Media Statement

11 June 2007

Winter a reminder of the need to ensure a weathertight home

With winter here, people buying, building or renovating a home are encouraged to follow basic steps to make sure their property is weathertight.

The Department of Building and Housing (the Department) says winter is the time of year when weathertightness problems in homes often become evident.

“As we head deeper into the cold and wet season, it’s timely to remind home owners and home buyers of the steps they can take to protect their asset and their health,” Deputy Chief Executive, Service Delivery, Nigel Bickle says.

Mr Bickle says two checklists have been developed to help people buying, building, maintaining or wanting to renovate their home make sure it’s weathertight. The checklists can be found on the www.consumerbuild.org.nz website, a joint Consumers’ Institute and Department website, which provides a one-stop shop for people seeking information on building and housing matters.

“There has been considerable publicity about what has become known as leaky homes, a problem largely confined to certain types of houses built or renovated in the 1990s, and what has been done to resolve that issue. But it’s important that people realise that keeping a house weathertight is an ongoing task.

“The checklist for home maintenance advises how to approach the different types of maintenance - regular chores such as cleaning gutters, repairs as needed, planning ahead for major tasks like re-roofing, and preparing for emergencies. It also provides guidance on the main areas needing maintenance, such as walls, balconies and decks, drains, gutters and roofs.”

“The checklist for home buying covers what questions people need to ask, what aspects of the property need to be checked, features to watch out for, what information you can access on the property, and getting the sale and purchase agreement right,” Mr Bickle says.

Emotional factors often drive the purchase of a home, meanwhile maintenance efforts mostly focus on making homes look good.

“People should stop and take the time to carry out some basic checks to make sure that what is often their biggest purchase doesn’t end up being time consuming and causing financial stress at a later stage. And it’s important to continue focusing on the health of their house and their ongoing investment, long after the purchase. To sum it up, New Zealanders need to buy smart, build right and properly maintain their homes,” Mr Bickle says.

ENDS

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