Latest fromHouse Building
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Consumer Watch: Small cities, big cost
Some of the most expensive places in which to build in New Zealand are not the big cities with highest demand and dearest house prices.
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Cold, damp and overcrowded
Cold and damp conditions are adding to health problems, including pneumonia and tuberculosis, faced by residents of overcrowded homes.
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Success: Home building still in the family
Lockwood's third generation says sticking to what they do best is working.
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Aussie housing sector struggling
There is further evidence the Aussie housing sector is struggling, but it may not be enough to get the Reserve Bank of Australia to cut its interest rate.
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'Not in my back yard'
In a sign of the discontent spreading across many suburbs, residents are now mobilising to save their homes, sunlight and views against plans for intensification in the new unitary plan.
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Rob Hutchison: Council must be bolder on future
Intensification isn't just about getting more height; it's about being smarter with what we have, writes Rob Hutchison.
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Fast-track plumber bill draws fire
The Government is under fire for fast-tracking legislation which retrospectively legalises the unlawful collection of thousands of dollars in fees from plumbers and gasfitters.
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Don't pay too early
A couple who took out a Master Builders guarantee and paid more than $500,000 in progress payments on their new home are in danger of getting nothing back after their builder went under - because they paid too much in advance.
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Govt cool on heat plan
The future of a $330 million subsidised home heating and insulation scheme is in doubt despite tracking ahead of budget and being considered a huge success.
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Brian Rudman: Planning to move with the times
Aucklanders are now able to go online and discover how their own home and neighbourhoods are affected by the new masterplan, writes Brian Rudman.
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Developer hopes Unitary Plan brings certainty
A property developer who has copped flak for proposed apartments at Milford hopes Auckland's Unitary Plan will provide more certainty.
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Govt piles on pressure for housing land
The Government is becoming increasingly heavy-handed over Auckland's housing shortage, with talk of a new Crown agency to free up more land.
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New home buyers hurt
People signing to build a house are being warned that hiring a Master Builder doesn't mean automatically getting a guarantee.
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NZ buildings on course for change
Our building stock could look radically different in the next few years as owners and architects introduce new seismic elements, an expert says.
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NZ building consents fall on drop in apartments
Home-building consents fell last month as a drop in approvals for apartments offset gains for other types of dwellings
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Charles Waldegrave: Find a real answer on housing affordability
The Greens, not always practical in these policy areas, have come up with a solution that addresses the problem, writes Charles Waldegrave.
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Bryan Gould: Blame ideology for housing crisis
Not only does the Govt deny responsibility but they have conveniently found a scapegoat in those who do not share their political view, writes Bryan Gould.
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Apartments drive building consents
Consents for 127 retirement village units is one feature of strong building consents data for December.
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Brian Rudman: Affordable housing? It's right under your nose, guys
Bill English should look into a mirror next time he points the finger at Auckland Council for not doing enough to encourage affordable housing, writes Brian Rudman.
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Quake repairs lift building sector
The building sector has taken off and Canterbury earthquake repairs are one of its biggest drivers.
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Affordable housing: Political battlefield
Just over four months ago, printer Layton Armstrong and vet Charmaine Abraham began house-hunting in the Otahuhu/Mt Wellington area, looking at places going for about $400,000.
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Property Matters: Seismic work put at $100b
Property sector could face bills dwarfing the leaky building issue.
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Housing money flowing north
House builders and buyers are creating a buzz on Whangarei's Tutukaka coast, as Aucklanders and expats have ramped up purchases of coastal property this year.