Latest news with #OneRoof
NZ Herald
8 hours ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Signs of a brewing building crisis cannot be ignored
OneRoof reported this week that building inspectors are warning they are seeing more low-quality and non-compliant work. More than a third of residential new builds in greater Auckland failed their final inspection in the year to May. The OneRoof investigation also found fears about 'cowboy' builders, consent-free granny flats becoming future 'slums', a string of apartment projects failures and home owners' lives ruined by defective dwellings. It comes amid an ambitious Government reform programme aiming to make building easier and more affordable. Changes include removing the building consent requirement for dwellings up to 70sq m, allowing 'trusted professionals' to sign off their own work, axing 'overly rigid' insulation rules and making it easier to use thousands of foreign building products. The cowboys are also in the reform crosshairs, with plans for stronger disciplinary powers, new waterproofing licences and an improved complaints process. The Government will review liability rules for bad builds that have often left ratepayers footing the bill, penalties for practitioners responsible for poor workmanship and company rules that enable directors to shut up one failed shop and start over with barely a trace. Building sector leaders emphasise that the vast majority of practitioners in New Zealand are skilled, trustworthy and unfairly tarred by a few shoddy brushes. That's of little comfort, however, for people whose lives have been ruined by a tricky tradie or dodgy development. Tens of thousands of Kiwis embark on new builds each year. They deserve a trustworthy system that arms them with the information they need to protect their biggest asset, and the confidence that if something goes wrong, those responsible will be held to account. Like moisture trapped in a wall, the scale of a construction disaster may not initially be outwardly obvious, but could lead to an enormous fallout. New Zealand is still recovering from the financial, emotional and reputational devastation of the leaky homes saga. Signs suggesting issues of similar scale could be developing again must be addressed before the rot sets in. Sign up to the Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
a day ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Auckland media boss confirmed as mystery buyer of $11.2m vacant waterfront Westmere section
And while the global media industry is struggling with falling advertising revenue and widespread layoffs, the Remix owner last month splashed out on a vacant West End Rd section on the shoreline of Coxs Bay. The 1000sq m site is just a few doors down from the $26m mansion owned by rich-listers Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams. Architect David Ponting's design for the home that is being built on the 1000sqm block of land on West End Rd, in Auckland's Westmere. Its $11.2m price tag includes plans for a luxury five-bedroom, three-bathroom home designed by architect David Ponting, complete with its own boat ramp. The vendor was Auckland property developer Jason Ellingham, who also owns the neighbouring $5m home where a worker was crushed to death during construction in 2023. In an unusual deal, Ellingham has agreed to build Phin's new home as part of the purchase price. It's understood Ellingham had planned to build the house for himself but his plans changed. The vacant site had been on the market for about a year until the contract was inked with Phin. The Herald sought comment from Phin about the timeline for the build, what attracted him to the site, and how a media company owner could afford his lavish property portfolio. He declined to comment. Media man and DJ Tim Phin (left) has posted selfies on his Instagram page posing with supermodels, including Miranda Kerr. Photo / Tim Phin However, a Society Insider source told the Herald Phin's long-time partner, digital designer Carl Thompson, was believed to have made millions selling a business several years ago and the pair had been living 'hugely extravagantly'. 'With the magazine, everything is sponsored – airfares, hotels, and [Phin] leverages it like that.' As well as being the founder of Remix Magazine, Tim Phin is a DJ. Photo / Tim Phin The property was sold by Bayleys agent Cristina Casares. She told OneRoof that Ellingham was a long-time admirer of Ponting's work and had enlisted the architect to create a private residence with strong architectural form, worthy of the extraordinary setting. An artist's impression of the five-bedroom home that's planned on the waterfront Westmere site. The five bedrooms were on the top floor, with the ground floor reserved for the living spaces, which flowed out to the pool, spa and sweeping, flat lawns. Ponting told OneRoof the inspiration always came back to nature and the home was a homage to the harbour. 'It would have been insane to do anything other than engage with that and do so in such a way that you feel could reach out and touch the water and feel completely immersed in that context.' Works commence on $11.2m vacant site Works on the site have recently commenced, with contractors rebuilding a rock seawall around the property. A resource consent has been issued for the work and rebuild of the existing boat ramp, which sits on land unlawfully reclaimed more than 100 years ago. Works have commenced on the site to rebuild a rock seawall and existing boat ramp. The consent decision says ordering the site to be returned to its original form would cause more harm than good due to sediment runoff caused by removing such a large amount of soil and fill. Part of the site will be designated public reserve, with the owner required to safeguard public access, the decision says. Auckland Council says a resource consent for the new dwelling was granted in 2022 and the Herald understands construction is due to start shortly. Lane Nichols is a senior journalist and Auckland desk editor for the New Zealand Herald with more than 20 years' experience in the industry. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
20-06-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Rotorua Home & Lifestyle Show returns
The Rotorua Home & Lifestyle Show is back next weekend at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre. The event from Friday to Sunday, June 27-29, in association with OneRoof, brings together some of New Zealand's leading suppliers and specialists in home building and renovation. It will offer attendees the opportunity to
Otago Daily Times
16-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Canterbury manor with indoor climbing wall, 18-car garage sold
The six-bedroom manor on Tai Tapu Rd. Photo: Supplied A large Canterbury home with an indoor climbing wall and 18-car garage has been snapped up by a local family after interest from as far away as the US and UK. Bayleys listing agent Chris Jones told he was unable to disclose the sale price of the six-bedroom estate on Tai Tapu Road in the Selwyn district. But he told OneRoof he had only shown the property, which has an RV of just $5 million, to qualified buyers. "It generated quite a bit of inquiry because it's not something you see every day, with the garaging and the climbing wall. It's a massive home. "We had 10 people through, and at the higher end of the lifestyle market that is a lot. The vendors were very pleased.' A climbing wall in the two-storey home. Photo: Supplied He said many of the overseas buyers were frustrated to learn that they weren't qualified to buy in New Zealand. "The Americans do not really understand our rules. They say: 'We'd like to buy that' and don't understand why they cannot. Even on the new investment visa, it is not a five-minute process getting residency." The 1373sq m home was larger than most city sections and sat on more than 4ha beside the Halswell River. One of the vendors told OneRoof the previous owners, Canterbury racing enthusiasts Debbie and Dennis Chapman, had installed the two-storey professional-grade climbing wall that shoots through the inside of the home. The wall was built for their then-teenage children and came with an auto belay system. The garage has a car hoist, extra-height doors for boats and a kitchenette and bathroom. At one point there was an indoor pool, but the vendors covered it up and turned the room into an entertaining space. They also converted a go-cart room into a large billiards/pool room, complete with a kauri table from the Mataura Paper Mill employees' social clubrooms. The vendors, Richard and wife Lynda, said they bought the estate after their beloved 'forever home' was nearly destroyed in the 2010 Christchurch earthquake. They told OneRoof in April that they were selling because they had found a way to repair their old home. 'It's one of those earthquake stories where your house is a write-off, you don't know if it can be repaired, you think you're going to move on and then find you can fix it,' they told OneRoof.
Otago Daily Times
16-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Canterbury manor with indoor climbing wall sold
The six-bedroom manor on Tai Tapu Rd. Photo: Supplied A large Canterbury home with an indoor climbing wall and 18-car garage has been snapped up by a local family after interest from as far away as the US and UK. Bayleys listing agent Chris Jones told he was unable to disclose the sale price of the six-bedroom estate on Tai Tapu Road in the Selwyn district. But he told OneRoof he had only shown the property, which has an RV of just $5 million, to qualified buyers. "It generated quite a bit of inquiry because it's not something you see every day, with the garaging and the climbing wall. It's a massive home. "We had 10 people through, and at the higher end of the lifestyle market that is a lot. The vendors were very pleased.' A climbing wall in the two-storey home. Photo: Supplied He said many of the overseas buyers were frustrated to learn that they weren't qualified to buy in New Zealand. "The Americans do not really understand our rules. They say: 'We'd like to buy that' and don't understand why they cannot. Even on the new investment visa, it is not a five-minute process getting residency." The 1373sq m home was larger than most city sections and sat on more than 4ha beside the Halswell River. One of the vendors told OneRoof the previous owners, Canterbury racing enthusiasts Debbie and Dennis Chapman, had installed the two-storey professional-grade climbing wall that shoots through the inside of the home. The wall was built for their then-teenage children and came with an auto belay system. The garage has a car hoist, extra-height doors for boats and a kitchenette and bathroom. At one point there was an indoor pool, but the vendors covered it up and turned the room into an entertaining space. They also converted a go-cart room into a large billiards/pool room, complete with a kauri table from the Mataura Paper Mill employees' social clubrooms. The vendors, Richard and wife Lynda, said they bought the estate after their beloved 'forever home' was nearly destroyed in the 2010 Christchurch earthquake. They told OneRoof in April that they were selling because they had found a way to repair their old home. 'It's one of those earthquake stories where your house is a write-off, you don't know if it can be repaired, you think you're going to move on and then find you can fix it,' they told OneRoof.
