Results 1 to 4 of 4

Thread: Build your own - pitfalls & what to look out for.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    was Oxford nr Chch, NZ now UK
    Posts
    1,288

    Default Build your own - pitfalls & what to look out for.

    When we return to NZ OH & I are seriously considering getting our own house built. Unfortunately we are complete novices in this area - neither of us has any building experience at all so we would be at the mercy of the builders. So I was hoping to pick the brains of those who have built or are in the process of building or researching a build.

    For us would it be better for us to opt for a house & land package or buy the land separately and then employ a builder to build?

    What extra's would we need to look out for? We have looked at prices of sections for sale and looked at plans of houses by builders such as Golden Homes & Peter Ray. We have also considered A1 homes. The plans carry a price but what hidden costs are we likely to encounter?

    Would the builders deal with all the legal things such as land titles? Would they prepare the land or is that something we have to do?

    Does anyone know of a reputable builder in the Chch area we could contact or are there any builders n the forum who would consider taking on a project like this in 2014? Any help, advice etc... greatly appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Christchurch from Scotland
    Posts
    2,226

    Default

    At the moment in the Christchurch area you would probably need to use one of the larger builders who sells home and land packages purely so you can get insurance afterwards. While some of the smaller builders carry contractors insurance some do not. A colleague is currently getting ready to build out on Banks and he has already had to discount one builder with a very good reputation as he does not carry insurance.

    Hopefully by 2014 the insurance market will have eased but I recommend that you check this area thoroughly with suggestions others may have.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Chch, NZ
    Posts
    2,226

    Default

    Before you consider looking at home builders, you must 1st look at where you plan to build the house as this will be a huge factor on the cost of building. Do some reading below, particularly the Technical Category map. You'll want to understand how much more it will cost to build in an area that has been zoned TC3 vs TC2

    http://cera.govt.nz/maps
    http://cera.govt.nz/residential-gree...ies#factsheets
    http://cera.govt.nz/my-property/
    http://www.rebuildchristchurch.co.nz...for-canterbury

    Once you've chosen an area, look to see what's for sale. I can tell you that in Wigram area, that has been zoned TC1 and empty sections there have been priced competively. Meaning to build a house there would have a price advantage to empty sections that have been zoned TC2 ro TC3. There's a psychological aspect here ; do you want to live on land that is solid vs land that is proned to liquifaction?

    In any newly released residential sub-division, the best lots are sold fast; primarily snapped up by the large buiding companies that do 'house & land' packages. Also note that there's no added profit to the building company when they buy these sections (they don't get them at a special discount because they're buying more than 1 lot). However, after the sales of sections drop after some months, the sections may look at reduced price on less desirable lots which too the large building companies will snap up. So there is no general rule that going with a house & land package gets you a better home. You'll need to look at EACH section individually to see what fits your needs. Consider lots that get the best exposure to the sun, ease of road access (if you prefer back section or not?), site elevation (water run off from neighbouring lots?), all these should be considered before you look to put the house on it because later on, they will have an impact on the house resale value. With house and land packages, these large builders usually promote them after the house has been built. This has been the most common sale for the likes of Peter Ray, Fowler, Mike Greers, and several others. The key advantage to going with this option is that you get to move into a brand new house right away (so there's no fuss if time is a problem). However, you could find empty lots owned by large building companies and they will work with what kind of house you want on it. But again I stress to physically look at the section 1st and try to visualise what kind of house will fit - which side will the garage will be on the lot, does the driveway cross over key certain drain inspection pipes?, etc (but then all in all, these may not matter to you).

    My house building thread involved a lengthy time spent checking out these large high volume building companies. Buying the section 1st gave us the option to choose which builder vs. being stuck with the one builder in a 'house & land' package. Due to non-conventional specifications in our house, this meant to find a builder that could build with an architectural approach without paying the insanely high architectural prices (say $2500+ per sq. metre). Pretty much all high volume builders are the same in that they have their own "set" building specification meaning, they have their own team of sub-contractors that work to build a certain way. Not to be confused with say you want different doors or different paint colour but particularly, use of different materials and different building methods (like lowered slab floors to use of engineered materials not commonly used) can quickly puts these builders out of their area of confidence. I found this to be the case for Peter Ray Homes, Folwer, Golden Homes, Orange Homes, & Stonewood. The worse was Peter Ray Homes as when I specified PVCu windows & doors, they simply weren't interested. I can't stress this enough, when you come across a company that can't accomodate your needs, they you best to walk out the door because it will just be a disaster throughout the construction process. Many of the other large builders that I mentioned try to lock you in by paying a $2000 - $3000 drawing fee for your house plans. Fowler isn't so bad as you have the option to take the plans with you if you don't decide to choose them to build. So for yourself and your husband, you'll really need to decide what type of house you want to build and if you'll be using non-standard building approaches. Stonewood homes does give you a wide selection of options you can choose to put into your house, however, they lock you in on fixed pricing of the option. Meaning, on their computer screen they may list $8000+ for wood flooring but when you go out and get 3 or 4 quotes from other wood floor supplier/installers, it may be only $6000. Remember, these builders have their own team of sub-contractors so they work to their pricing and built-in profit.

    Ultimately, we went with Mike Greer Homes. They were willing to draw house plans for free and do countless of modifications from the beginning to the end. Some builders charge a 'variation' fee. We had like 18 variations from the original plan and no fee was ever charged to make these changes. Most importantly, their builder was willing to work with other sub-contractors that you choose. Such as the electrical work done by myself which allowed me to be on site everyday throughout the build. In contrast to other builders that may not welcome he home owners on site at anytime of the day or night to inspect what has been done. But I must stress again, it all depends what you expect in your home, if you're happy with a standard conventional home, then there's no need to worry. Just pay the $ and watch how things go. It's only if you do things differently that you have to keep a watchful eye.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    was Oxford nr Chch, NZ now UK
    Posts
    1,288

    Default

    Thank you both for your input. We would be looking outside Chch or at least the outskirts. We previously lived in Oxford so are likely to go that area or maybe Darfield/Waddington way. Not sure if these areas would have been affected by the EQ and changes to insurance.

    We wouldn't have much if any input into the day to day build - just a visit probably once a week to see how things were progressing so a reputable builder is essential for us. Have looked at some builders online and they have pre-existing plans with a price - any idea if that IS the price or what extras could we expect? I suppose it is something we can't get a good handle on until we arrive in NZ but not sure if we can afford a build-your-own on our budget. Would really like to arrive with a plan to do this or not rather than wait and see.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •