Archive for April, 2009

We often overlook all of the great resources that the Government provide via the various departments however there is a lot of information available for free to the taxpayer once you start looking. As a home buyer, seller, landlord or builder one of the first stops has to be the Department of Building and Housing. The Department of Building and Housing was established in 2004, bringing together building and housing sector policy and regulatory functions, and dispute resolution services from a range of agencies. 

The department is responsible for:

• ensuring an effective regulatory environment for the building and housing sector 
• delivering effective information, advice and dispute resolution services 
• providing policy advice to the Government on the building sector and residential tenancy market 
• analysing the housing environment 
• administering legislation such as the Building Act 2004, Residential Tenancies Act 1986 and Retirement Villages Act 2003. 

The department runs several websites with information and help on the above:

www.dbh.govt.nz

dbh.govt.nz is the primary site for the Department of Building and Housing and has a wealth on information on tenancy, building, leaky homes, statistics on the industry, and building code documents. The site also has contact details for the department if you can’t find the information you are looking for.  

www.smarterhomes.org.nz

Smarterhomes.org.nz provides information on building and creating smart homes – design, water use, energy use, materials and construction. I’m particularly interested in insulation as I feel it is a great way for us to save energy and be more comfortable. New Zealand homes are cold and the sooner we insulate and provide double-glazing the better. There is also a great section on water conservation and re-use which outlines ways we can save and re-use water. I think this is also another key area where the councils should also be looking to encourage greater adoption to conserve out water resources.

www.consumerbuild.org.nz

www.consumerbuild.org.nz has advice on building, renovating or maintaining a home. The site doesn’t go into great depth on any one topic but it does give you a great ‘leaping off point’ to find other information. If you don’t know where to start on a project or just need a bit of advice to get started then the Consumer Build site is a great resource.

So if you are looking to buy, build, sell, rent or renovate check out the resources at the Department of Building and Housing.

 I thought I would start a series of posts on some of the special properties I run across on zoodle and other real estate websites. My first stop is this amazing property on the shores of the Waitemata Harbour.  Kellands Real Estate has some great photos and some more details. Growing up I’ve always thought it would be cool to have a boat house. The idea of coming home from work, jumping in the boat and rolling down the launching ramp appeals immensely. Unfortunately this property is slightly out of my price range – time to start saving. 

Herne Bay has some amazing places for sale and is one of Auckland’s premier suburbs. The views back across the harbour to the North Shore and the upper reaches of the harbour are simply stunning.    

If anyone has any great houses in other parts of the country to share let me know.