Residential Case Studies

Residential renovation budget for mortgage application

Walker QS Consultants were engaged to produce a detailed cost summary for a proposed large-scale, two-story addition to a house in Wellington.  Once costed, the client confirmed that it exceeded their budget, so WQS worked through a cost value engineering exercise with them to find cost saving solutions.  This included measures such as a different type of balustrade, more economic detailing and alternative products with the same functionality.  Having achieved the target budget, we complied a report with a full trade summary and contingency budget, for the client to submit to their bank to support their application for funding.

Group builder price assessment to secure finance

Walker QS Consultants were engaged to assess a group builder’s price for a new build, single storey house.  We carry out this type of work on a regular basis, so our knowledge of current build costs enabled us to quickly substantiate the costs, including assessing risk factors based on the site’s topography etc. The client submitted the full report to their mortgage broker and obtained the finance to carry out the build.

Cost check of a builder’s submission

Walker QS Consultants were presented with drawings and a builder’s price and asked to assess whether, the quote was fair and reasonable compared with current market rates.  Due to the difference in price, we then assisted this client by going to market and obtaining other more realistic quotes for the works, along with ensuring that all warranties were included as part of the price.

Assess a group builder’s credit value for damaged patio on a new build

This Walker QS Consultants‘ client was concerned that a credit offered by their group builder didn’t seem fair when compared to the loss of use value.  The defect was a cracked patio, which was damaged during landscaping works.  The group builder offered a sum, which upon investigation only represented the cost of the repair to the area that was cracked, not a make good repair of the entire patio.  The offer didn’t take into account the loss of value and appearance to the new build overall.  We contacted the group builder and the while the credit wasn’t increased, they did carry out additional works to reduce the impact on the appearance of the crack, to the satisfaction of the client.