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Article in this mornings NZ HErald about the new Building Act:
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Regards
Article in this mornings NZ HErald about the new Building Act:
A beginner’s guide to the new Building Act
30.04.05
By Catherine Smith
Building to deadline principal building officer, Auckland City Council.
New Zealand is a nation of DIYers. While the Building Act 2004, which came into force on March 31 this year, is not about to shift our fondness for DIY, there are some crucial changes that homeowners need to be aware of.
The most important thing about a long-term DIY project is that there are new timeframes around building consents, such as:
You now need to begin your project within 12 months of your building consent being issued.
You must be able to finish the project detailed in the building consent within 24 months of the consent being granted.
Under the new regulations, inspections will be done against the original building consent. Any work that is not detailed in the consent will be considered unconsented work. This means that if you do make changes, you will need to apply for an amendment to the building consent before starting the new work.
This has obvious implications if you’re planning to work on a renovator’s delight as a do-up over several years. However, don’t despair.
With thorough planning and treating your project in chunks, you can still buy the property and do it up. If the whole project is going to take longer than 24 months, break it down into parts and apply for a separate consent for each.
These timeframes mean good project planning upfront is essential. Make sure you take the necessary time with all your tradespeople and suppliers before you apply for your building consent. Agree on details like all the materials, window placements, plumbing fixtures and so on.
The added benefit of this planning is that it can help avoid costly variations and budget blow-outs. As changes now require an amendment (before you can start the new work), the more thorough your planning upfront the less likely these costly delays.
In 2009, DIYers will be further restricted in what they carry out as another component of the Building Act comes into force. While not yet properly defined, restricted work means work that if done badly has the potential to cause significant harm to people or cause costly property damage. The 2009 changes mean that work must be done by a licensed building practitioner.
The Act allows tradespeople to supervise the DIYer, but in reality, I suspect the practicalities of this may be too unattractive for tradespeople to bother with. But remember, if your project is likely to run into 2009, build the cost of using a licensed builder for restricted work into your budget.
It’s easy to see the Building Act 2004 as more restrictive, but we need to start thinking more about assurance of quality work. The Act’s intention is to encourage better practices in building design and construction resulting in quality building work that people can rely on.
Everyone is entitled to a home that is built to a high standard and future owners need to have confidence in the property they are buying.
If you’re looking at a DIY investment the message is this - get it built right, first time.
For more information about the Building Act, phone Auckland City on 379 2020, or go to www.aucklandcity.govt.nz.
30.04.05
By Catherine Smith
Building to deadline principal building officer, Auckland City Council.
New Zealand is a nation of DIYers. While the Building Act 2004, which came into force on March 31 this year, is not about to shift our fondness for DIY, there are some crucial changes that homeowners need to be aware of.
The most important thing about a long-term DIY project is that there are new timeframes around building consents, such as:
You now need to begin your project within 12 months of your building consent being issued.
You must be able to finish the project detailed in the building consent within 24 months of the consent being granted.
Under the new regulations, inspections will be done against the original building consent. Any work that is not detailed in the consent will be considered unconsented work. This means that if you do make changes, you will need to apply for an amendment to the building consent before starting the new work.
This has obvious implications if you’re planning to work on a renovator’s delight as a do-up over several years. However, don’t despair.
With thorough planning and treating your project in chunks, you can still buy the property and do it up. If the whole project is going to take longer than 24 months, break it down into parts and apply for a separate consent for each.
These timeframes mean good project planning upfront is essential. Make sure you take the necessary time with all your tradespeople and suppliers before you apply for your building consent. Agree on details like all the materials, window placements, plumbing fixtures and so on.
The added benefit of this planning is that it can help avoid costly variations and budget blow-outs. As changes now require an amendment (before you can start the new work), the more thorough your planning upfront the less likely these costly delays.
In 2009, DIYers will be further restricted in what they carry out as another component of the Building Act comes into force. While not yet properly defined, restricted work means work that if done badly has the potential to cause significant harm to people or cause costly property damage. The 2009 changes mean that work must be done by a licensed building practitioner.
The Act allows tradespeople to supervise the DIYer, but in reality, I suspect the practicalities of this may be too unattractive for tradespeople to bother with. But remember, if your project is likely to run into 2009, build the cost of using a licensed builder for restricted work into your budget.
It’s easy to see the Building Act 2004 as more restrictive, but we need to start thinking more about assurance of quality work. The Act’s intention is to encourage better practices in building design and construction resulting in quality building work that people can rely on.
Everyone is entitled to a home that is built to a high standard and future owners need to have confidence in the property they are buying.
If you’re looking at a DIY investment the message is this - get it built right, first time.
For more information about the Building Act, phone Auckland City on 379 2020, or go to www.aucklandcity.govt.nz.
Regards
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