STRESS-FREE
RENOVATIONS
By Nick Brownlee, Managing Director
Procuro Building and Renovation
B U I L D I N G & R E N O VAT I O N
“RENOVATING YOUR
HOUSE INTO YOUR DREAM
HOME IS A PRIVELDGE WE
ENJOY EVERY DAY”.
Procuro Building & Renovation is a company
specialising in renovations and additions
based in Christchurch.
Nick Brownlee, Procuro’s Managing Director, is
a Licensed Building Practitioner with over 15
years experience.
The Procuro team are proud members of the
New Zealand Certified Builders Association;
the only association in New Zealand with
a requirement for its members to be trade
qualified.
Choosing to work with Procuro not only means
you’re guaranteed first-class knowledge and
expertise but you also have the option of an
independent guarantee through New Zeland
Certified Builders.
Nick Brownlee,
Author & Managing Director
Procuro Building & Renovations
procuro.co.nz
0508 477 628
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1. BEFORE YOU BEGIN
The most basic of building work, such as removing a kitchen, bathroom or re-furbishing a living
area, does not require building consent approval. However, more complicated types of work do
require the homeowner to apply for building consent. If the plans for renovating or altering your
home include building or plumbing work, then a call to the Council is the first step.
Examples of work that DOES require building consent:
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Structural building work – which includes additions, alterations, re-piling or demolition
Plumbing and drainage (except the repair and maintenance of existing components)
Retaining walls higher than 1.5 metres
Fences or walls higher than 2 metres, and all swimming pool fences
Decks, platforms or bridges more than 1 metre above ground level
Sheds greater than 10 square metres in floor area
Some earthworks also require a building consent (check with your Council)
Procuro can help you identify whether the work you are looking to carry out is likely to require
consent and roughly how much it will cost. We can also connect you with one of our preferred
architects and together we can file your consents if required.
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0508 477 628
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2. ONLY DO WHAT YOU
CAN AFFORD
When renovating your home there will be a
return on every dollar you spend, but the return
differs depending on what you are doing.
Some renovations have a high return, like
adding another room to your home or
expanding and altering a living area. When
you turn a three-bedroom home into a fourbedroom home, you are likely to vastly increase
the value of your home.
A premium kitchen or bathroom renovation, or
an alteration that gives better indoor/outdoor
flow will add considerable value to your home,
but they have a higher cost as well. This is where
you must consider what you plan to do, its
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cost and what it might add to the value of your
home.
Particular renovations or alterations can have
a negative impact on the value of your home.
This depends on the amount you plan to spend
and the property values of the area you live in.
One example is a swimming pool – they are
expensive, they require constant maintenance
and have a danger factor for any home where
young children are present.
What a lot of homeowners don’t realise is that
you can also overcapitalise on any renovation
or alteration project. It may be worth talking
through your plans with a registered valuer to
ensure that you are investing in the right areas.
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3. THE TASKS AHEAD
After deciding you want to renovate but before the build starts, there are several preliminary steps
to ensure your project goes well.
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Arranging finance
Organising the design
Organising a builder (who, in turn, will organise the sub-contractors)
Getting Consents
Managing construction
Procuro can point you in the right direction if you need help with any of these tasks.
4. ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS
There are many things to consider when choosing your designer or architect. First and foremost,
does you like the work of the architect or the designer you are considering? If the answer is yes,
then consider the following:
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Can the references given by the architect or designer be easily checked?
Can you see examples of their previous work?
What services are provided by each party within the contract?
Make sure your architect is a good communicator that can share their ideas, and also clearly
describe the stages involved in the renovation process. Do you want weekly updates, phone or
email communication as a record of what is happening and what changes are being made? Will
there be regular meetings, if so, do you want them weekly or fortnightly during the build? You
need to feel comfortable with your architect so this is an important step.
Procuro can assist you in finding a competent draftsmen or architect who will draw plans that
take into account both your ideas and your budget. We can also manage the build for you or
work in conjunction with your architect.
procuro.co.nz
0508 477 628
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5. CHOOSING A BUILDER
Choosing the right builder is absolutely critical to the success of your project and in delivering your
dream home. You should choose a professional builder that you can trust, that you feel comfortable
being around and you find easy to communicate with so that you can share your ideas. After all,
you are going to be dealing with this person a lot, making some hard decisions, perhaps making
variations to the original plan and, of course, spending your hard earned money.
During the renovation process, you will work very closely with your builder. This is even more
important if you are living on-site during the renovation process. Word of mouth is always a good
place to start. Have any of your friends or relatives used a builder they would recommend to you.
Have you seen renovation work you like? Does your architect work with anyone in-particular or
recommend a builder they use regularly? These are good starting points when trying to find a
builder for your renovation project.
Before you sign a contract with the builder, you need to look at the work history of those on your
short list. You should ask for references from previous customers and check these out. This is a
quick and easy way to see if you like their level of workmanship, craftsmanship and their attention
to detail.
Any building work you are undertaking that affects the structural integrity of your home or its
weather tightness is called Restricted Building Work. You will need a Licensed Builder to supervise
or carry out this type of work and ultimately sign the work off at the end of the build. The Licensed
Building Practitioners (LBP) scheme was introduced in November 2007 and from 1stMarch 2012,
all building practitioners must be licensed in order to carry out or supervise work (on homes or any
small/medium sized apartment buildings) that is critical to the integrity of the building.
Nick Brownlee, Managing Director of Procuro Building & Renovation, is a Licensed Building
Practitioner and the team at Procuro ticks all the boxes when it comes to choosing a builder.
The Procuro team have experience in working with a wide range of residential and commercial
building types; they have dealt with many of the issues which inevitably arise during a build and
have the skills and knowledge to overcome them with minimal disruption and stress.
procuro.co.nz
0508 477 628
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6. WRITTEN CONTRACTS
The importance of a contract cannot be
overstated. For your own protection, you must
have a written contract between you and
your builder. The builder, as main contractor,
is responsible for organising all the subcontractors. If you are managing the project
yourself (perhaps under a labour-only contract
with the builder) you will have to arrange
contracts with each of the sub-contractors, i.e.
electrician, plasterer, painters and plumbers.
A contract does not have to be written to be
legally binding. However, if all the terms and
conditions between you and the builder are
clearly spelt out and recorded in writing, then it
means there is far less room for any argument
to arise about who is responsible if something
goes wrong or if there is a dispute due to
confusion over what should have been done.
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0508 477 628
A contract can take many forms, some people
rely on the written quote while others may
accept a list of tasks that is given to them
by their builder – both are contracts. This is
acceptable provided everything goes according
to plan. But if something goes wrong, this very
simple form of contract is unlikely to provide
nearly enough detail about the rights and
responsibilities of the builder and yourself.
It is a legal requirement for your builder to
provide you with a full written contract if your
build is more than $30k. For smaller projects,
you will be provided with a detailed list of works
to be undertaken at your home.
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6.COMMUNICATION
Your vision, communicated clearly to your architect and builder will result in your dream home
becoming a reality.
What is critical to the project now is communication between you and the architect and between
you and the builder. You are all interrelated and you are all involved in making the project a success.
That’s why Step 5 (Choosing a Builder) is so important. A builder who makes you feel at ease and
who will listen to your concerns is crucial. If you trust your builder it is easy to talk to them about
any concerns, you have and vice versa.
If you have a clear vision of what you want your dream home to look like, then that is a great start.
But if some aspects of the build are not clear to you then that’s where your trusted builder will be
able to answer any questions you have. Good communication between the team you have put
together will result in your house morphing into the dream home you have always wanted.
HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION POINTS TO NOTE:
(a) Communicate when issues arise. It is better to raise issues with your builder straight away than to wait until the end of the project. Don’t feel that you are nagging your builder if the job is taking longer than you expected or longer than the agreed time. Ask what is going on, if you have not already been told. The sooner issues are brought up the easier they are to rectify.
(b) Listen: Real communication between two parties means listening. Being an effective communicator starts with listening and that is especially true when building your dream home. Having everything in writing can ensure that everyone is listening to one another and that everyone involved in the project is on the same page.
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0508 477 628
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OUR
GUARANTEE
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Our reputation is built on the
quality of our workmanship
and we are committed to
maintaining the highest
industry standards. That’s why
we are members of the New
Zealand Certified Builders
Association, the only building
association in the country
that requires its members
to be trade qualified. We
employ qualified builders to
ensure work place excellence
and we also manage a
robust apprentice training
programme.
Our apprentices are trained to
the same high standard as our
senior builders and will go on
to make a positive contribution
to the industry.
COMMUNICATION
The success of any building
project relies on clear, concise
communication and it’s our
intention to keep you fully
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informed throughout your
project. You will be assigned
a dedicated project manager
for the duration of your
renovation who will meet
with you regularly to discuss
progress and answer any
questions you might have.
TIMELINESS AND BUDGET
Delivering your renovated
home back to you on time and
within budget is our focus. We
employ cutting edge systems
and technology to ensure your
project is kept on track and
you have clarity on each step
of the way.
We have strong relationships
with our partners, suppliers
and sub-contractors, who
also share our dedication
to timeliness and quality
workmanship.
RESPECT FOR OUR CLIENTS
AND THEIR HOMES
We treat our client’s homes
as if they were our own – we
will keep our building site
tidy throughout the building
process and organise a
complimentary home clean on
completion of your project.
The majority of our business
is built on referrals from our
clients and we understand
how important it is that you
enjoy your renovation process.
OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU
If for any reason you are not
100% satisfied with our work
– Nick Brownlee, Managing
Director of Procuro will
personally guarantee to put it
right.
Nick Brownlee, Managing Director,
Procuro Building & Renovation
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WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS?
If you would like further information or would like to talk to a New Zealand Certified Builder we’d be
happy to help answer any questions you might have. If you are ready to make your dream home a
reality, click here to book a free consultation with Procuro and together we’ll get the ball rolling!
On behalf of the team, thanks for reading our guide. We hope you’ve found it useful!
If you have any questions we’d be happy to help.
Nick Brownlee,
Managing Director
Procuro Building & Renovation
B U I L D I N G & R E N O VAT I O N
procuro.co.nz
0508 477 628
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