scrubbedexpat094

Good on you! So very jealous as I'd love to be able to afford to do a self-build. Hope the greedy bastard ends up selling for less than you offered.

escapedtonz

Cheers. Didn't really consider doing a buy & build as thought we wouldn't be able to afford it but looks like we can use the budget we had to buy to build our own - just!!!
Good thing is we'll get exactly what we want and it'll be worth way more than it cost to buy and build when finished

Just noticed you're in Gulf Harbour. Was there last weekend as have some friends who live on Kensington Terrace. Was down at the marina for dinner last Sunday eve. Nice down there

scrubbedexpat094

I know some people in Kensington Terrace, we are off Regency Park Drive which is a bit further down Gulf Harbour Drive, just before the lake. We like it here.

Give us a shout next time you're up this way.

Happy Building.

escapedtonz

Cool. It's a small world. Family friends on the wife's side but from my home town. Been in NZ maybe 8 years with the last 3.5 in Gulf Harbour. They love it there and staying. They've a couple of businesses doing well - roof waterproofing and scaffolding. They just having a pool built round the back so we'll be up there again soon to check it out
May take you up on your offer

scrubbedexpat094

Probably not the couples I know, one couple from Liverpool and the other having last lived in Nottingham. I'm a Lancashire lass meself, from St. Helens (try not to hold it against me, I blame the parentals! ).

I'll not hold it against you if you don't get in touch but I won't respond to you ever again

escapedtonz

Ha Ha. Small world indeed.
Along with our friends on Kensington Terrace we too are Lancashire born n bred. You are our nemesis. Bitter rival. Arch-enemy
You guessed......we are all Wiganers!!! well that is apart from the wife, she's from Leigh

scrubbedexpat094

OMG

Well I'll try not to hold it against you, you can't help whereabouts you were born either. I'm not a huge fan of St.Helens, although I was born and bred in Eccleston, so at least it's the nicer part of the town. I was so happy when the OH got a job at Toyota, Burnaston and we moved to Burton-on-Trent back in the early 1990's. So now I speak with a Lancs accent peppered with "Ay up mi duck!"

escapedtonz

Update:

So, 6 long months after viewing and making an offer on a section in Tauranga, title has finally been approved by council / LINZ and we are now the proud owners of a 1.06 acre / 4330 sq m rural and well established section.
Had a visit over the weekend and man have I got some grass to cut !!!
Was great just wandering around picking some of our newly acquired Avo's and trying to work out where the house will go and where the access driveway will be etc. So excited to be in our new home but understand it's gonna be a stressful and long process.
With all the delays on materials, contractors and council due to all the building in the region its unlikely our builder will start before mid June so hopefully we'll be in by Christmas.
Had an awesome surprise from our new soon to be neighbours (who we bought the section off). They're giving us their old ride on mower and I can leave it with them and just take it as and when I need to cut the grass until we move in. Saved us at least $3000. Lovely gesture.

Feel so blessed to have the section in the bag as there's no way we'd be able to afford this size of section now. It would cost at least another $75k-$100k looking at the market in the area for bare land.

All we gotta do now is continue to work through the process with our builder and get the build contract signed asap so they can start the earthworks and get the foundations completed as the period from now until then is the frustrating time of the project dealing with architects, engineering solutions and quantity surveyors.

:-)

Hazelnut

That's great news. The ever increasing price in housing and land is terrifying for us watching from over here, it's good you managed to secure when you did. Have fun with the build, try to enjoy it too and I'd love to read your updates and news as it's something we hope to be able to do too.

escapedtonz

Submitted the working drawings to council today for approval. Hopefully they'll find no issues and sign it off within the 20 working days target so the builder can put a spade in the ground before the end of July.....getting excited now!!!

Snap Shot

Nice, hope all goes well.

Hazelnut

Sending lots of straightforward drawings approval vibes to you. I'm glad you're excited, that's definitely the way to go

valleygurl

Definately Hifx James Roe is the man