Special housing not to be scoffed

21 October 2014

Special housing not to be scoffed

Peter Cooney, director of one of New Zealand’s largest residential building company, Classic Builders, says there is a misperception about special housing being cheap and low quality that must be shaken.

“With councils fast tracking rezoning of land through the Government’s Special Housing Accord, builders and developers are tending to build or develop slightly smaller lots, which obviously affects the total end price of the package. But the quality is not compromised at all,” says Mr Cooney.

“What is happening, in fact, is that housing quality is being improved in some areas. It’s just the size of the dwelling and the size of the site is smaller, that’s all,” says Mr Cooney.

He says houses in this age are designed to be much more functional compared to previous years, where living areas were once separated.

“You’ve got your kitchen, dining, and living areas open planned these days, and there is consumer demand for this type of open plan living rather than a lot of separate living areas. So, house designs have improved and couples and families are finding they can function very well in a smaller house just as easily compared to a much larger house.”

According to Mr Cooney, the Special Housing Accord is not there for the purposes of creating cheap housing areas or areas where there will be inferior quality of housing.

“Rather, it is helping free up land at a quicker rate, which enables more houses to be built and drives more competition. The benefits are twofold; this approach helps drive down the price of land and enables and puts some restrictions on those areas where they want to see more affordable homes being built and to achieve that,” he says.

There is increasingly a market trend where people are accepting living on smaller sites especially in areas that are close to infrastructure.

Special housing is certainly becoming a very common theme throughout Auckland, followed closely by the Bay of Plenty, Christchurch and Queenstown. Classic Builders is involved in a number of developments to form part of the Special Housing Accord strategy, including being one of four building partners in the high profile Hobsonville development, resulting in a transformation of the old Whenuapai Airbase in Auckland.

“Hobsonville is a great example of how comprehensive developments in every area can be done. You achieve affordability, a median to high price, and all integrated. This development has a mixture of high quality end housing plus affordable housing. There are just slightly smaller housing on slightly smaller sites next door to slightly larger housing with slightly larger sites, side-by-side. But the overall compatibility, aesthetic value and quality, it’s all the same high standard,” says Mr Cooney.

In addition, Mr Cooney says it is very common to see this type of housing in places like Melbourne and Sydney, and we are starting to see the trend coming to New Zealand, and people are embracing it.

Other areas Classic Builders is developing are in the regions of Tauranga and Queenstown.

“The area of land in Waihi Road, Tauranga, is an infill site that’s being utilised to its fullest potential. This particular site has been intensified to satisfy the demand for quality homes at an affordable level,” he says.

Similarly, as part of Classic Builder’s strategy for Shotover Country in Queenstown, they have taken a piece of land and intensified it.

“We are creating slightly smaller sites at affordable levels for Queenstown and are satisfying the huge demand that’s currently there,” says Mr Cooney.

ENDS

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