One of the most common problems that migrants from developed countries encounter in New Zealand is the condition of the houses. Almost all of them are wooden framed and range from quaint old Kauri villas to brand new million dollar mansions and there are often problems associated with dampness, poor weather tightness (‘leaky building’) lack of adequate heating and poor insulation.
If you are thinking about purchasing a property in New Zealand be sure to have a full and proper inspection carried out and make it a condition of the sale that the report be satisfactory. Do not, under any circumstances, take the selling agent’s advice not to have one done and do NOT use someone that they recommend.
Unfortunately many migrants are unaware of the massive extent of the leaky building disaster in New Zealand, even though it has been very much in the news for the last few years. A recent estimate is that it would cost the country $11.5 billion dollars to repair all its leaky homes, that’s approximately 10% of the country’s GDP. Don’t let a significant chunk of it come out of your pocket!
If you are emigrating to NZ and want to do some reading about this before you part with your cash take a look at reports here and look at devastating effects that it is having on the lives of so many people. This is the story of one British family who emigrated from Britain eight years ago and was recently published in the New Zealand Herald -by Anne Gibson:
“Wilna White and her family are migrants who became leaky-building victims.After a nine-year struggle which is yet to end, she wants to warn other migrants of the dangers of buying a New Zealand house.
Paul and Wilna White lived in the English village of Barton-le-Clay outside Luton and worked in London, arriving here in December 2001.
The family loved Auckland’s beaches and bought a house at Whangaparaoa. They dealt with a licensed real estate agent.
Soon after buying, they discovered severe weather-tightness issues and the rot was so bad that a child fell part-way through an exterior deck.
The couple have fought for eight years to get compensation, claiming $475,000 in a Weathertight Homes Tribunal case. But earlier this year, they got just $173,000 and have appealed the decision.The tribunal awarded the Whites $121,000 from Lorelle Kerkin as the sole trustee of an estate that sold them the house at 6 Castaway Place, and $52,000 from Rodney District Council, which signed it off.
Mrs White said the past eight years had been a nightmare. She has been robbed of annual holidays because dealing with the leaky-house issue has taken up all her spare time.
Mrs White warned that migrants were in danger of being tricked.”
So has much changed for incoming migrants since the Whites arrived eight years ago? it would seem not, immigrants are still being seen as naive or easy targets and “stitched up” accordingly (also by Anne Gibson):
“Immigrants are being saddled with leaky homes, unwittingly buying into our national disaster, says a Remuera real estate agent.Steve Koerber of Barfoot & Thompson has pointed the finger at vendors and other real estate agents, saying there is a lack of information about houses.
John Gray of the Homeowners and Buyers Association agreed that some agents were reluctant to let potential buyers know of weather-tightness issues, but an agency boss has rejected criticism.
Bryan Thomson, Harcourts chief executive, said agents were upfront if they were made aware of leaks. But not all vendors told agents about leak issues, he said.
Mr Koerber said migrants were particularly at risk because so many were unaware of the dangers of buying a New Zealand house. “I have a big problem with the fact that hundreds of new immigrants and some locals are literally stitched up into potentially leaky or actually leaky homes. Their eyes are wide shut and some owners and agents are genuinely relieved to find them,” Mr Koerber said.”
For more information on weather tightness including what to look for when purchasing a property
see ‘Information for homeowners’ on the Department of Building and Housing’s web site.
See other posts on this issue here: Leaky homes
E2NZ.org 
It is really sad that people have to deal with problems like this, especially people who have moved here seeking a better life. Unfortunately, this is only one of many issues that we NZ face due to a government who just don’t care.
I know exactly how you feel, but our home was not our holiday home, but our retirement and they say we are outside the leaky home time frame. If its a leaky home its leaky whether its 10 years old or 20 years old, they should never have been allowed to happen. We spent close to $100000.00 on repairs 5 years ago unaware that it was actually a leaky home and that was $100000.00 of hard earned money over 35 years. My husband has had a break down and I am very close to the same, the NZ government don’t treat there own any better than migrants. We really don’t know what to do next, we have not been offered any solution what so ever.
We’re all for increased awareness.
Thank you. Your readership will benefit from the information in the post. Your closing quote underlines both points of view – a fact I overlooked earlier today. Naive home owners, migrants and locals, may be / have been regarded as the ‘solution’ to the leaky home problems of unscrupulous vendors. Increased consumer awareness, coupled with a broad range of improvements in the building industry should reduce the incidence of these cases.
It is admirable that this site is highlighting the risk posed by the leaky homes syndrome to potential home owners. Thousands of people, the majority of whom are hardworking New Zealanders, have had their lives torn asunder by this building industry fiasco. I am certain that buyers were encouraged to purchase homes in the manner you are suggesting – but I doubt this treatment was reserved for migrants.
I have read several of your posts and associated comments. The agenda saddens me, but I respect your right, and that of your audience, to expose New Zealand as an undesirable place. In this instance, I simply ask that you do not insult the many victims of the leaky homes debacle by adding it to the very long list of “crimes” inflicted upon migrants by “New Zealand.”
This post will remain as it is, it is discussing the impact of leaky homes on migrants and migrants’ own experiences of being taken advantage of because of their naivety.
Some of the functions of this blog are to inform and educate our readership: to cut through some of the hype and misinformation that is deliberately aimed at hardworking migrants.
Whilst we have sympathy for the many New Zealanders who’ve been caught up in the Leaky Homes Debacle, we are also conscious that migrants are regarded by some vendors and their agents as a ‘solution’ to their problem. As is evident from the news reports we have highlighted here.
we need more compertant plumbers and builders