North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Grassroots business heroes hailed
Most people can think of a business in their neighbourhood where a friendly, helpful person behind the counter goes out of their way to make them smile.
In association with Prospa, Neighbourly is again giving New Zealanders the chance to recognise these unsung heroes who make such an impact in our communities. Take Robert Fenwick, pictured, the owner of Fenwicks Pharmacy in Kaiapoi, Canterbury, who was nominated by his customers in the 2022 Prospa Local Business Hero initiative, then won the national award.
Fenwick was recognised for his contagious positivity and ongoing service and support through some of the region’s toughest times.
Kaiapoi resident Michael Mckay, who nominated Fenwick, said he had never left the pharmacy without a smile on his face.
‘‘Rob is a delightfully different character with a great sense of humour,’’ Mckay said. ‘‘The staff are all wonderful, professional and happy. They always pick you up.’’
Fenwick was ‘‘very surprised’’ to hear he had been nominated for the local hero award, and humbled when he heard he’d won.
‘‘There are plenty of other heroes out there,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m thankful. I appreciate the community.’’
Prospa New Zealand managing director Adrienne Begbie said it was important to recognise local heroes in the community because they were the people who had the most impact on everyday people.
‘‘Times are tough in many parts of the country, and sometimes it’s the small things that can make a big difference. Prospa Local Business Hero recognises the ordinary folk out there who go about their business with a sense of joy and selflessness, whose impacts on their communities are more farreaching than what they do for a living.
‘‘Small business is at the heart of what we do at Prospa and is the beating heart that brings communities together. We’re pleased to partner with
Neighbourly for the fifth year to support this initiative in our communities,’’ she said.
Head of Neighbourly Sarah Moore said the initiative draws communities together.
‘‘Many of the people who do the most impactful work do it because they’re genuinely good people, not because they want neighbourly.co.nz/ businesshero, acknowledgement,’’ she said. ‘‘Prospa Local Business Hero is a way to thank these people for their mahi and recognise how important they are to their communities.’’
QI bought my first property in the mid2000s, but it was built in the 1970s. Our family is growing, and so we’re planning to sell the house and move into a bigger one.
The previous owner renovated in the 90s, but it turns out the code compliance certificates for much of this work were never completed.
There is a lot of work to be done to bring it up to code – we’ve had one estimate of about $25,000 to $35,000.
This has really put a spanner in the works. Do you think we should get the work done before we sell the house, or will it be easier to sell it
‘‘as is, where is’’?
AI’m sorry to hear that you have encountered this issue. You’re not the first person to think, ‘‘If only we had checked these things properly at the time we bought the house.’’
However, things can easily get missed, particularly if you are new to the real estate process and don’t yet know all the best steps to take before buying.
Missing key due diligence steps can also occur when people are tempted to cut corners to secure a home they’ve fallen in love with.
Either way, it’s an important reminder to check the council files and get advice on what, if any, building consents your next property should have before you buy.
In terms of pre-purchase due diligence, a great place to start your research on a property is the Real Estate Authority’s online Property Checker tool at settled.govt.nz. By answering some basic questions about the property’s age and building materials, it will give you a list of specific things to look for and ask about to start identifying potential issues.
From there, if you’re definitely interested in a property, our advice at the Real
Estate Authority is that you get a LIM (Land Information Memorandum) report from the local council and your own building inspection report from an accredited building inspector (and the help of a property lawyer or conveyancer in interpreting these documents) before completing the purchase.
In terms of the sale of your current home, your first step should be to get a proper written quote from a reputable builder for the remedial work required. This will help you weigh up your options as to how to proceed.
A key consideration is what proportion of the total value of your home does the required building work represent.
If you decide to repair, talk to your builder and council to be sure you understand all the steps required and the probable timeline.
Even if you decide to sell your home ‘‘as is, where is’’, you are required to disclose the compliance issues to prospective buyers, and the builder’s assessment and quote will be particularly useful information for anyone considering taking the property on.
If you use a real estate agent, they will also need to ensure this information is disclosed to a potential buyer.
You must be forthcoming about the property’s issues with your real estate agent and prospective buyers. Inaccurate or incomplete disclosure would leave you vulnerable to legal issues down the track, and if your real estate agent fails to disclose this information, it could represent a breach of the Code of Conduct overseen by the Real Estate Authority.
The agent requires your consent to share information of this kind with buyers, but if you are unwilling to provide that consent, the Code of Conduct requires the real estate agent to cease working with you, in the interests of fairness and transparency.
To ensure a smooth and fair process, we strongly encourage sellers to be honest and upfront in providing information about their property.
When deciding your options for the sale of your home, it may be useful to look at this issue from a buyer’s perspective.
If you were the buyer, would you prefer making an offer below market value that reflected the uncertainty of what you were signing up for?
Or would you prefer a property that had all the correct paperwork in place and any building issues fixed?
Deciding to sell ‘‘as is, where is’’ may seem like the easier, quicker option, but it is important to seek legal advice before taking this route because the sale and purchase agreement will need to reflect that the property is being sold ‘‘as is, where is’’. This can affect the clauses and conditions.
Ideally, you should be able to have an honest conversation about your options with your real estate agent. It is likely that they may have seen a similar situation before and should be able to help you weigh up the pros and cons for each scenario.
Be wary of an agent who seems fixated on getting you to sell as soon as possible, no matter what – an agent you can trust should be prepared to support you to achieve your objectives with the sale and to ensure a fair transaction for all parties.
Regardless of which option you choose, best of luck with your sale.
Belinda Moffat is the chief executive of the Real Estate Authority, the independent government agency that regulates the conduct of real estate professionals in New Zealand.
For information about buying property, visit settled.govt.nz.
For information about the process of buying or selling property, and what to expect when working with a real estate professional, visit settled.govt.nz.
Have a question for Belinda? Email homed@stuff.co.nz.