Selling a clifftop community, lot by lot
01 — The brief
Sell land before there is anything to walk through
Hobbs Bay Estate is a coastal subdivision on the old Hobbs Bay Farm at Gulf Harbour. When we built the site the earthworks were still moving, so the website was the show home.
Land buyers ask a short list of questions and they ask them early. Which sections are left, how big, what does it look out over, what does it cost, when does title come, and what am I allowed to build. Every one of those answers changes while a subdivision is selling, so none of it could sit in a page an agency has to update.
There was also more than one audience. Buyers who want a bare section, buyers who want a house and land package, boaties following the proposed marina, and neighbours and locals watching what happens to a farm and a homestead their families grew up around.
An interactive masterplan that does the selling Every lot on the plan is live. Colour shows sold, under offer, for sale or land and build, each lot carries its area, view lots are flagged, listings link straight out to Trade Me, and the current price list arrives by email as soon as someone leaves their details.
By the numbers
A sales tool, not a brochure
Feature
The site is built around the sales process rather than around pages. Availability, pricing and packages are all client-editable, and every route through the site ends at an enquiry that lands with the on-site sales partners.
- Lot statuses the sales team flips themselves, no developer
- Price list delivered instantly in exchange for contact details
- Enquiry form split by interest: sections, house and land, marina
- Masterplan, scheme plan and design guidelines as downloads
- FAQ covering covenants, minimum build size and services
- News feed for titles, playgrounds and Penlink progress
A second project, running in public The proposed Hobbs Bay Marina has its own section of the site: the fast-track referral application, the concept plan with a legend, and the case for around 350 berths, a hardstand, dry stack storage, a public boat ramp and a Coastguard base. Documents are published as they are lodged, so the page doubles as the public record.
02 — The process
How we got there
- 01
Mapping the sale, not the sitemap
We started from the questions a land buyer asks in the first five minutes, then designed the structure so each one has a place that can be updated without us.
- 02
Design in the coastal brand
Editorial type, a deep green and sand palette and full-bleed drone and lifestyle photography, so the clifftop views across the Waitemata do the persuading.
- 03
Building the interactive lot map
The masterplan was built as a live plan: clickable lots, status colours, areas, view flags and listing links, all driven by records the client controls.
- 04
Capture and routing
Gated price list, enquiry form segmented by interest, consent wording for passing details to the sales partners, and direct contacts for the Ray White team on site.
- 05
SEO, launch and the next stages
Search work for the terms buyers actually use in the area, then a structure that takes new releases, the marina and the homestead restoration without a rebuild.
Selling the location as hard as the land The location page carries the masterplan in context, the Gulf Harbour ferry, the Penlink route, the golf club, Wentworth College and Shakespear Regional Park, plus drive times to the shops and the beach access tracks.
03 — The outcome
From selling a plan to selling a place
Stages 1 and 2 are complete and titles were issued in January 2026, with sections still selling off the same plan the site launched with.
Availability, prices and packages move as the sale moves, because the team on site change them. Enquiries arrive already sorted into sections, house and land or marina, and the price list request quietly builds the database behind them.
Around fifty more sections are planned for future stages, and the marina and homestead restoration are both running on the same site. None of it needs a new website.
We are thrilled with the outcome of our website. The Fuel Design team were exceptional in understanding our desires and requirements, transforming our vision into a visually striking, seamless, and responsive design that aligns perfectly with our brand's commitment to quality. Striving for a contemporary blend of aesthetics and functionality, together we aimed to create a website that provides users a pleasing experience. Fuel's attention to detail and open communication ensured a smooth and efficient project execution. Hoppers recommend Fuel Design to anyone looking for a website that not only performs exceptionally but also captivates visually.Tawny Floyd, Hopper Developments
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