When renovating it is very important to check ‘what building requires building consent’ and ‘what building does not require building consent’.
New Zealand is full of the DYI Home Owner, which is great, but the offside to that is that often works are completed without council knowledge. This can create a lot of issues later on down the track, particularly when it comes to sale time. Ultimately unauthorised works will limit the market to your home, decrease the sale price and cost you money fixing it.
Before you engage in a project, check to make sure if the works require consent.
To find out what build works require building consent you can go to the Auckland City Council Website here
To check to to see what building work does not require building consent you can check on the Department of Building and Housing website here. On the site there is a PDF download which is updated regularly as the building act changes.
The general rule of thumb is if in doubt, check it out with the Auckland City Council on 09 486 8400.
[…] Check with the Auckland City Council before you do any major renovations or make additions to your Northcote home. You’ll want to get a consent if one’s needed; otherwise you might be required to undo your hard work and the repercussions could be severe when you eventually try to sell. They’re not out to get you — they just want to ensure everything is up to code with the latest safety and security standards. You can find out more information on what building works require consent. […]