New Zealand is one of the most beautiful and welcoming places on earth. Not only does it have an assortment of activities and offerings for tourists and residents alike, but it is also rich in its Māori culture and one of the most cosmopolitan regions to live in. The area is located in the Auckland region and is governed by the Auckland council.
The diverse population counting almost just over 1, 717,000 and counting, has the richest and fertile land of all its neighboring countries, and for good reason. The land is not left to the spoils of the human population, but rather revered as part of its lifestyle and culture and it is because of the well-kept landscapes, there are lush national parks, harbors, and architectural designs all over the spaces.
One of the key things regarding its architecture is the countries economy, which because New Zealand is the financial center of Auckland, is one of the most advanced economies with strong tourism, finance, and commerce platform.
Building and Architecture
With its rich infusion of many cultures and lifestyles, Auckland has some of the most extravagant housing varieties of any city. The variety of housing options far surpasses that of its nearby locations, including something for everyone from low-income households to the more prominent waterfront estates. The more common one being the stand-alone properties.
When the housing crisis of 2010 hit the nation’s capital, the Auckland council and government decided to curb this high-demand for low-cost housing by mandating a minimum of 10% of any new builds to be subsidized, to make it more affordable for its people.
However, this came with a price; a thorough inspection of the properties, read more about how the local inspection services do this and the requirements thereof, as well as how to find a member of the housing inspection authorities in your local area.
The Effect of the 2010 Crisis and Subsidies
When these new homes prices were reduced to $500,000 and below, it gave over 40,000 people the option of moving to Auckland from nearby locations, as well as to build a new home for themselves in various areas. This was all thanks to the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Act 2013 which was put into place: http://www.environmentguide.org.nz/activities/subdivision/housing-accords-and-special-housing-areas/ houses were much more affordable and those whose income was in the bracket of the national average were now able to buy their very own property for a fraction of the price.
A lot of new builds that took over the regions were mainly rendered because of this reason – to make space for those who couldn’t afford it initially. Both newcomers and existing building companies sought to get involved and as a result, a lot of the non-affordable buildings and houses that were once untouched were torn down and redeveloped.
This was also a good way to combat not having to use natural spaces. When old houses and buildings are torn down, they can be re-built in the same space so as not to use up too much land, which is another proud aspect of New Zealanders, their UNESCO heritage, and lush green landscape.
The other solution was to re-use and recycle a lot of the materials that were collected when old homes were taken down. Auckland, has some of the highest numbers of timber-built houses in the region, as part of its Victorian architecture. This helped significantly with the building costs as well.
When Building Inspection is A Requirement
As mentioned above, with this significant change came other government legislations in place and one of the main ones for building new property was that of the inspection requirements. According to the Auckland Council, a building inspector will inspect the old existing building to make sure it passes all the requirements of being re-built.
Some aspects that take place during an inspection include, but are not limited to:
Checking that the site is safe: Anything out of place can be dangerous to the workers and any passerby’s; if it is not the case the contract may be refused by the council until the site is safe to work in.
If any area is difficult to access: The building contractor must make sure all difficult to reach areas are accessible to the inspector at all times.
Equipment: Items such as scaffolding and any machinery being used, must be correctly placed, installed, and safe for use. If the right equipment is not available on-site or used by the contractors either the inspection is refused or may be delivered once the right items are on site.
The Noise Factor: It is against the law to work in areas where the population will be affected by noise however this is not always possible, in which case every possible measure should be taken to avoid any unnecessary loud noise, especially during the time of the inspection.
Contaminants on Site: Materials such as Asbestos are dangerous, and if it exists on site, the inspector can refuse to continue until all Asbestos is removed. This is a common material that has been used in the older house construction work but is now less of a risk in the modern construction of houses.
Before arranging for a building inspector to visit the premises, a building consent booklet should be downloaded from the council’s website which must be on the venue at all times. Using this crucial document, the expert will compare the plans of the associated documentation to the original plans, identify and approve or disapprove any changes or contingencies within the plans, and make sure that all conditions have been addressed to the highest satisfaction by related parties.
Once everything is done, the contractors or building owners will be sent the outcome of the inspection via post or email within a few days. Sometimes on more complex projects, it could take weeks. If the first review failed, you have the option of booking another one once the amendments on the issued checklist have been completed.
