Residential building consents were at record highs in 2021. The demand, compounded by Covid, is putting increasing pressure on the construction industry in New Zealand.
Homebuilders are seeing delays in the planning and design of their new homes as engineers, surveyors and designers are hard-pressed to keep up with their increasing workloads. COVID has also caused significant disruption to overseas shipping and the supply of items manufactured internationally. This includes carpet and vinyl, plumbing, and electrical materials. The short supply of key construction materials, including those made in New Zealand is the most widely reported issue. Basic materials such as insulation exterior and interior lining are particularly affected, causing long delays and, in some cases, doubling build times.
How does this impact you when you’re looking to build with Lockwood, and what can you do to avoid costly and lengthy delays?
Building with Lockwood has a significant advantage in this situation. In our unique building system, the cladding, insulation, and interior lining are built into our exterior boards. When you build with Lockwood, there will be no delays waiting on cladding or interior lining, such as plasterboard. After manufacturing in Rotorua, the Lockwood components, comprising of exterior boards, interior boards and joinery, are delivered to your site ready to be assembled.
Over our 70 year history, we have forged and maintained relationships with local timber suppliers. This ensures we have an ongoing and guaranteed supply of timber. We also have the advantage of a long-standing ‘Buy Local’ policy. We source 99% of our raw materials from the Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions. We don’t rely on overseas products in manufacturing our components.
Of course, it takes more than just the Lockwood components to build a Lockwood home. Clients are encouraged to start planning early and be ready to make decisions on fit-out long before the build commences to minimise any potential delays. This allows your contractor to order materials such as tapware, flooring, and electrical items well in advance to ensure everything is available when the project starts.