Martin Hawes: If you're going to build - now would be good

If I were ever to build a new house, now would be the time as it seems all the stars are aligned to make it worth my while.

Those stars are the three main components of the price of a house - the section, building materials and labour.

Some areas have many hectares for sale - in vast areas of unsold sections in some parts of the country the "for sale" signs seem like a forest. Deals can be done on sections - whether it is with the owner or the receiver of the company that developed them (or the mortgagee), you should be able to buy cheaply.

Building materials are also cheap. Commodity prices are low - their prices are rising but are still a long way from where they have been. Zinc, steel, copper, aluminium and most of the other things that go into houses cost nothing like they did a couple of years ago.

To read the full NZ Herald story click here

Posted: 18 May 2009

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