Anyone Have Experience with Property Accessed by Unformed Roads?

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  NuclearWessels on 13/04/2024 - 15:37

  If unformed I'd be wary - I'd be checking to see what assessment / self-assessment requirements would apply if building. There's a good chance there could be something about appropriate access to the road network for safety / emergency situations.

  I recall a job where it was a large rural block where the access handle connected to an unformed road. From memory the Council wouldn't allow construction of the house without an extension of the road network and it ended up being a big development mess. Not sure how it was eventually resolved.

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  Euphemistic on 13/04/2024 - 15:57

  No personal experience, but qas interested to know more.

  https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/5592613/unform…

  Council will not maintain the road. All road maintenance will be required to be done by residents. What if resident A thinks the road is fine (has a 4wd) and wont pay for repairs while you cant get home becasue its too rutted?

  You may not get all services to the property due to lack of road. Have heard that garbos may not visit. Water, power etc may not be along the road.

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    AustriaBargain on 13/04/2024 - 16:12

    Need strata management for your road. Wonder if there's any perks to having a share of a private road.

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      Euphemistic on 13/04/2024 - 16:15

      Wonder how that works when the road is not owned by the residents adjoining it? Strata is normally for commonly owned property. Unformed roads are usually public land, but not maintained.

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  MS Paint on 13/04/2024 - 16:30

  I live regional and there is a private road a few km from our place. It's about 1km long and is the main access for 8 houses on lifestyle acreages.

  On bin night they all have to bring their bin to the end of the street. Their letter boxes are all together up on the main road. The gravel road appears to be well kept and respected by the owners. I've seen it get graded a few times over the years so they must all chip in and get a local excavator mob to grade the road.

  It appears to be a peaceful location with obviously no through traffic so that would be the biggest bonus.

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  JIMB0 on 13/04/2024 - 17:43

  Dust will always be an issue. You want to be far away from the road and preferably higher.

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  barge-in hunter on 13/04/2024 - 19:10

  I know nothing about this at all, but connection of utilities would be my concern - I reckon you might have to pay for the power lines out to your house, down the unformed road (if they’re not already there). This obviously doesn’t matter if you’re planning off grid

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  miwahni on 13/04/2024 - 22:44

  If you're borrowing to buy, check that your bank will finance a property on an unformed or gravel road. Some won't. And mortgage insurance will be out of the question so you'll need 20% deposit, once you find a bank prepared to advance the other 80%.

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  fantombloo on 13/04/2024 - 23:10

  Check if it's accessible during the rains.

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  Daniel Plainview on 18/04/2024 - 17:08

  I live rural - have unformed road to our place, part we maintain ourselves as we exclusively use - another portion back to the main road is shared with the neighbours. As with all things where folks share, you get jerks causing issues - something we've alas had issues with - but thats life. Rest assured neighbours like that will cause you issues on all kinds of stuff in a rural location e.g pest & weed control, illegal burn offs etc.

  Rain is the main issue - so observing after heavy rain might give you an idea of what you're in for - but simple mods to it & the odd trailer of road base every few year mend most issues.

  Unformed roads vary greatly so very hard to generalise or say much more with the scant info on the one the OP is considering but I'd think it's not an issue at all for the right property but might take some getting used to if you're from an urban upbringing but welcome to rural life. ;-)