Auction purchases are unconditional. No cooling off, no “subject to” anything. This timeline sequences the planning checks so the slow items start early and nothing is left to auction morning.
The part buyers underestimate
Whatever the planning position of the property is, it is yours the moment the hammer falls — at the price you bid.
48–72hrPPR turnaround, built for auction timelines
98%Approval rate on applications that use our reports
4,000+Approvals supported
300+Councils covered
The Auction-Ready Planning Timeline
Free downloadThe Auction-Ready Planning Timeline4-page PDF · a printable 14-day countdown
★Sequenced by planners who work to auction deadlines every week.
The countdown
Four checkpoints between shortlisting and the hammer
14 days outStart the clock
Contract and title documents from the agentZoning and overlays on the state portalWrite down what you plan to do with itOrder your Preliminary Planning Report
7 days outVerify and price the risks
Review your PPR findingsTalk them through with the plannersLegal review completedBuilding and pest inspectionsCheck surrounding DA activity
3 days outLock in your numbers
Set your walk-away priceConfirm finance covers your plansOpen questions answered in writing
Auction dayBring your numbers, not your hopes
Your maximum bid was set three days ago with a planner's assessment behind it. The room does not get a vote.If the planning questions are still open, the disciplined move is to let it pass.
The maths
Why the report goes first, not last
Everything else on the timeline is easier once you know what the site can actually deliver — including the number you are willing to stop at.
ApproachWhat you know on auction dayWhat you're risking
No planning checkThe agent's description and your assumptionsThe full purchase price against an unverified plan
DIY portal researchWhich rules apply, but not what they mean for your projectMisreading controls that a planner interprets daily
PPR ordered 14 days outA qualified planner's assessment of what the site can do, its constraints and the pathway to approvalThe cost of a report, from A$1,100
Fits the window
A report back in 48 to 72 hours, days before you bid
Prepared by qualified town planners and ex-council officers. Order as soon as you shortlist the property and the findings are with you in time to set your maximum bid — and to talk it through with the team before you do.
The approval pathway to pursue, including fast-track feasibility
Written recommendations, and a call with the planner who wrote them
Straight answers
Before you bid
For the planning work, yes. A PPR is delivered in 48 to 72 hours, which leaves time to review the findings, talk them through with the planner and set your bid. The bottlenecks in most auction countdowns are building and pest inspectors, so book those early.
Auction in a fortnight? Start the clock today
Free, four pages, printable. Work backwards from your auction date and allow contingency.