Stop picking up the soap you idiots!

[Finn]

I've always said that just about everything in NZ is overpriced. Yes, we're an remote island and bla, bla de bla, but in this global economy there's just no excuse anymore.

Take a look here for example...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/...ectid=10423900

Not only is this over the top but the build quality would compare to an Indian shantytown. Another reason to stay clear of NZ made.

EVERYTHING WE BUY IS WAY OVERPRICED!!! Freight is not the problem. $2000 to ship a container from the US. Our dollar has been strong for some time now. It's just kiwi's ripping kiwi's off full stop.

Make a stand sheep! Stop throwing your hard earned cash over the counter. The internet is your friend. Use it!

[marty]

i've just spent about $1600/m2 in my house (300m2). it's come up ok - a few things still pissing me off - mostly tradesman quality related, but the bloody price of timber/aluminium/shischt is just ridiculous - especially as those are all locally sourced products.

[Finn]

Exactly. $1600/m2 for some plaster a thin timber frame, pink batts (WTF) and a bit of jib. It's a joke.

This goes beyond just housing. Cars, motorbikes, electronics, food, services (especially) just about everything.

I say no more. When you can, buy directly over the internet... as in .com not .co.nz.

[SuperDave]

Why do you continue to live here in NZ Finn?

[Guitana]

It really steams ya clams ay!!! I had to laugh at the comment about the apprentices! There is a shortage of them too! After all what young guy wants to work hard these days for what amounts to $8.00 an hour doing an apprenticeship when his mates earn twice that as an office boy in the CBD!
The young people of today are'nt interested in doing trades and we have the GOVT to blame for that!! Where are the tradesmen??? Why their in Australia earning real money because the buisnesses in OZ pay well for skilled workers!!

[Guitana]

i've just spent about $1600/m2 in my house (300m2). it's come up ok - a few things still pissing me off - mostly tradesman quality related, but the bloody price of timber/aluminium/shischt is just ridiculous - especially as those are all locally sourced products.

The Timber Thats owned by japanese corporations and sold back to us at inflated prices!
Aluminiums expensive to buy because the Chinese are buying up 40% of the worlds supply same for steel and stainless steel.
And schist well thats probably governed by the cost of fuel and labour.
You could contact Phillip Taito Feilds I hear he's running a labour for immigration scheme you might have to put up a few Thai immigrants in your garage for a few months but it's worth the hassle!!!!

[Karma]

mmm...

www.maurice.com

[The_Dover]

what young guy wants to work hard these days for what amounts to $8.00 an hour doing an apprenticeship when his mates earn twice that as an office boy in the CBD!

i like to think of myself as a bit more than just an office boy.

[Guitana]

i like to think of myself as a bit more than just an office boy.

You know what I mean a young guy who's just left school and entered the work force!! And just discovered that offices are full of good looking women while his mates in a cold shitty workshop getting sexually harrassed by his homophobic co-workers!!

[James Deuce]

i like to think of myself as a bit more than just an office boy.

Don;t we all. The reality is, we're all just grist to the mill.

But Finn has a point.

[Crisis management]

I don't know where they get their numbers from, but I get mine from Rawlinsons construction handbook:
House, 1 storey, weatherboard or brick caldding: $1525 to 1775 per sq. m.
House, 2 storey, brick or plaster and weatherboards: $1,775 to 2,050 per sq. m.
House, large (200 to 600 sq.m.) $3,100 to 3,400 per sq. m.

All these plus GST and assume an easy level site for building........

Most of my design work is renovations in the order of $200,000 to 400,000 and I am working off $2,000 to $2,500 per sq. m. That seems reasonably accurate.

As a complete contrast, a family friend's son (21) just finished his electrical apprenticeship has bought a house in howick (auckland suburb / reasonable quality). So it is possible.

[Motu]

Where are the tradesmen??? Why their in Australia earning real money because the buisnesses in OZ pay well for skilled workers!!

Because rich arseholes like Finn keep complaining about how much they charge for their work! How can you earn good money if you can't charge good money? No one can survive on a 10% mark up these days.l.

[scumdog]

Exactly. $1600/m2 for some plaster a thin timber frame, pink batts (WTF) and a bit of jib. It's a joke.

This goes beyond just housing. Cars, motorbikes, electronics, food, services (especially) just about everything.

I say no more. When you can, buy directly over the internet... as in .com not .co.nz.

I know what ya mean - I can hardly afford to buy more bling for my Harley, - and have you seen the price of tassles lately??????


The amount you Aucklanders are prepared to pay for a house has forced the prices around here over the $100,000 for a four bedroom home - bastards!!!

[Guitana]

Because rich arseholes like Finn keep complaining about how much they charge for their work! How can you earn good money if you can't charge good money? No one can survive on a 10% mark up these days.l.

Yes it is frustrating for tradesmen when the customers bitch and moan about the cost of labour maybe they could consider doing it for free!!!
But they dont bat an eye when some sweaty scrotumed Real estate vampire charges them $12k to sell their house!! Fuck that I sold my own and bought a bike with the proceeds and everytime I ride it I think fuck you realestate wankers fuck you very much!!!!!!!

[Toaster]

i've just spent about $1600/m2 in my house (300m2). it's come up ok - a few things still pissing me off - mostly tradesman quality related, but the bloody price of timber/aluminium/shischt is just ridiculous - especially as those are all locally sourced products.

Agreed. I had built for me a 240sqm home in 2005 - cost a fortune and all the tradespeople were always late/in a rush/made mistakes and charged like wounded bulls. The only good thing was designing it and project managing it to have a say in what happended in the process. Council was a rip-off too.