UNIT TITLES – It’s all in the planning

Richard Maiden and Rebecca Ward look at the effects of the Unit Titles Act 2010 as the six-month deadline approaches Continue reading →

Prendos at the New Zealand Law Awards

Prendos Director, Sean Marshall, was delighted to present the Prendos Property & Construction Law Award at the recent NZ Law Awards. Continue reading →

Target TV Show – Onduline Roofing Failure Episode – Featuring Philip O’Sullivan

Philip O'Sullivan, a Director at Prendos New Zealand Ltd, comments on the lack of protection for homeowners against imported building materials and the ease with which importers can exploit weaknesses in the New Zealand systems for importing/distributing building materials.   … Continue reading →

The Weathertight Homes Resolution Service Financial Assistance Package

The Weathertight Homes Resolution Service ("WHRS") is now offering a financial assistance package ("FAP") to eligible leaky home-owners. The package will see the Government contribute 25% towards the cost of repairing an eligible leaky home with the possibility of an additional 25% contribution by the relevant council. Other parties can opt to join in. Continue reading →

A Rotten Shame – A New Zealand Leaky Home Documentary

Prendos' own Philip O'Sullivan appears in part 2 of  'A Rotten Shame' – a documentary about leaky homes in New Zealand John Green, Director of the Building Disputes Tribunal appears in and provides commentary on the leaky building crisis in … Continue reading →

Leaky public hospital could be first of many

By Martin Johnston 5:30 AM Thursday Jul 14, 2011     The 105-bed Mason Clinic needs major repairs. Photo / Richard Robinson The leaky building crisis has hit a public hospital for the first time, and an industry expert expects … Continue reading →

Don’t judge a house by its cladding

John Gray. Photo / NZ Herald Cutting the capital value of a property on the basis of its appearance – how fair is that? If a house is soundly built under improved codes and showing no signs of leaking, why … Continue reading →

Unit Titles Regulations 2011

The Unit Titles Act 2010 and accompanying Unit Titles Regulations 2011 came into force on the 20th of June 2011.    For existing bodies corporate, a number of provisions of the Act do not come into force immediately and can … Continue reading →

Christchurch – building the future

Christchurch – building the future Richard Maiden and Rebecca Ward review the impact of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act 2011 and the Canterbury Earthquake (Building Act) Order 2010 on the repair of earthquake-damaged buildings Continue reading →

A Tale of Two Leaks

By Philip O'Sullivan Every so often a job comes along that is different.  This one involved leaks around showers in a large two level accommodation building with concrete floors.  What made it both interesting and difficult was the inherent risk … Continue reading →

A Tale of Two Countries

By Andrea Boon For the past 5 years I have lived in Dublin, Ireland, where I had been involved in a varied range of projects from large mixed-use and commercial developments to smaller sustainable housing schemes and school projects. Prior … Continue reading →

A Tale of Two Buildings

By Martin Hill I have recently undertaken destructive investigations of two very similar buildings that are located either side of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. These buildings shared the same designer and builder and were both primarily single storey buildings. Both … Continue reading →

Too Many Battens

By Jake Woolgar For many builders, prospective house purchasers and building officials, the inclusion of a drained cavity behind a cladding system is a guarantee of weathertightness success.  This is however a very bold and frequently incorrect assumption, as several … Continue reading →

Has the Market Bottomed?

By Gordon Edginton The property market continues to operate at very depressed levels although there has been a small sign of some lift in activity in the past two months.  This may well only represent a normal seasonal improvement for … Continue reading →

The Leaky Building Guide

By Greg O'Sullivan Prendos Limited is proud to have produced New Zealand’s first Leaky Home Guide.  This guide is to assist homeowners in understanding the issues surrounding leaky buildings, giving them comprehensive help and providing direction in this complex area … Continue reading →

BUILDING ASPECTS

    By Philip O'Sullivan BE(Hons), MNZIBS Registered Engineer, BRANZ Accredited Adviser, Registered Building Surveyor, Fungal Research, Moisture control, Civil Engineering and Building Pathology. Trained as both an engineer and building surveyor, Philip has more than 20 years experience in … Continue reading →

A QUICK GUIDE TO A DRY WINTER

    By Philip O'Sullivan BE(Hons), MNZIBS Registered Engineer, BRANZ Accredited Adviser, Registered Building Surveyor, Fungal Research, Moisture control, Civil Engineering and Building Pathology. Trained as both an engineer and building surveyor, Philip has more than 20 years experience in … Continue reading →

MONOLITHIC CLADDINGS POPULAR BUT DEFECT-PRONE

    By Philip O'Sullivan BE(Hons), MNZIBS Registered Engineer, BRANZ Accredited Adviser, Registered Building Surveyor, Fungal Research, Moisture control, Civil Engineering and Building Pathology. Trained as both an engineer and building surveyor, Philip has more than 20 years experience in … Continue reading →

I’ve Been Decked Again

By Greg O'Sullivan MNZIBS, FAMINZ Dip. Bus. Stud (Dispute Resolution), LEADR Panel (med) Arbitrator, Mediator, Registered Building Surveyor, Branz Accredited Adviser       At times when I talk about remedial work I feel like I am shouting into the … Continue reading →

Auckland Housing Activity

August 2001 The market has continued to improve this year with overall sales numbers up around 20% from a year earlier. Results are, however, quite mixed across Auckland with lower cost housing being slow to sell while property in the … Continue reading →

Auckland Property Market Commentary

September 2001 Apartment Market The CBD apartment market has continued its weakening trend with falling prices and low levels of demand. This sector of the market is characterised with negative sentiment as buyers remain very cautious and discerning, resulting in … Continue reading →

Auckland Property Market Commentary

December 2001 2001 has proved a positive year for real estate with increasing confidence in the property market, a large improvement in the volume of sales and some small increases in price in selected area. Recent sales volumes have been … Continue reading →

Steel Yourself for This

By Sean O'Sullivan MNZIBS Registered Building Surveyor, BRANZ Accredited Adviser Corporate Representative for Prendos on the Australasian Corrosion Association   High strength, does not warp or crack, not susceptible to movement due to moisture… Sounds like a new generation building product! What is it? It is … Continue reading →

Clad in Success – New Zealand Leads the way

By Philip O'Sullivan BE (Hons) MNZIBS Registered Building Surveyor, Registered Engineer, BRANZ Accredited Advisor   The recent Barrett Report from British Columbia titled "The Renewal of Trust and Residential Construction" highlights the significant problems that can occur when inadequate wall … Continue reading →

Improved Cashflow for Rental Investors using Chattels Valuations by Prendos

Depreciation is the measurement of wear and tear on an asset that forms part of a taxable activity. The depreciation that the Inland Revenue Department will allow you to claim can be offset against your income. This provides you with … Continue reading →

House Price Index Declines

The graph above charts the percentage change in house prices, measured since 1962 to the present day. Currently, house prices are increasing at a subdued rate, in the vicinity of 8% per annum to June 2006. If the current trend … Continue reading →

INSIGHT INTO STUCCO PROBLEMS

By Greg O'Sullivan FAMINZ, MNZIBS, MNZIOB, Dip. Bus Studies (Dispute Resolution) BRANZ Accredited Adviser, Registered Building Surveyor, Building Consultancy and Dispute Resolution, AAMINZ Arbitration and Mediation Panel Member, LEADR Panel Member, President of New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors   … Continue reading →

RUST NEVER SLEEPS – UNDUE RISK IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS

By Richard Maiden MNZIBS Registered Building Surveyor, BRANZ Accredited Adviser Corporate Representative for Prendos on the Australasian Corrosion Association   Money. Disputably, it makes the world go round. Indisputably, it is the major cause of builder/client disputes. During the last few weeks, a number of contract … Continue reading →

Why can Target Repairs Prove to be Unreliable?

The answers lie in durability, strength and contamination. Incipient (early) decay reduces wood strength and is easily able to reactivate to full blown decay; refer to photo 5. On site surface treatment only affects the very outer areas of a … Continue reading →

RUST NEVER SLEEPS – UNDUE RISK IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS

By Sean O'Sullivan MNZIBS Registered Building Surveyor, BRANZ Accredited Adviser, Corporate Representative for Prendos on the Australasian Corrosion Association   While surveying a multi-storey building recently, I was surprised to find bare steel brackets used to support large exterior pre-caste concrete panels. On checking with the … Continue reading →

Market Finally Adjusts

The long expected slow down has finally arrived as the housing market is cooling rapidly after a prolonged period of growth. This is evidenced by the significant fall in sales volume which is down 30% from last years levels. The … Continue reading →

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION IS POPULAR AND SUCCESSFUL?

  By Greg O'Sullivan MNZIBS, FAMINZ, Dip. Bus. Stud (Dispute Resolution) LEADR Panel (med) Arbitrator, Mediator, Registered Building Surveyor, BRANZ Accredited Adviser     It has been my experience as a practising arbitrator and an associate of the Arbitrators' and … Continue reading →

DISPUTE RESOLUTION NEGOTIATION HAS FAILED-WHAT NEXT

  By Greg O'Sullivan MNZIBS, FAMINZ, Dip. Bus. Stud (Dispute Resolution) LEADR Panel (med) Arbitrator, Mediator, Registered Building Surveyor, BRANZ Accredited Adviser     Parties involved in disputes often have issues to deal with from the outset ? things that … Continue reading →

Split Stone Cladding Can Be Fun

Stone has been commonly used as a construction material across the world for several thousand years. Its inherent strength and durability made it an essential part in construction. As construction has evolved globally and man made products have become more … Continue reading →

CHATTELS VALUATIONS CAN INCREASE NETT RETURNS

by Trevor Prendergast     Trevor Prendergast Marketing, Finance and Administration   Residential property investors are surprised at the extensive list of components accepted by the IRD as chattels. And equally surprised at depreciation rates such as 33% for carpet, … Continue reading →

Freezing Is Also An Issue

It may surprise some readers that Prendos does have a life outside of ‘weathertightness issues’. Recently, we were asked to carry out a survey of two large warehouse sized commercial freezers. Our preliminary investigations into freezer operations and dehumidification techniques … Continue reading →

2006 In Reflection

by Greg O'Sullivan Founding Director   Prendos' building surveying consultancy is continuing to lead in the field of remediation and defect investigation. Its involvement in the areas of dispute resolution, investigative, or forensic quantity surveying is also very strong. To … Continue reading →

We Can Build Success From Failure

by Sean Cavan   The leaky building syndrome is in part about the building industry admitting its mistakes and overcoming them. The laminated timber industry was in a similar position prior to the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Hunter Laminates of Nelson … Continue reading →

A United Kingdom/New Zealand Perspective: New House Warranty… It Does Work

by Grodon Edginton   Having been in New Zealand for just over a year the key differences that I have found – apart from earthquakes, volcanoes and the lack of a decent football (soccer) team – is the different attitude … Continue reading →

The Northern Law News

A POTENTIAL STUCCO TIME BOMB IS TICKING AWAY IN SOME NEW AUCKLAND HOMES As a BRANZ Accredited Advisor in the Auckland Region, I have come across two situations that give me great concern for the long-term durability and structural integrity … Continue reading →

Market Still Solid

by Grodon Edginton   Market Still Solid   The residential market through 2006 has performed strongly in the face of predictions of a downward slide. Sales volume this year has consistently hit 3,000 sales per month which is similar to … Continue reading →

Housing Sales Collapse

By Gordon Edginton The long overdue downturn is here.  Signs of a softening started in October/November 2007 and has been cemented in place in the first three months of this year with very low turnover – down a whopping 46% … Continue reading →

Much Ado About Nothing

by Philip O'Sullivan   In May this year we witnessed the Government's long awaited revamp, or at least announcement of a revamp, to their Weathertight Homes Resolution Service. This included a $40 million pilot loan scheme at commercial lending rates. … Continue reading →

How Big is Big

How Big is Big?…Or I Can't Tell How Long This Piece of String Is! by Greg O'Sullivan   Philip and I are labeled the 'whistle blowers' of what is currently known as the 'leaky building crisis'. I find this title … Continue reading →

Microbes – Friend and Foe

By Dr Garrett Butt Mould and decay spores surround us in their thousands at all times.  Bacteria surround us in their billions.  These microbes actually play a very important function in the environment by acting as garbage men.  Without them, … Continue reading →

Residential Market Easing

by Gordon Edginton   As we have been saying for some months, it is taking time for market sentiment and momentum to slow. The trend in turnover of homes is clearly downward but not at an alarming rate. Current predictions … Continue reading →

Moisture Testing Benchmarks Under Review

By Mark Williams “Change” – a relatively short word but one that evokes many images, feelings and a deep sense of reality generally and more specifically in the science that surrounds us in our everyday lives, at work, at play, … Continue reading →

"Rotting" Steel a Problem

by Mark Williams   You have likely heard, seen and even know a fair bit about rotting timber framing, a big and at times even sensational feature of New Zealand’s “Leaky Building” debacle. But, YES, you guessed it ? there … Continue reading →

The Risk of Targeted Repairs

by Simon Cotter   As a newcomer to the role of building surveyor with Prendos, I arrived with the broad experience of a builder and the narrower mindset of a quantity surveyor. I had the idea that if a building … Continue reading →

Auckland Property Market Review

Market Remains Buoyant   The Auckland residential market has remained strong throughout 2005 with monthly sales volume averaging 3,000 sales per month. Sales activity at this level is well above long term average which is usually around 2,300 per month. … Continue reading →

Culture Shock

By Sean Marshall   After completing a building surveying degree, I qualified as a Chartered Building Surveyor eight years ago whilst with a United Kingdom based commercial building surveying firm. During my time as a building surveyor, I have carried … Continue reading →

The Building Industry is Now Being Blasted by Change

By Greg O'Sullivan   It's Happened Now   Extensive changes are happening to the building industry. Now that the new Building Act 2004 has been passed, the building industry is about to experience the most radical change that it has … Continue reading →

Sorting Out Leaky Buildings

By Philip O’Sullivan   The Building Industry Authority has recently published the new Acceptable Solution E2/AS1. I had the privilege of being on the Working Group. The BIA has also recently published documents requiring treatment of timber framing (B2/AS1) and … Continue reading →

Repair At Any Cost? – Why Would You?

By Greg O’Sullivan Damage, decay and mould caused by leaks often are concealed by external and internal wall cladding from homeowners and investigators alike.  It takes very specific and destructive investigation by fully trained and qualified building surveyors to find … Continue reading →

Technical Due Diligence

By Sean Marshall “The aim of technical due diligence is to provide a thorough understanding of the condition of a property or development and to facilitate precise capital management”.   Watts Group PLC – www.watts.co.uk Prior to entering into a commercial … Continue reading →

Auckland Property Market Review

By Gordon Edginton   Is The Boom Over?   The real estate boom seems to have run its course with current sales showing an easing in activity. Monthly sales are well down on the past two years and house prices … Continue reading →

Building Industry – Winds of Change

By Greg O’Sullivan   This forthcoming year will see the biggest change to the Building Industry that we have seen in its history in New Zealand. The new Building Bill will introduce tighter controls on construction and also performance requirements … Continue reading →

South Africa to New Zealand – Any Change? Introducing Mark Williams – Building Consultant

By Mark Williams     Mark Williams joined Prendos in July 2002. He obtained a B.Sc in Building Science from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg in 1987. Ten years later, in August 1997, Mark and his family immigrated to … Continue reading →

Auckland Property Market Review

By Gordon Edginton   Property Sales Boom   The real estate boom has continued unabated for over two years now and there are few signs of any easing in activity. Monthly sales volumes are at record levels, averaging around 3,700 … Continue reading →

Auckland Market at 16 Year Low

By Gordon Edginton Auckland house sales volumes have remained very weak all year, averaging only 1400 sales per month. This is in stark contrast to the average volumes over the past five years of 3000 sales per month and are … Continue reading →

Auckland Property Review

Sales Soar   Since our last newsletter, in the middle of the year, the Auckland property market has continued to boom with high monthly sales volumes up on average 50% to 60% on the previous year’s levels, last seen at … Continue reading →

Weathertight Homes Resolution Services Act

By Philip O’Sullivan   Whilst we welcome this Government initiative to assist the owners of homes affected by ‘leaky building syndrome’, we do not think the scheme as now passed into law will resolve the problem for many homeowners. The … Continue reading →

Avoiding Pitfalls with Leaky Homes

By Philip O’Sullivan Introduction Buying or selling anything has its problems, but when it involves a potentially leaky home there are many traps, especially for the unwary.  Understanding how we got into this mess, some of the legal pitfalls, what … Continue reading →

We Are Not Just Leaky Building Consultants

We Are Not Just Leaky Building Consultants By Greg O'Sullivan   Prendos New Zealand Limited, as Valuers, Building Surveyors, Acousticians, Quantity Surveyors and Dispute Resolution consultants have a far broader range to their work output than just leaking buildings, as … Continue reading →

Continued Growth

By Greg O’Sullivan The level of work being undertaken by Prendos Limited Building Surveyors is rapidly increasing.  The demands are now so strong outside of the Auckland region that Prendos is establishing support offices in Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch.  These … Continue reading →

Life of a Building

By Sean O’Sullivan  The New Zealand Building Code requires structural elements of a building, with only normal maintenance, to satisfy the performance requirement of the Code for the lesser of the specified intended life of the building or the life … Continue reading →

Pilot Study on Leaking Buildings

By Philip O’Sullivan   Prendos, in conjunction with other industry partners, is developing risk analysis tools for weather-tightness. This pilot study involved 250 residential units on 50 sites. The median value of the units is $450,000?not a cheap housing problem. … Continue reading →

What is a Building Survey?

By Sean Marshall  A building survey is the inspection and investigation of the construction and services of a property in sufficient depth to enable a surveyor to advise what impact the condition of that property will have upon a client/owner.  … Continue reading →

An Alliance Formed in the Bay of Plenty between BDC Ltd and Prendos Limited

By Steve Ford Closer Working Relationship in the Bay of Plenty between BDC Ltd and Prendos For the last 5 years BDC Ltd has been producing reports on Leaking Buildings in Coromandel, Wellington, Auckland, New Plymouth and Tauranga.  At the … Continue reading →

NEW FACES

NEW FACES Ricky Zhong BBS Ricky Zhong graduated from Massey University with a Bachelor of Business Studies in 2006 and is the most recent member of our valuation team. Ricky emigrated from China in 2001 with a Diploma of Business … Continue reading →

Current Leaking Building Issue – The Leaking is Not New – the Extent of the Failure is.

By Greg O’Sullivan Background   In 1995, Prendos pointed out to the construction industry that there were problems with the application of solid plaster stucco to our buildings. In particular, the application of plaster directly onto a single building wrap … Continue reading →

New Faces – June 2009

Gavin Po – BE (Hons) Building Surveyor Gavin graduated from the University of Auckland in 1999 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) – 1st Class Honours.  Prior work experience includes industrial energy audit, commercial project management, contracts administration and residential … Continue reading →

Auckland Property Review

Auckland Market Booms   The Auckland property market is in the grips of a boom which mirrors the last major upswing experienced through the 1993-1996 period. Sales volumes are up staggering 60% to 70% on last year with the total … Continue reading →