Auckland Home Show starts today

The Home Show is good because you’ve got access to so much information all in one place . . .

For almost 40 years savvy decorators in the Auckland region have been taking advantage of the Auckland Home Show, an annual event that enables visitors to cover a huge amount of building, renovating, landscaping or decorating ground in a relatively short time.

Sarah Fraser and her husband are renovating a villa. They are planning to go to the Home Show this week but their minds will actually be on their next project.

“We’ll be looking at cabinetry, finishes, in fact the whole nine yards,” she says.

“The Home Show is good because you’ve got access to so much information all in one place.

“I often find interesting features I’ve never come across before, like a pull-down internal clothes line for a laundry. I think that’s such a good idea.”

Visitors to daily seminars featuring architects, builders and interior designers can get expert advice covering the start of a project — the planning and consents side of things — through to a successful outcome.

Facing taking down an existing dwelling and a major basement dig for her new-build, Sarah will be looking for advice on resource consents and choosing the right builder.

“There’s so much to be taken into account,” she says. “We want to get good service at a reasonable price without taking shortcuts.”

She knows that even small details can add value to a home and that’s what she’s looking out for.

Landscaping, kitchens and bathrooms are wellcovered this year with free kitchen design consultations and cooking demonstrations with chefs, including Simon Gault and Brett McGregor.

Since its inception in 1980, the products and services on display have become ever-more sophisticated for visitors wanting to equip their property with cutting edge technology in terms of security and home entertainment.

The need for sustainability and reduced energy usage is a theme that runs throughout the event in terms of building materials and heating and cooling products.

■ Auckland Home Show is at ASB Showgrounds from Wednesday, September 5 to Sunday, September 9. It is open from 10am daily.

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