It all starts with a vision.
Most of us embark on a new build with a rough idea of what we want our house to look like. Maybe you’ve seen a place that really speaks to you and you want to do your own take on it. Perhaps you’ve always hankered for a sprawling open plan farm house with a huge central kitchen and plenty of space for your young family. Maybe you’ve been dreaming of downsizing to something small but perfectly formed, now that the kids have all left home and you’re really sick of cleaning three loos.
What you want out of a new build will very much depend on whether you’re building for yourself or planning to on-sell in the future, but regardless of whether you’re creating your forever home or looking to turn a profit, there are a number of things to consider before you get into the nitty gritty of the design process.
Location, location, location.
Where you build can have a significant effect on your price per square metre. For instance, if you’re wanting to build on a hill, your site preparation costs will be greater. There is also potential for an increase in labour costs, due to access issues.
In earthquake-prone Canterbury, the technical category of your section must also be taken into account. Land that has been zoned TC3 will need to be inspected by a geotechnician in order to identify the best foundation design for your property. This may involve driving deep piles, or utilising a raft foundation, so you’ll looking at an added expense before you’ve even begun!
There are a number of other factors to consider when identifying a suitable location for your new build, including:
- Distance to local amenities
- Is the land prone to flooding or earthquake damage?
- Are there any consents relating to the site that you need to know about?
- What is the land zoned for?
- Drainage, drainage, drainage.
- Relevant covenants eg. minimum footprint, height restrictions.
- How many sunshine hours the area will receive in both summer and winter.
- Ease of access for tradies.
Size really does matter.
With the average house in New Zealand costing upwards of $2500 per square metre – and with the goal posts moving all the time in regards to the price of materials – it pays to think long and hard about how big your house needs to be. If the goal is to sell further down the line, then a minimum of three bedrooms and two bathrooms is basically mandatory these days, especially if you’re building in a subdivision with covenants.
Here in the land of the long white cloud we have the misfortune to have some of the highest building costs in the world, due in part to the fact that housing isn’t taxed as it is elsewhere, resulting in overly large, very expensive houses. The average house size here, while not quite up there with Australia (where, incidentally, it’s a lot cheaper to build) is greater than almost any other country in the OECD. From a practical standpoint this propensity to build big makes very little sense, as the family unit is shrinking by the decade.
At the end of the day, bigger isn’t cheaper.
If you’re looking to build small, be prepared to have an argument with your bank manager, as banking institutions are very much inclined towards the ‘bigger is better’ mentality. Developers also need to shoulder some of the blame, as they are fond of placing covenents on their subdivisions that stipulate a minimum house size, preying on the perception that a small home can make the rest of the street look a bit sub par.
Unfortunately, the way in which New Zealand builds are quoted by the square metreage certainly isn’t helping the issue. It gives rise to the perception that smaller houses are more expensive to build, as the kitchen, bathrooms and site preparation costs are divided by a smaller number, but don’t be fooled! It’s still cheaper to build small. If you’re building for just two people, it might make more sense to reduce your overall footprint in order to devote more of your budget to quality materials and high end design.
So when it comes to building a new home there is plenty of food for thought in regards to size and location, and that’s before we’ve even thought about framing, cladding, and design. In the next instalment we will look at the different options available in New Zealand, and discuss the pros and cons of each, before looking at the best ways to choose both your designer and your builder. Happy planning everyone!