Homeowners warned: Don't skimp on details in rush to get new house built

Thursday, 4 July 2019

Building a house is an expensive exercise, but construction experts say there are simple things you can do that will improve the value of your new home over the long term.

Ian Watts, general manager of Construction Marketing Services, said buyers could spend a bit extra at the building stage to reduce the long-term running cost of their house, and improve its resale value.

'However, most developers and builders are just focused on securing the sale, delivering as quickly as possible and meeting minimum construction standards rather than making sure their buyers are getting something they'll be happy with in the long term.'

He said it should be common practice for builders to consider what would secure the house's long-term resale value and functionality, and also to help buyers understand the likely returns on different improvements.

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'While a house-rating system akin to EECA's vehicle running costs tool may be difficult, there needs to be more of an effort on education.'

Here are some things to think about, which can have big, long-term payoffs.

Reduce the cost of water heating

Watts said any improvements that reduced the cost of heating a home's water supply would make a big difference to the long-term costs of living in a home.

Water heating accounts for about a third of a typical power bill.

You can reduce the amount of water you use by fitting a more efficient shower head. David Kelly, chief executive of Registered Master Builders, said most people did not even notice the difference.

During the build process, you could also consider adding a heat pump water heater or gas as a cheaper supply of hot water, or investigate whether a solar water heating system might pay off for your new house.

Efficient design

Another third of a typical power bill is space heating.

If you can have your new home designed to maximise its exposure to the sun, and then to retain the heat, it should reduce your costs in future.

It should be on the sunniest part of the section, face the sun, with lots of insulation and a thermal mass such as a concrete floor, if possible, to soak up the heat during the day and release it overnight. Even some wooden floors can have a layer of concrete on top.

Windows should be biggest on the north-facing side of the house. Limit overhangs on the east and west sides of the house.

If you know you want to use solar power, you can talk to your builder about designing the house so the roof is positioned to capture as much sun as possible.

Lifetime design

Kelly said people building a new home should also think about the future. Can the house adapt to suit you if you became less mobile as you grew older?

Even if you do not plan to stay in the house for the long term, with an ageing population, it was increasingly likely that any sale would be to an older person.

Kelly said that would mean things like wider doorways and hallways, and kitchens and bathrooms that were accessible for people using wheelchairs. It is easier to make these changes at the construction phase than to add them later.

Researchers BRANZ found the cost of adding these features during building was about $1700, compared to $14,000 if they were retrofitted.

Plan for future developments

If there are features you would like but cannot afford immediately, you can ask the builder to make provision for them to be added later.

This could be things like fixtures and access points for technology, power points outside for a spa that you might eventually buy, or gas pipes for outdoor heating.

'You may think features are not really important to you but believe they are important to other people and increase the chance of the home having greater appeal when it comes to resale,' Watts said.