A record 48,522 building consents were issued for new homes in New Zealand according to Stats NZ – they say it eclipses all previous records.
“This November had 4688 new homes consented, which is the highest number for any month on record,” construction statistics manager Michael Heslop said today.
Auckland had the most at 20,384 consents for the November year, up 25 per cent annually.
“This is the first time that Auckland has passed the 20,000 mark,” Heslop said.
Other regions with the highest number of new homes consented:
- 7526 in Canterbury, up 30 per cent
- 5062 in Waikato, up 26 per cent
- 3633 in Wellington, up 22 per cent
“Much of the growth in Auckland has been due to the increase in the number of consents for multi-unit homes such as townhouses, apartments, and flats,” Heslop said.
The number of multi-unit homes consented in Auckland, for the year ended November 2021 is now triple the figure of five years ago.
There is no doubt that COVID has driven people back to New Zealand also to stay home and renovate or move and build the house they have always wanted.
With working from home being so prevalent, the need to work near city canters with long commutes might just be a thing of the past and moving to rural or beach side communities could spell at better way of life for many working, retiring or returning kiwis.