How to Choose a Builder (And Avoid Costly Mistakes)

What’s Actually Working in Property Development in 2026

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 [https://www.youtube.com/@peterkellyofficial] 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join Now for Free⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.littlefishnetwork.com.au/] 📣 Powered by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Little Fish Property⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.littlefishproperties.com.au/] ☎️ Book a call with Pete: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here [https://www.littlefishproperties.com.au/strategy-session/]

How to Choose a Builder (And Avoid Costly Mistakes)

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 [https://www.youtube.com/@peterkellyofficial] 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join Now for Free⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.littlefishnetwork.com.au/] 📣 Powered by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Little Fish Property⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.littlefishproperties.com.au/] ☎️ Book a call with Pete: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here [https://www.littlefishproperties.com.au/strategy-session/]

How to Fund a Dual Occupancy Development in 2026

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 [https://www.youtube.com/@peterkellyofficial] 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join Now for Free⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.littlefishnetwork.com.au/] 📣 Powered by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Little Fish Property⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.littlefishproperties.com.au/] ☎️ Book a call with Pete: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here [https://www.littlefishproperties.com.au/strategy-session/]

The Real Reason Your Development Project Is Behind Schedule

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 [https://www.youtube.com/@peterkellyofficial] 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join Now for Free⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.littlefishnetwork.com.au/] 📣 Powered by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Little Fish Property⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.littlefishproperties.com.au/] ☎️ Book a call with Pete: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here⁠ [https://www.littlefishproperties.com.au/strategy-session/]

Before You Pay for Property Development Education, Watch This

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 [https://www.youtube.com/@peterkellyofficial] 🏠 Join Australia’s #1 Property Developer Network Free (Forever!) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join Now for Free⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.littlefishnetwork.com.au/] 📣 Powered by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Little Fish Property⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.littlefishproperties.com.au/] ☎️ Book a call with Pete: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here [https://www.littlefishproperties.com.au/strategy-session/]