Tips to keep your project on track
There’s no better place to get building advice than from those who’ve done it before. Shabnam Dastgheib reports.
Whether building off plan or designing a bespoke unconventional hillside house, the build process can be fraught with difficulties. Unknown costs, common pitfalls and consenting delays might be waiting around any (or every) corner, ready to trip up the unsuspecting, first-time home builder.
There’s often no better way to learn than by talking to those who have or are completing the build of their dream homes.
Their advice is to take your time, do your research, follow your gut and still expect a few blowouts.
Gisborne couple Angelique Walsh and Joseph Gloistein built their dream house near Wainui Beach in 2017.
They wanted to be as close to the beach as they could afford.
When they found a 2500-square metre section a short stroll from the beach and with a country outlook, it was love at first sight.
Gloistein is a professional builder and took almost a year off work to build their family home.
He advised anyone thinking of building to stay on their site for a few days to get a feel for the property before deciding where to situate the house.
‘‘Take your time to make sure you achieve your dream home and don’t rush decisions.’’
The couple decided on a barnhouse look as the most realistic way to achieve their dream home. They wanted to include high ceilings, mezzanine floors and big living spaces.
Their build budget was never static and was pushed out several times, but Walsh said following her heart when building her forever home was the most important thing.
Walsh said she was proud of her partner for working so hard to make their vision come to life.
‘‘My regrets, if any, are not going with my gut on some of the interior design features and playing it safe when I should have been brave. Make your home the way you want it.’’
Expect expensive delays if you’re building unconventionally
Former Block NZ winners Alex and Corban Walls found their piece of land in 2015, a steep and problematic 600sqm site with amazing views.
The section had been on the market for more than 20 years.
The couple worked with their architect Fraser Horton over several attempts to get the design right. Complicating things was a public sewer running across the site, the 40-degree pitch of the land and trying to please neighbours over height restrictions.
They decided on a three-bedroom home with living and dining upstairs and indoor-outdoor flow to a pool area.
Alex said they hadn’t expected the delays caused by the consent process, being mindful of neighbours, and trying to build a thermally efficient house that exceeded the building code, as
they thought the build process itself might take about a year.
Their house is only now nearing completion. ‘‘Our advice if you are wanting to build without a headache, is go through a spec home company and leave it up to them.
‘‘If you want to be innovative, you may have better luck building outside of Auckland.’’
She also recommended working with an architect who understood their desired style.
‘‘We know and have worked with our architect previously, which really helped the design process, and has meant we are really pleased with the final design.’’
Pinterest is your best friend, and your enemy
Rosie and Nick Rogers finished the build of their sprawling Wairarapa home in the middle of this year. The couple were fortunate to find a semirural section with views, water, bush and friendly neighbours and it was all go from there.
Their build came in on time and under-budget, mostly thanks to some excellent project management from their builder. Rosie said they didn’t bother going to different building companies for quotes and chose their builder based on word of mouth.
‘‘We just had a good rapport with him. You’re managing a big project and you need to work through tricky things together.’’
Rosie said compromise had to happen every day on the building site and between Nick and herself. ‘‘You really need to respect the other person involved in the process.’’
She wished she knew that they needed to order their taps right at the start and she would recommend people start their landscaping during the build rather than wait until the end.
Rosie advised those building to look at Pinterest with a grain of salt, as while it had great design ideas, a lot of the pictures were unachievable, impractical and non consentable.
‘‘Pinterest is your best friend, and your worst enemy at the same time.’’
Advice from a pro
Christchurch builder Chris Sinclair said good advice before the start of the build process was vital to everything running smoothly.
He said while shopping around for building quotes, it was important to understand what was included and what wasn’t.
Different builders and building companies worked to different specifications and careful comparisons at the start would help people avoid nasty surprises down the track.
‘‘If you’ve never built before, talk to someone who has and get them to compare the specs,’’ he said.
Sinclair also advised setting a budget and making sure the designer and everyone working on the build understood that figure.
‘‘Don’t rush the design, take time and get it done right, sit on it for a bit and get friends and family to look at it, as it’s a lot easier to change things at the start.’’