Buying a brand-new home is no longer a guarantee that the paperwork is finished.
As reported recently by RNZ, dozens of homeowners across Auckland have found themselves in a waking nightmare. Months after moving into their new homes, they received notification from the Council that they have non-compliant or uncompleted resource consents.
The cost to fix these issues? Tens of thousands of dollars.
The heartbreaking reality is that many of these buyers did their due diligence. They hired lawyers. They spoke to real estate agents. Yet, they still walked into a financial trap, forced to rip up concrete, decks or undertake expensive landscaping because the developer failed to close out the final land use conditions.
The “Tick-Box” Failure
The core of the problem is a gap in the standard buying process.
- Lawyers check the title and the paperwork, but they don’t visit the site to see if the physical reality matches the council plans.
- Real Estate Agents can rely on vendor disclosure. If a developer doesn’t mention an unclosed consent or an abatement notice, the agent may not know—or worse, may inadvertently give incorrect advice about what you can do with your property.
- The Council is often under-resourced, with final inspections sometimes delayed by months. By the time they catch the non-compliance, the developer may be in liquidation, leaving the new owner holding the bag.
As the Council clearly states: The responsibility for complying with resource consents sits with the current land owner. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t build it. If you own it, you pay for it.
Don’t Leave Compliance to Chance
This is where our specialized Resource Consent Review & Advisory Service steps in. We bridge the gap between the paperwork and the property, providing a layer of protection that standard conveyancing often misses.
For Home Buyers:
Never assume a new build is a compliant build. Our team reviews the specific Land Use Resource Consent conditions attached to the property and provides a clear, plain-English report. We can verify if:
- The landscaping and fencing match the approved consent plans.
- There are any outstanding “Sign-Offs” or deferred works.
- Physical structures (like decks and driveways) meet the specific environmental dimensions required by the council.
For Land Agents:
Your reputation is your most valuable asset. Recent reports highlight buyers feeling “deceived” and “ripped off” by agents who failed to disclose unclosed consents.
- Protect your brand: listing a property with unidentified consent issues is a ticking time bomb.
- Add value: Offer your vendors and buyers absolute confidence that the sale is clean.
- Avoid the backlog: Don’t wait for a Council abatement notice to derail your sale. Get the facts upfront.
The Cost of Advice vs. The Cost of Regret
One homeowner reported facing a $30,000 bill to demolish a non-compliant deck. Another is fighting to find funds for mandatory planting that the developer skipped.
Compared to the cost of rectifying a breach, a professional Resource Consent Review is a small price to pay for peace of mind.
Don’t let a “dream home” turn into a legal liability.
Boundary Consultant’s planning team can provide these checks for you.
Expert Resource Consent Review & Strategic Advice
Contact us today at 09 8383109 or visit www.boundary.co.nz to secure your investment.