Ashcroft’s lateral thinking delivers 50% more housing – and profit

Our client’s rental property was a four-bedroom home on an 800 m2 site. When changes to the Auckland Unitary Plan were introduced, zoning adjustments meant the property was now located in a Terraced Housing and Apartment Zone. This provided great development potential for this rental property.

The owner approached Ashcroft Homes with his plan to knock down the existing home and replace it with new townhouses. It was clear the new zoning would enable six new townhouses to be built. But after reviewing the site, the Ashcroft team came up with an alternative that was even better. As the property was close to the public transport network, Ashcroft suggested our client consider building homes without dedicated carparking. This allowed for greater intensification on the site, providing much greater returns.

The client agreed, and the Ashcroft team set to work maximizing the site’s potential. By omitting carparking, Ashcroft was able to add three extra homes, providing much needed housing in the area and significantly improving the project returns for the customer. The resulting plan was NINE new Windsor terraced homes – a 50% increase on the original proposal.

With Resource and Building Consent granted, it was time to get on with the build. Drainage presented some initial challenges when the team discovered the stormwater drains were at a different depth to what was shown in the Council records. Ashcroft’s inhouse engineers worked with external consultants to create a solution that allowed work to continue and minimised costs to the client.

Our client’s busy schedule as a pilot meant he was often away for long periods throughout the build. However, he felt comfortable taking a hands-off approach and allowing Ashcroft to manage all aspects of the project.  With the drainage issue resolved, the rest of the build went to plan, and the project was delivered on time and to budget.

Our client was delighted with the final result. And with the additional three homes added to his site, Ashcroft Homes truly exceeded his expectations.