NZ Property styles

[damianandtracy]

My wife has been scouring the internet for ages now looking at properties in NZ and nothing takes her fancy. Not that we are looking to buy, but she needs to know that she can find a house that she can fall in love with and finds the properties lack character (in her opinion). Me I could live anywhere, yeas I like Thatched roof and beams but at the end of the day a home is what you make it.

What are the practicalities of buying a bit of land and having a house built, in brick to our own design. We know exactly what we would like. Also land prices around Cantebury, an acre would be great - what could we expect to pay.

Thanks

Damian

[Dave in NZ]

Hi,
We are building our own house and you can have it completely designed to how you want.
Look here
http://www.buildyourdream.co.nz/
http://www.consumerbuild.org.nz/publish/
http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=19219
http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8554
http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5785

Hope this helps

[migratory birds]

I'm with you, Tracy! I wondering just this past week if many NZ homes were built in a period when financial resources weren't flowing easily. Many homes in the US and UK as well as other parts of Europe are much older, we had access to more building materials (ease of shipping as well as the ability for many to purchase them, etc; hence, more character.

I found the same when we visited NZ - the homes on the market were overpriced for what you got - many a house with needs for tremendous repairs and updating. By the time one purchases one of the many homes that are on the market in NZ and brings them up to date (insulation, heat, etc) you've put a fair bit of money into it.

When we move, we'll likely look at building...

There have been many threads on the topic of building.

Welcome to the forum.

[Familyofmonkeys]

We will also be building down in Canterbury once we move down there next year.

http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread....ht=bought+land
(some of our photos are no longer there though).

PM if you want any details.

[Derv]

Another point to make is that there's a difference between employing a building company and building your own house with them, and actually building it yourself. The latter way - if you have the skills - enables you to save money by not paying the building company's %; this means that you could put more money into the house itself.

Also, many building companies will have fixed arrangements with a small range of local suppliers of items such as windows, types of walls, roof, kitchen designers etc. If you do it yourself, you have a much wider range of options and can shop around to find the one you really want.

Just my opinion but you might like to bear it in mind!

You don't need to do every bit of work yourself but you save a lot by not paying a building company and by not paying for a project manager onsite.

[Spooky]

Is it as simple as buying a section and then getting a building company to build a house? I notice some of these companies have 'kitset' homes that are pretty decently priced. Wonder what your thoughts are on such an arrangement. I have been doing my sums and it does seem like it's cheaper to buy a section and build a house (2-bedroom house would cost me like 200K?).

Been looking at real estate sites and so far nothing on sale appeals to me - they are either too run down or overpriced.

[Familyofmonkeys]

Is it as simple as buying a section and then getting a building company to build a house? I notice some of these companies have 'kitset' homes that are pretty decently priced. Wonder what your thoughts are on such an arrangement. I have been doing my sums and it does seem like it's cheaper to buy a section and build a house (2-bedroom house would cost me like 200K?).

Been looking at real estate sites and so far nothing on sale appeals to me - they are either too run down or overpriced.

It can work out cheaper to build a house, but not as often as you mght think....the real main benefit is you get what you want.....i.e. decent amount of insulation, heating etc. There are plenty of hidden costs that will not be included in the price of kit sets or builders fees....septic tanks (very common in rural NZ), connection to utility services, permit & consent fees (most building companies have an allowance for these in their m2 rates), driveway, building platform, remedial work on land like drainage, landscaping if you don't intend to do it yourself etc .

Another point to bear in mind is that there are clauses/covenants on a lot of sections meaning that you can't build a kit house, or the house has to be over a minimum m2......very common in some areas of NZ, unheard of in others, but worth checking before buying a section.