Before you can develop a residential property, you will need to make a formal request to your local council for permission to construct a house and work with a town planner. Getting your local council to approve your development application is one of the major milestones in the construction project — be it a new home or an extension of your old house. You might have the space for development and the finances to back it up, but getting the planning application approved can make or break the whole project. Here are some of the useful tips to help you jump through the many hoops and get your residential property started.

Meet the Planning Unit Before Submission -- As a property developer, you might need to make a good impression on the members of the planning group, which is a department that deals with development planning. The office will be responsible for identifying major issues in your proposed project before any development application can be lodged. The planning unit, which constitutes mostly of town planners, is charged with advising you on any changes that may need to be made on your application, allowing you to save time and money in the process.

Be an Upstanding Neighbour -- Although speaking to your neighbours about starting a new development might not be on top of your to-do list, you should consider doing so in the interest of getting your development approved as soon as possible. If your ambush your neighbours with a proposed development, after you have already applied to the relevant planning office, you run the risk of a backlash. It is always a good idea to share the proposal with your neighbours before submitting it so that they can give their input.

Check for Previous Applications -- Sometimes the site in which you plan to develop your property might have an existing development application in the local council's archives. Such previous applications might slow down or cause your current application not to be approved in a timely manner. Ensure that there are no previous requests made on the same site. Further, some local authorities might be amenable to a developer using pre-existing development plans if the approved development rights remain the same. Therefore, check with the local planning office to ensure that you bypass this small bump in the road.

Notably, the process of getting council approval for residential development might be daunting; however, to a shrewd developer, proper preparation and patience should be rewarded in the end.