Buying a section and deciding to build a new home is merely the start. Is the building process straight-forward or are there hidden pitfalls? How much guarantee can you be assured of?
In New Zealand, and partly as a result of the leaky building debacle, the responsibility for the quality of the build rests with the builder who, now by law, must be licensed and must supply a ten year guarantee. That, says Kevin Stratful of David Reid Homes, has sorted out the good from the bad in that builders must have the wherewithal to provide those warranties.
There's also a sea-change occurring in who we ask to build our homes. In the past, and in line with Kiwi tradition, new homes were likely a one-off design built by a one-man-band operator and some new home owners would finish off the internal work themselves. But new legislation governing a raft of building functions means it's no longer legal for the unqualified to carry out major work.
In fact the Kiwi custom of building houses to a single design is in direct contrast to overseas practice. In the USA, Australia or in Britain for instance, group housing accounts for around 80 percent of the new-build market. In New Zealand it's only around 20 percent. But it's changing and one of the reasons is security.
A number of sub-contractors, particularly the young or those employed by solo carpenters, have headed to Christchurch or have dashed off to Australia as the recession began to bite. Qualified trades people are in short supply.
Yet at David Reid Homes the number of 'subbies' has remained consistent and Kevin Stratful says his company has experienced a 'definite' increase in enquiry levels over the past six months.
"The Bay of Islands is being discovered by people from all over, and up here you can put more money into the house because the land cost has declined which is totally opposite to Auckland where all the money goes into the land as land costs spiral. This has seen a boom in double story homes on 400 sq. mtr sections, which again is against the Kiwi idea of a free flowing indoor outdoor style of home."
If the kiwi half acre paradise is long gone in Auckland, this far north these plots are still plentiful and Aucklanders are certainly sussing us out. Obviously the Far North lifestyle is a lure but other factors are emerging too. High-speed broadband means a dedicated office is no longer a necessity and, given that a road is earmarked to reduce the notorious Warkworth bottle-neck, Auckland is slowly becoming within commuting distance.
In fact Far North District Council statistics show that new building permits (known as Residential 1-3) have risen 159 percent in the past year with the dollar value of some complex resident builds reaching 'the high end'.