Peter Kelly Property

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 experie...

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...

Construction costs don't care what suburb you're in, and that one fact changes everything about where you should build. Most first-time developers pick the cheapest suburb they can find. Lower entry, less risk. But when your build costs barely change and your sale prices drop off a cliff, the "safe" option becomes the most dangerous one. After delivering more than half a billion dollars' worth of...

Signing the building contract feels like the finish line. It's actually when most developers lose control of their project. In this episode of Inside Property Development, I sit down with Marcus from our project management team to break down what really happens once a building contract is signed and why the work you do before signing decides whether your project runs smoothly or unravels twelv...

The thing that kills most development sites isn't the numbers, it's something you can spot before you even open a feasibility. Most people see a big block on realestate.com, get excited, and start spending money before they know if the site can actually work. In this video, I walk you through three random sites across three different councils completely blind, showing you exactly how he as...

Two blocks can look identical - but one makes money and the other bleeds it. The difference comes down to a handful of factors most people never check. In this episode of Inside Property Development, I sit down with Gav from our site acquisition team to break down what actually makes a development site valuable and why so many sites that look promising end up destroying margins once you dig in. Yo...

Most people who lose money in development don't get outplayed by the market. They get beaten by the site they chose to buy. I've watched first-timers walk away profitable because the site did the heavy lifting. And I've watched experienced developers get smashed because emotion drove the buy. Your planner, designer, builder and accountant are each brilliant at their piece. But none of...

Most development budgets don't blow up all at once, they leak slowly through costs you never saw coming. In this episode of Inside Property Development, I sit down with Claire, Head of Projects at Little Fish, who manages development projects every day and sees exactly where budgets fall apart. We break down the four costs beginners consistently underestimate, the two biggest blowouts that des...

Every costly subdivision mistake traces back to the same place: the decisions made before a builder ever steps on site. This is the most comprehensive subdivision guide available anywhere. I've taken my best subdivision content and built one complete walkthrough, from site selection and zoning through to title registration. Whether you already own a block or you're looking to buy one, this...

Two development projects can look almost identical on paper, but one makes a fortune and the other loses money. Here's what actually determines which way it goes. In this episode of Inside Property Development, I sit down with Marcus from our project management team, who works across dozens of developments and sees firsthand what separates the winners from the disasters. We break down the four...

Most people think property developers find profitable sites by scrolling realestate.com or waiting for something good to pop up. The developers who consistently find great sites aren't lucky. They've built systems, relationships, and habits that put them first in line before a property ever gets listed. I break down the four ways developers actually source profitable sites. From building a...

Most developers waste weeks analysing sites that experienced buyers reject in seconds. Here's exactly how they filter so fast. In this episode of Inside Property Development, I sit down with Gav, Head of Site Acquisitions at Little Fish, who reviews hundreds of development sites every week, to break down the exact process experienced developers use to instantly assess whether a property deal i...

The property strategy that built your parents' wealth now puts you six to eight percent behind before the market even moves. For decades, buying property and waiting was the surest path to wealth in Australia. But higher entry prices, tighter lending, and rising holding costs have quietly changed the equation for today's investors. I break down why buy and hold worked so well for the previous gene...

Most investors are bleeding money holding property and don't even realise it. Here's why the smart ones are switching to small development projects instead. In this episode of Inside Property Development, I sit down with Claire, Head of Projects at Little Fish, who manages dozens of development projects at any given time. We break down why the traditional buy-and-hold strategy is becoming...

Is property development still profitable in 2026… or are margins too tight to make it work? Most people think the opportunity is gone. Costs are up. Prices are flat. And developers are getting squeezed. But that’s not the full picture. In this video, Peter Kelly breaks down what’s actually happening in the market right now — and where smart developers are still making money. From rising build cost...

Most developers waste weeks on sites that experts reject in 10 seconds. Here's exactly what they're looking for. In this episode of Inside Property Development, host Pete sits down with Gavin, Head of Acquisitions at Little Fish and the man who analyses hundreds of development sites every single week, to reveal the exact process experienced developers use to instantly spot a subdivision opportunit...

Building the same house today can cost nearly double what it did just a few years ago. In this video, I break down why new homes are so expensive to build now and what’s really driving the surge in construction costs across Australia. Most people assume it’s just materials or labour. But the real story is much bigger. From supply chain shocks and trade shortages to new building regulations and ris...

Some people wait 15 to 20 years for property to make them wealthy. Others create serious equity in a year or two. Same market. Completely different outcomes. In this video, I break down the two paths people are using to get ahead in property right now, and why understanding the difference can save you years of wasted time, bad decisions, and missed opportunity. This is a practical, real world guid...

It’s buying a block that doesn’t actually work. Most people think a “perfect townhouse development site” is about the suburb, the street, or how cheap they can secure it. It’s not. In this video, Peter Kelly breaks down what actually determines whether a townhouse development site stacks up in 2026, and why recent Victorian ResCode changes mean the same block can now produce very different outcome...

Victoria’s ResCode rules have changed, and on the right site, the difference is dramatic. Most developers are still assessing sites using old assumptions. But the ResCode Changes Victoria introduced have fundamentally shifted what you can build, especially on corner blocks and front to back sites. In this video, we walk through a real Bayside development in Sandringham and compare two sets of plan...

The biggest mistake developers make in Melbourne isn’t picking the wrong block. It’s picking the wrong suburb, without understanding what actually makes it resilient. Most “best suburbs” lists are surface-level. They tell you where to look, but they don’t explain why those suburbs outperform in both rising and slowing markets. In this video, Peter Kelly breaks down the logic behind five Melbourne...

Most people think a property development feasibility tells you whether a project will make money. But a proper feasibility does something far more important — it shows you where the numbers work, where they don’t, and which assumptions your entire project relies on. In this step-by-step education video, Peter Kelly walks you through exactly how to do a property development feasibility the right wa...

The fastest way to lose money in property development isn’t the market, interest rates, or your builder. It’s starting your first project without understanding where profit is actually made. Most beginners think developers make money once construction starts. In reality, the money is made long before a builder ever steps on site. And if you get those early decisions wrong, everything that follows...

The fastest way to lose money in property development in 2026 is starting your first project without a real plan. Most people don’t fail because of the market, interest rates, or their builder. They fail because their very first deal was flawed from the start and they didn’t know it until it was too late. In this beginner-friendly guide, Peter Kelly walks you step by step through how to start prop...

Most property developments don’t fail because of one big mistake. They fail because of a series of small costs no one sees coming until it’s already too late. What looks like a great deal on paper can quietly fall apart once the soil, slope, services and planning rules start stacking against you after the site is already locked in. In this episode, Peter Kelly breaks down the hidden costs that kil...