Christchurch's loss has been Auckland's gain as demolition companies ship north thousands of metres of native timber salvaged from quake-damaged buildings.

The building industry is in crisis.

Last month 973 consents were issued for new dwelling units, down 29 per cent from February 2010.

There was a modest recovery in both home sales and prices in February.

Prime Minister John Key has conceded he received no official advice that some areas of quake-stricken Christchurch may need to be abandoned.

Official figures released today by Civil Defence tag the number of homes condemned to date in Christchurch at 2190 - about 7800 shy of John Key's estimate of 10,000 - causing some to question where the PM's office is getting its information

New Zealand building consents sank to a nine-year low in January as new home construction slumped.

Box Living aims for the higher end of NZ's design-and-build house market.

Three out of four New Zealand homes are failing to meet new energy-efficiency standards.

The residential building sector remained soft in September, with another fall in building consents.

The Govt has opened its first 'simple house', its answer to streamlining the design and build process for first-time buyers.

Fletcher Building, expects the residential property market to pick up next year when rebuilding begins in Canterbury and the government's response to 'leaky homes' comes into effect.

The number of consents issued for new homes has fallen to its lowest level in more than a year, Statistics NZ said today.