget drew through property The four checks before any build 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:09 Negative gearing has been pulled. 03:04 The 50% capital gains tax discount is gone 05:53 The new property safe zone 07:48 Develop and hold just hit the sweet spot 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
13 min
Most developers brace for the obvious variations. It's the third type, the one hiding in your own documentation, that quietly wipes out the margin. In this episode of Inside Property Development, I sit down with Sasha from our project management team to break down what construction variations actually are, why they wreck so many development budgets, and what experienced developers do to protect themselves. We unpack the three types of variations, client initiated, builder initiated, and the silent killer most beginners miss: documentation discrepancies. You'll learn why variations are almost never fairly priced once your contract is signed, how a single small change can quietly snowball into a six-figure hit by handover, and the four practical things you can do at the front end to stop variations before they start. Whether you're heading into your first build or tightening up your next project, this episode will change how you approach contracts, documentation, and on-site project management. 🔥In this episode: The three types of construction variations The time and holding costs nobody factors in Why variations get priced two to three times higher How small variations stack to six figures The bulletproof documentation play Why a fixed contract beats provisional sums Reading the special conditions before you sign Real-time variation tracking that protects margin 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:39 What exactly is a construction variation? 05:50 Why do variations destroy so many budgets? 07:45 How can developers prevent them? 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
7 min
The mistake that kills more developments than bad markets ever will doesn't show up in any feasibility study. Most developments don't come unstuck because the market turns. They come unstuck long before anyone pours a slab. After delivering over half a billion dollars' worth of projects, the patterns are impossible to ignore. Three avoidable mistakes keep showing up across first-timers and experienced developers alike. And the one that catches the most people has nothing to do with the site, the design, or the numbers. 🔥 You'll learn Why emotion is the most expensive site filter What "nice area" actually costs you How one wrong yield assumption kills feasibility The due diligence step most developers skip Why the cheapest builder quote rarely saves money The builder trait that matters more than portfolio One question to ask a builder's past client When walking away is the smartest move 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:52 Buying on Emotion, Not Data 02:02 Know What You Can Build 03:34 Choosing the Right Builder 04:33 The Person Behind the Quote 05:27 Getting All Three Right 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here
9 min
What's hiding under your development site can wipe out your margins before you've even poured a slab. The numbers stack up, the design works, the approvals come through. Then construction starts, and that's when the real surprises hit. In this episode of Inside Property Development, I sit down with Sashya from our project management team to unpack the site issues that catch developers off guard once the machines are running. You'll hear what really happens when builders hit unknown soil, mislabelled utilities, or rock nobody saw coming. More importantly, you'll learn how experienced developers protect their margins through site-specific contingency, fast decisions, and the relationships that hold projects together when things go sideways. 🔥 You'll learn Why soil tests miss what's between boreholes The hidden cost of hitting unexpected rock Why old utility plans lie to builders How to find services before you dig Why contingency must be site-specific The speed rule that saves projects Why relationships decide who survives crises How to react after hitting a service 👇 Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:44 What unexpected problems appear once construction starts? 05:18 How to calculate contingency for in-ground costs? 06:22 How do experienced developers deal with these surprises? 📺 Prefer video? Watch the full episode on YouTube 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) Join Now for Free 📣 Powered by: Little Fish Property ☎️ Book a call with Pete: Click here