Building a new house in Wellington

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601 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 83

#1822063 13-Jul-2017 17:30

Thanks everyone. I already own the land and it is one of a kind and I hope it will work out. Rural section that you can build a life style block in vicinity of city centre within 3-4kms don't come in often.

If you want to build in Wellington I think you have to be prepared to build on a slope.

I hope I can make it work. That's why I was looking for a recommended builder / construction team.

Wilko

62 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 12

#1822511 14-Jul-2017 14:55

Large national building firms tend to sub-contract out the construction of a house to labour only workers, so you do not know what standard the workers will maintain. A smaller builder is more likely to have full control of the build.

If possible, check the local Certified Builders or Master Builders (I prefer Certified Builders as they are trade qualified while any building company owner can become a Master Builder). Ask at least 3 builders to give you a firm price (Wellington builders are pretty busy, so you may have trouble getting interested builders). Ask them to show you some of their completed houses, so you can check the quality of their work.

Be careful if you are supplying some items for the build or organising your own sub-contractors (such as tiling or painting or the like) - this can lead to arguments over access to the site and the quality of work with each blaming the other, and also affect any guarantees. The main contractor normally has control over access to a building site - it could affect health and safety regulations.

mattwnz

20515 posts

Uber Geek
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#1822537 14-Jul-2017 15:08

Wilko:

Large national building firms tend to sub-contract out the construction of a house to labour only workers, so you do not know what standard the workers will maintain. A smaller builder is more likely to have full control of the build.

If possible, check the local Certified Builders or Master Builders (I prefer Certified Builders as they are trade qualified while any building company owner can become a Master Builder). Ask at least 3 builders to give you a firm price (Wellington builders are pretty busy, so you may have trouble getting interested builders). Ask them to show you some of their completed houses, so you can check the quality of their work.

Be careful if you are supplying some items for the build or organising your own sub-contractors (such as tiling or painting or the like) - this can lead to arguments over access to the site and the quality of work with each blaming the other, and also affect any guarantees. The main contractor normally has control over access to a building site - it could affect health and safety regulations.

If employing own subcontractors, you have to make sure the contract and specifications say that they must work together and coordinate. It really shouldn't be any different though, because the builder would otherwise just be employing the same or similar sub contractors. I would also get it written into the contract that sub contractors are forbidden from subcontracting out the work any further. I had a subcontractor who then subbed it out, and had huge problems with the workmanship of the other company, and had to hire a third party expert to prove that it wasn't up to standard. Also if subs are subcontracting out, then they must be quoting too much, as there would then be multiple people in the chain clipping the ticket for the work.

Also for a bespoke build, using a national franchise may not be the best option, as they will have preferred materials and suppliers they will try to push on you. My brother had quotes from a range of builders, and the national franchise one wanted to substitute a lot of the materials, and their price was also the highest, although it had errors in it. I guess more people clipping the ticket.

Insanekiwi

601 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 83

#1822587 14-Jul-2017 16:39

Thanks Matt.

Completely agree with you. My friend went with A1, which got subcontracted to another building company, then Good Friday, then some other guy; apparently 5 times. That is just not on. I am going to find a building team who will actually build my house. Your point is very very important!

gchiu

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#1823092 16-Jul-2017 06:48

I sympathise with you. Two years ago we started to plan on building a granny size flat at the rear of the house. The only access is via a narrow pathway so everything has to be carried by hand down there. Luckily it's flat at the rear, though it's a steep walk around the house to the back.

Initial costing was $2750/m2 (40 m2 house) which last week on re-costings has risen to $4500/m2! And we already own the land.

Part, but not all of this, is due to Geotech saying we need to drive piles to 5 m since we're on soft ground. Never mind that penetrometer testing only went to 2 m, and none of the 1940s Karori houses around us has piles that go even half 5 m down!

So, part of the increased cost is over-engineering. And part because NZ just pays way too much for building materials.

And we chose to prefabricate everything. So, everything that can be will be CNC'd at Seaview and hand-carried down with assembly on site. Excluding foundations, the build should only take a couple of weeks.

gchiu

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#1823094 16-Jul-2017 06:56

Insanekiwi:

I was expecting around $3300-$3400/m2 but currently my calculation is that including the outdoor area - $4000/m2.

I just can't downsize anymore as I have already sacrificed one bedroom...

I had 2-3 estimates to build a 200+ m2 house from a QS a couple of years ago, and they were both in that $4k/m2 range.

If you're not facing North with passive house heating, I'd prefer to reduce the house size and get the envelope done properly.

As for solar panels, I'm not sure they can be justified yet especially since Wellington's power is mainly from renewable resources. If you really want solar panels then I'd consider Solar City who will install for you as long as you contract with them to pay for the electricity that is generated by them. Over the term of the contract, they will provide two storage batteries.

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andrewNZ

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#1823100 16-Jul-2017 08:33

Put drains in the floor of all the wet or risk areas (bathrooms, laundry, kitchen, under the hot water cylinder if there is one, etc). You'll be glad you did when a drain blocks or something springs a leak.

gchiu

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#1823120 16-Jul-2017 09:41

andrewNZ: Put drains in the floor of all the wet or risk areas (bathrooms, laundry, kitchen, under the hot water cylinder if there is one, etc). You'll be glad you did when a drain blocks or something springs a leak.

I'm not a fan of those showers where they slope to a drain, but each to their own

andrewNZ

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Uber Geek
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#1823127 16-Jul-2017 09:58

gchiu:
andrewNZ: Put drains in the floor of all the wet or risk areas (bathrooms, laundry, kitchen, under the hot water cylinder if there is one, etc). You'll be glad you did when a drain blocks or something springs a leak.

I'm not a fan of those showers where they slope to a drain, but each to their own

I don't like those either, I'm just saying a drain in the floor, so that when the bath/basin overflows, it flows down a drain, not throughout the house.

I've personally seen several major floods that would have been little more than an inconvenience if there was a drain in the floor.

gchiu

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#1823132 16-Jul-2017 10:07

andrewNZ:

I don't like those either, I'm just saying a drain in the floor, so that when the bath/basin overflows, it flows down a drain, not throughout the house.

I've personally seen several major floods that would have been little more than an inconvenience if there was a drain in the floor.

And I've had those drains in the floor which have done absolutely nothing to stop floorboards from rotting :(

I guess with time the floor slope changes with settlement.

Insanekiwi

601 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 83

#1823133 16-Jul-2017 10:09

I would rather have solid foundation and piles to 5 metres of required to ensure the house is stable. Have already spoken to a QS and feels that we need 3400-4000/m2 on spec I want. Will aim to reduce the size a little to achieve what we need. We are north east facing and all day sun. Don't like solar city having the ownership of these panels when the house may need to be sold before the contract date which could be years. Good tip on the drains will look into it. Thanks.

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gchiu

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#1823138 16-Jul-2017 10:21

Insanekiwi: I would rather have solid foundation and piles to 5 metres of required to ensure the house is stable. ... Don't like solar city having the ownership of these panels when the house may need to be sold before the contract date which could be years. Good tip on the drains will look into it. Thanks.

I'd rather have base isolation myself but I don't know if anyone is doing that in the domestic market. Even if piles are down 5 m, the ground goes a lot deeper than that.

As for the panels' ownership, I'd just put that in the contract when you sell. Or, perhaps Solar City can take them off and put them on the house you move to?