Assumptions
ASite & yield
Residential GFABoth options feed the same NSA and dwelling maths.
sqm
sqm
%
Net saleable area ÷ GFA
sqm
calculated
calculated
BLand & acquisition
$
calculated
CRevenue
Revenue basisEnter a rate per NSA sqm, or an average dwelling price.
$
Per sqm of net saleable area
calculated
calculated
DConstruction & costs
$
Per sqm of GFA
Suggested
%
ETiming & debt
%
Annual; the engine applies it once
%
%
Feasibility result
IndicativeCalculating…
Your feasibility result will appear here in a moment.
What it does
A property development feasibility calculator tests whether a site stacks up by combining land, build cost, fees, finance, revenue and timing. This free Popurise calculator returns profit, profit on cost, development margin, GRV, total development cost and finance cost. The full app adds monthly cash flow, debt drawdown, equity IRR and project IRR.
Last updated:
How it fits your workflow
From quick screen to full feasibility
Use this free property development feasibility calculator to screen apartment, townhouse and medium-density residential sites before building a full monthly cash flow model. Screen a site quickly, inspect and edit the assumptions, then move the live ones into the full Popurise app for detailed modelling.
01
Screen the site quickly
- Land, GFA, efficiency and dwelling mix
- Build cost, revenue, debt and contingencies
- A quick read on profit, cost and revenue
02
Inspect and edit the assumptions
- Quick inputs upfront, grouped by how you think
- Advanced fees, contingencies and debt detail — editable
- Timing generated from duration; commercial excluded for speed
03
Move into Popurise for deeper work
- Detailed timing and monthly cash flow
- Equity and project IRR
- Full debt modelling and a scenario workflow
Calculation logic
How the calculator reads the deal
The free calculator reduces the site to its core screening metrics — revenue, cost and profit — before you move into full monthly modelling in the app.
- Gross realisation value (GRV)
- Net saleable area × sale price per NSA sqm.The completed project's expected gross sales — the top line before any costs.
- Total development cost (TDC)
- Land + acquisition + construction + soft costs + holding + selling + fees + contingencies + finance.Every cost line the engine builds, escalated and reconciled to the total.
- Finance cost
- Establishment fee + line fees + interest on the development facility.Part of total development cost; it rises with debt size and project duration.
- Development profit
- GRV − total development cost.The estimated surplus before tax, on the assumptions entered.
- Profit on cost
- Development profit ÷ total development cost.Profit relative to the total cost required to deliver the project.
- Development margin
- Development profit ÷ GRV.Profit as a percentage of expected revenue. Shown in the calculator as profit on revenue.
Need the full model?
This calculator gives you a quick screen. For saved projects, timing, debt, cash flow and scenario review, use Popurise property development feasibility software — the full workspace with monthly cash flow, project and equity returns, debt drawdown and scenario comparisons.
This free calculator
- Quick residential site screen
- Development profit and profit on cost
- GRV and total development cost
- Finance cost
- Save with a private reopen link
- Email summary
- Excel and CSV export
The full Popurise app
- Monthly cash flow
- Project IRR and equity IRR
- Debt drawdown and full debt modelling
- Timing and Gantt control
- Scenario comparisons
- Saved project dashboard
- Full feasibility workspace
Indicative only. Not a QS report, valuation, tax opinion or lending model. Talk to the Popurise team about a specific site.
Questions
Residential feasibility, answered
What the calculator measures, what it leaves out, and where the full Popurise app takes over.
- What is a residential development feasibility calculator?
- It turns site, cost, revenue and debt assumptions into the numbers that decide a residential deal — development profit, profit on cost, GRV and total development cost. Also used as an apartment development feasibility calculator, it suits apartment, townhouse and medium-density sites and runs the Popurise engine, so a quick screen uses the same logic as a full feasibility.
- Which sites does it suit?
- For-sale apartment, townhouse and medium-density residential schemes. It is a quick static screen before a full monthly cash flow model. It does not model land subdivision, house flips, build-to-rent rental income, or commercial, industrial or mixed-use income.
- How is profit on cost calculated?
- Profit on cost is development profit divided by total development cost. Development profit is total realisation value less every cost line — land, construction, holding, selling, fees, contingencies and finance.
- What are the smart defaults, and can I edit them?
- The calculator pre-fills benchmark-style screening assumptions — fees, contingencies, selling costs and debt terms — as suggested, editable defaults. Nothing is a black box: every field is shown, tagged while it still holds the default, and can be overridden. You can also estimate residential GFA from site area and a floor space ratio, or drive revenue from an average dwelling price instead of a rate per NSA sqm.
- What does the calculator include and exclude?
- It models a residential for-sale scheme — land, GFA, efficiency, dwelling mix, build cost, revenue, contingencies and debt. Timing for construction, soft costs and selling is generated from a single project duration, and commercial income, build-to-rent and land subdivision are excluded.
- Does this replace a quantity surveyor report?
- No. It is an indicative screen, not a quantity surveyor report, valuation, tax opinion or lending model. Use it to decide which sites are worth a full feasibility and formal advice.
- What is the difference between this and the full Popurise app?
- The free calculator gives a quick site screen — development profit, profit on cost, GRV, total development cost and finance cost. The full Popurise app is property development feasibility software that adds monthly cash flow, project and equity IRR, debt drawdown, timing control, scenario comparisons and a saved project workspace.
- Can I save or export the result?
- Yes. Save the scenario to get a private reopen link, email yourself a summary, or export a formatted Excel workbook or CSV — a feasibility spreadsheet you can keep, edit or share.
- What inputs do you need for a development feasibility?
- The main inputs are site purchase price, acquisition costs, construction costs, consultant fees, authority costs, contingency, selling costs, finance assumptions, project timing and expected sales revenue. More detailed models may also include GST, staging, holding income, commercial revenue, debt drawdowns and monthly cash flow.
- What outputs should a feasibility model show?
- A useful feasibility model shows gross realisation value, total development cost, development profit, profit on cost, development margin, cash flow, funding requirement and IRR. For live deals, monthly timing and debt drawdown are often as important as the headline profit number.
- What is a good profit on cost for property development?
- There is no universal number, because required returns depend on location, risk, asset class, planning status, funding structure and market conditions. Many developers read profit on cost, development margin and IRR together rather than relying on one metric.
- Is a spreadsheet enough for property development feasibility?
- Spreadsheets can work, especially for experienced developers with strong modelling discipline. The risks are version control, hidden formula errors, slow scenario testing and inconsistent assumptions. Feasibility software helps when teams need faster screening, clearer outputs and cleaner comparison across sites.
- Can Popurise replace EstateMaster or ARGUS?
- Popurise is designed for fast development feasibility screening and scenario analysis, especially for Australian property teams. EstateMaster and ARGUS are established enterprise tools, so whether Popurise replaces them depends on the team's workflow, reporting requirements and modelling complexity.
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