Cost to Build a New House in NZ, or Buy Existing?

Are you buying a house in NZ?

Have you considered the cost of building a new home?

Here’s some food for thought before you commit to a mortgage!

On a Side Note: - Here the best selling DIY product for home owners in 2012... over 4500 sold in NZ already! - Watch Demo Video Here

We moisture test homes all over NZ, and one of the most common questions we get from clients, is “If this home was built to the old ‘leak building’ code, could it cause us leaking problems into the future, even if it’s not leaking now?”. The short answer is “yes” in many cases if the house isn’t maintained correctly (especially houses with ’leaky building’ design issues).

More and more, clients are now starting to realise that it may work out better to buy a section and build! So rather than agonise over buying a potential ‘time bomb’ that may either be leaking now, or turn into a leaky home down the track… why not build a fresh new house! Benefits:

Brand new… choose your colours
Treated timber will be used in the external walls
It will be constructed with a cavity system
10 year master builders warranty in most cases
You can build a solid brick and tile that has proven to withstand the test of time (Unlike some plaster systems)
Not a leaky home!

Today I was doing a leaky building test for a client looking to purchase a home in Albany on the North Shore. The house was $670,000 to buy… and the plaster system was making the buyer very nervous. This house was 180sqm. Now, lets look at some numbers to compare building v’s buying an existing dwelling that could already be leaking…

If you can buy a section in your desired area (or nearby) in a residential area that already has water and power running to the front gate, for about $300,000… then in the case of the example above, the buyer still has $370,000 left over to build the house. If they can get the house built for $2000sqm (at the time of writing, this figure is above the average build cost according to the department of building and housing), then they end up spending the same amount of money as the plaster home they were about to purchase, except this time they get a brand new home the same size… stress free!

The point of writing this article, is to remind you to ‘run the numbers’ on building a new home as part of your research in the area. If there is no available land left around the particular area you desire to live, then you don’t have an option to build new… but wouldn’t you prefer to move 1omins down the road and have the peace of mind a new home would bring you?

If you have your eye on an existing home… get a thermal imaging moisture test first!

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Client Comments... (All testimonials can be verified as true and correct... updated in 2011)

I enlisted Dean’s services 2 days prior to “D-day” of us purchasing our first NZ home. Dean proved to be an extremely efficient and knowledgeable technician. He has a very good understanding not only of his specific field, but also of general building requirements. He was easily able to spot, and talk me through, existing as well as potential problems, and was very open to answering the myriads of questions I fired his way. Most importantly, he gave me non-biased answers, allowing me to make an objective decision regarding the purchase of a potentially leaky home. Thanks again for excellent service Dean! Simone P - Titirangi

We have lived for some time in an old weather board cottage which we have renovated over a period of years. Recently we discovered a leak, so we googled “find a leak” and found a comprehensive and detailed website of the same name. Next we spoke to Dean and an appointment was made. He was punctual, courteous and his experience was obvious. His thermal imaging equipment is ‘state of the art’ and the source leak was quickly detected.

Dean was able offer practical solutions which we can act on with confidence. As a result of this experience we would recommend the use of his skills before the sale or purchase of any property to be reassured as to the integrity of the property. Dean is personable, a superb communicator and a true professional. Maggie & David M - Waiatarua

Dean was very professional and I would highly recommend anyone that is thinking of buying a property to get thermal testing done. Fortunately it was by pure chance that I even knew these tests were available after speaking to my neighbour and he advising me. The house we were looking at had water leaks and Dean has saved me many thousands of dollars in the long run. David G - West Auckland

Dean is a very professional and friendly guy. He goes step by step through the process which is very valuable. When he finds a potential problem he immediately notified to me and discussed with me in details on what actions could be taken. Anyway no major problems were detected in the property I wanted to purchase. However I greatly advice anyone to obtain Dean's professional service to make sure the property is in a satisfactory condition. Robbie P - Glen Eden

Thank you very much for the great service, very professional and appreciated the time taken to explain the process. Very glad to know that with all the stigma that goes with plaster houses, ours is not a leaky home. The report has helped pin-point some areas for maintenance which we plan to undertake sooner rather than later..Thanks again. Heather M - Maraetai

We were a bit apprehensive about what the leak detection might find, but found Dean’s confident, friendly and very capable approach extremely reassuring. While we were greatly relieved by the findings concerning the exterior of the house, Dean’s thoroughness in looking also for internal issues uncovered a surprise bath leak. Thanks Dean for solving the mysterious odour that’s been bothering us for the last 6 months! We highly recommend Dean to anyone with even the slightest concerns regarding moisture in their homes. Kevin - West Auckland

Thank you Dean for your prompt service. I was given 2 days to have a Building inspection done which found some dampness in the house. It was well worth the money spent as Dean found some other damp issues. He was very thorough and very informative and even though there were issues with the house they were all fixable so I was then able to re negotiate the purchase price. I would recommend anyone buying a house- any type of building structure to have ’Thermo Imaging’ as part of a building inspection. Thank you once again. Maree, Glendowie

We had some concerns about a recently renovation house including a lower basement. Being nosey I popped around to join Dean on his inspection. Apart from enjoying meeting him, Dean was enormously informative, approachable & friendly, I found the technology & information I gleaned fascinating. Fortunately, we identified no significant issues with the property. It gave us great peace of mind & we can enjoy our new home knowing we have bought a dry, water tight property with with hidden surprises. Thank you Dean for your help & reassurance. To my mind it is certainly worth the modest sum versus potential costs you could incur which could also mar one of most expensive purchases of your life.. Diane - Devonport

Read 20 more testimonials Here!