Building a new Garage

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patrias77

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# 251685 6-Jul-2019 16:44

I would like to get an advice, please. I and my wife are on hunt for a house in Christchurch and most of the garages what we see are quite small or just not the right size. I am welder fabricator so would like to make some long trailer sometimes in it or just convert some high van into a campervan. So I am sure once we buy a house I would like to replace that tiny garage for something like 12x6 with 3m hight of the garage door.

So my questions are:

1st. How complicated would be to remove some old garage from the property? Could I do it my self? hire a skip and take apart the whole thing? and do I need any permission from city council to do it?

2nd. Got a quote for standard double garage from local Shed company $25 - $30k include all or just a kit for $9-13$.

Does a kit mean that I can just buy a kit and build my self or do I need a qualificat builder to put this up for me?

or What would be the best procedure in a case like this to save the most money.

3rd. What should I be looking at during buying a house to make that possible to put that big garage on the property in Christchurch

Thanks for all the comments.

DarthKermit

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# 2271116 6-Jul-2019 17:43

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You really need to check with the ChCh council about building permits, etc.

nickb800

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# 2271151 6-Jul-2019 20:10

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1) Generally you don't need consent for a straightforward demolition, but do of course do need to have a good plan to ensure parts of the building don't collapse on you or your neighbours (esp if garage is hard against the boundary). https://www.ccc.govt.nz/consents-and-licences/building-consents/types-of-projects/residential-demolition-removal-and-relocation/

2) The kit garages will have additional costs for consenting and a concrete slab, which will bring the cost closer to that of the full install option. To build yourself, you would need to go down the 'owner builder exemption' route, which is a bit of paperwork allowing you to build yourself while still subject to usual building inspections at key stages. This stays on the LIM for the property, so future buyers can see you built the garage yourself. This might be a bit of a red flag if you DIY'd the house, but I don't think future buyers will be too scared by a DIY garage.

I'd be inclined to go for a turnkey option from a major garage company - that's what they do, they will be quick and therefore the cost should be pretty sharp (and I say that as a keen DIYer).

3) I'd be aiming for a suitable section to build a garage without needing a resource consent (even though they would be pretty straightforward for a garage in most cases). You'll want to check the district plan in relation to the section to see what sort of setbacks from the boundary are required https://ccc.govt.nz/the-council/plans-strategies-policies-and-bylaws/plans/christchurch-district-plan/

Wheelbarrow01

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Chorus

# 2271766 8-Jul-2019 11:30

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It's also worth mentioning that when considering building a garage in Christchurch, you need to know what TC category the property falls into (TC1, TC2 or TC3), as this will dictate the level of engineering required for your concrete slab to ensure structural integrity in future earthquakes. Engineered foundations can cost plenty of money, so deep pockets may be required.

To give you some idea, I received a significant sum of insurance money to rebuild my run of the mill double garage which was damaged in the earthquakes. It seemed like a huge windfall until I learned that I can expect to pay over half of that amount just to get the correctly engineered foundations poured. Add in costs for boundary surveying and sums for drainage & electrical requirements and all of a sudden there is not that much left in the pot for supply and build of the actual garage.

I strongly suggest you seek advice from the professionals - Versatile Garages or Skyline will provide you with good advice. They do this sort of thing every day so can help you avoid any rookie mistakes. You can also call the council and ask to speak to their Duty Planner who can also offer very useful advice too.

The big thing to remember is that there are rules on maximum site coverage and recession planes that need to be adhered to otherwise Resource Consent will be required (painful and potentially expensive) in addition to a building consent. You can't just build a big monstrosity that takes up your entire back yard and shades the neighbour's house - the council (and/or your neighbour) is likely to say no to that.

neb

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# 2271815 8-Jul-2019 12:52

patrias77:
Got a quote for standard double garage from local Shed company $25 - $30k include all or just a kit for $9-13$.

A double garage is going to be more than the 20m3 limit for unpermitted work, so you may need to get a permit for that. However, there's an exception for repair or replacement of outbuildings, so if you're not building a new garage but merely replacing the existing garage you mention that may be OK, as long as it fits within the requirements.

richms

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# 2271838 8-Jul-2019 13:48

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If the old garage has asbestos cladding then demolition will be a crazy price.

Richard rich.ms

nickb800

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# 2271881 8-Jul-2019 15:00

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neb:
patrias77:
Got a quote for standard double garage from local Shed company $25 - $30k include all or just a kit for $9-13$.

A double garage is going to be more than the 20m3 limit for unpermitted work, so you may need to get a permit for that. However, there's an exception for repair or replacement of outbuildings, so if you're not building a new garage but merely replacing the existing garage you mention that may be OK, as long as it fits within the requirements.

That's a 10m2 exemption, so basically only relevant to garden sheds, not even single garages.

Great point about replacement - saves the cost of a slab too if you can make it work