Somewhere around the world a Quantity Surveyor is in the News. Good QS news or Bad, we will bring you regular links to their stories. Join the NZBE Blog
[1] “My husband Karl is both a builder and quantity surveyor and between us we have over 40 years’ experience in the industry! Karl and I have our own construction company, “ said Janah. Known on the show as Team Purple, two Papamoa mums hope will give them the edge over the other teams as the pair compete in The Block NZ, soon to air on Three. [NZBE Link]
[2] Homeowner loses court challenge against high-profile quake claims advocate. A woman who says she felt betrayed by the company engaged to resolve an insurance stalemate on her earthquake-damaged Christchurch home has had her claims rejected by the High Court. The case was believed to be a test case for a class action against Claims Resolution. In a decision released last week, Justice Anne Hinton also found Claims Resolution had not breached its contract with Pfisterer by using an in-house quantity surveyor. The quantity surveyor was independent of the insurance industry and EQC. [NZBE Link]
[3] Hundertwasser project quantity surveyor John Barber was present with his family and was thrilled to be a part of the big day. "I've been a part of this project for 13 years and I was present when they first brought the cupola model. Looking at it today, it is so much bigger and more visual than we ever imagined." Pride and pure awe were among the emotions of the crowd who spilled around Whangārei's Town Basin this morning to watch what has been marked as a momentous occasion in the city's history. There were also many fighting back tears. Whangārei's Hundertwasser Art Centre has received its golden crown. [NZBE Link]
[4] A Rodney NZ design build company was ordered to pay $24,336 in damages after it was found to have misrepresented the estimated cost for building a passive house. A couple looking to build their dream home have seen it go up in a puff of smoke after the quote they were given turned out to be more than $500,000 short.“Clients were entitled to rely on an estimate as being ‘somewhere in the vicinity’ of the final price, which it was not,” the Small Claims Court Referee said. The couple received an estimate in January 2019 for $713,000 to build a 175-square-metre passive house. After some changes to the design the estimate was revised up, to $763,000 in October, which was accepted. The company then engaged a quantity surveyor, who in April last year estimated the cost of the build at $1.304 million. The couple cancelled the contract. They said they had chosen to finalise the design and build based on the October estimate. [NZBE Link]
A report by an independent quantity surveyor found the couple had overpaid the contractor €26,766.55 at that early stage in the project. The builders had abandoned the site and the architect then resigned, Mr Baily said. “They said that I was interfering and they couldn’t do their work. “But effectively it was just breach of contract. And they did it fearlessly. There were going to be no repercussions for them anyway. “What I spotted, most people would never have spotted that, it’s all work that would be covered up, so you might not have an issue for 20 years, and I’m sure that goes on wholesale, throughout the country.” “The whole industry seems to operate around an attitude of ‘you get your house in the end, suck it up' ". Ireland. [NZBE Link]
Somewhere around the world a Quantity Surveyor is in the News. Good QS news or Bad, we will bring you regular links to their stories. Join the NZBE Blog
“Celebrating 50 years of New Zealand Building Economist 1972 to 2021”
By Matthew Ensoll
Life Member NZIQS. Reg.QS.
Editor New Zealand Building Economist.