# 04 - Don't make this massive renovation mistake

Renovations are tough.

They can be expensive, time consuming, stressful and sometimes make you wonder what the heck you got yourself into.

And that is all before you try to work out if you need a building consent or not.

I've been buying / renovating properties since 2004. In those 22 years I have made loads of mistakes, had a lot of different tradies (both terrible & fantastic) , as well as seen a lot of 'interesting things' hidden behind walls & under floors.

And the questions of 'Do I need a consent for this' has come up time & time again.

Now you would think that you could simply call your local council, ask them, and get a straight answer. 

Of course not.... In my experience, you will ring the council 3 times and ask the same question to 3 different people - and get 3 different answers.

The 2 most common questions are...

1. Can I add another shower or toilet without getting a consent ?

- Quick answer... Maybe. It depends.

- Longer answer.... With plumbing you can't INCREASE the amount of sanitary fixtures (vanity, sink, toilet, shower, bath etc.) but you can swap old for new. You can replace an old shower for a new one, You can move the kitchen sink to another location. As long as you don't increase the TOTAL amount of fixtures, then yes you can change them (and move them to a certain degree).

2. Can I add a sleepout without a consent ?

- Quick answer... Usually yes, but certain rules you need to follow.

- Longer answer... There are some basic rules you need to follow when looking to add a sleepout.

• No kitchen or bathroom
• Max height 3.5m from floor level
• Just 1 story
• Max 30m
• Needs to be at least 1m from boundary and 1m from main house
• Needs to comply with your local district planning rules 

These are just 2 of the many different renovation tasks that I do regularly, and advise others on best practice for them. There are many different exemptions and loads of differnt renovation tasks that you can do without needing to get a building consent.

But how do you know ?

I've put together a guide, on the common renovation jobs I do with my style of Value-Add renovations. These are jobs I do for my properties and for clients I am helping.

This is a brief, 6 page guide, outlining the more common jobs we do.

Bathrooms, Kitchens, Sleepouts, Adding/removing walls & windows.

Within my guide I have linked to the MBIE full 213 page guide on building work that does not require consent. Feel free to refer to this (or even read the whole thing - if you've got a few spare hours)

And as all reno's can be slightly unique, yours may be different to what I have covered in the guide. Please check with your local tradies or local council BEFORE you start ripping things apart.

But don't be put off by the complexities of renovation properties. It is a fundamental part of a Value-Add strategy, which I fully believe is still the best way to profit from real estate in New Zealand.

Buy well, do a smart Value-Add renovation, rent out, refinance to pull out your initial deposit and go again.

Get your guide here