In New Zealand there are many things that you are going to need to consider when searching for townhouses for sale. One thing that people really don’t think about until it is far too late though is the materials that were actually used to build the house. On this page I want to run you through a couple of the materials that you will probably find being used, as well as try to warn you off a few that were used in the past but aren’t really ideal in house construction.
As you can probably guess, the majority of properties here are very light in construction. This is down to the fact that the climate is pretty wet most of the time – amongst other reasons. Heavy constructions are generally a no go as this can require other considerations when it comes to heat in the home. Brick townhouses for sale are generally veneer with the rest of the frame being crafted using wood.
Wood is a very common building material in properties here. New builds tend to veer away from using only wood due to the high cost of it. Instead they are using various artificial replacements which are cheaper but look just as aesthetically pleasing. There are plenty of different brands out there like is Fibrolite. Houses that are crafted with real wood are generally done so in combination with plasterboard.
Finally, you may find some buildings made from all metal construction. These do tend to be a lot rarer in townhouses for sale than their wood counterparts however. The benefit of these constructions is that they tend to be very lightweight, but also incredibly strong which means they can put up with some extreme weather.
In terms of the roof, you will normally be looking at some corrugated steel. This normally comes in sheets. In order to contribute to the aesthetic appeal of the property this will normally be painted or covered in some sort of other material. The reason why steel is used is because it provides good protection for the home without being too heavy. There are plenty of reasons as to why the material can’t be too heavy. The first of these reasons is the fact that a heavy roof can cause ventilation problems in the home. In addition to this, if your home is constructed from wood you don’t want too much weight on it. From time to time you may find cement being used in the construction of a roof but this is very rare nowadays.
Whilst the majority of townhouses for sale will use materials that are sturdy and weatherproof, there are a couple of homes that were built in the 1980s that were constructed with un-treated wood. As a result the properties suffer from damage through dampness and other problems. My suggestion is to get a building inspector in to ensure that the property you are purchasing is fit for living in.
As you can see, there are plenty of materials that you may find being used in townhouses for sale. I do suggest that you carry out your research to ensure that there are no problems with the material that has been used. You will want to do this before you purchase.
