Buying a section or land to build your new home on in New Zealand is a big commitment, you want to be sure to do your research and cover all bases.
Here's 7 things you may want to consider when choosing a section to buy whether in Palmerston North, Manawatu or anywhere in New Zealand
Size and layout
It is important to consider what type of home you are wanting to build and weather it will suit the section. For example a spacious 4 bedroom family home with plenty of backyard for the kids may not fit on a 400 sqm section in town. Regulations such as boundary distances and site coverage may restrict how much of the section you can build on. In some cases resource consent can be applied for to go outide of these regulations but of course this will increase costs.
What services are in place?
Asking what services are available to be connected to is an important question when viewing sections or land. Most developments will provide "services to the boundary" including power, water, gas, phone and internet. Consider the distance from the house to the gate. Rural areas tend to require some services to be installed by the home builder so these costs should be taken into consideration.
Are there any building convenants?
There may by building convenants on the section you are looking at buying. These a special terms or requirments put in place by the developers. These may include limitations on the use of certain building materials, type of building or building heights. Be sure to read and understand these rules to check if your dream home will be accepcted.
Neighbouring properties
Look around to see where other houses are located or more importantly where they may be located once they are built. If you are buying in a new sub division where there are no new homes, you may have views now but will they be affected by the constuction of neighbouring properties?
Earth works
This can be a critical area to pay attention to when buying land. The soil properties of the land can greatly effect the cost of building. The the soil on your land doesnt meet NZ3064 building standards, it may require an engineered foundation detail. If there is any doubt to the sutiability of the soil a $600-$800 soil test may be a worth while invesment.
The slope of the land can also effect to cost of building, even a gentle slope can effect the design of the foundations, be careful here as sections that seem flat can be deceiving.
Accsess
Keep in mind sites with difficult access will have addition costs during construction. Furthermore its good to think about access for yourself in the future.
Legal matters
Always get legal advice when purchasing a section or land. A couple of legal matters to consider are if the section has a certificate of title which will tell you who legally owns the section or weather it is an individual section at all, it is not uncommon for people to advertise a block of land with no paper work or infrastructure in place. Checking the LIM report for the land is another matter to consider, this will tell you matters relating to erosion, flood risk or notices on the land etc.
For expert advice on purchasing sections contact us at Supreme Build. We are Registered Master Builders and specialise in new homes in Palmerston North
Disclaimer: This article is offered as a general guide only. The views and information expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency in New Zealand. Any person who relies upon any matter contained in this guide does so entirely at their own risk.
