20 | DEVELOPMENT Kotare Properties Richard Loader A wee gem in the Waikato region There are many elements that contribute towards the overall quality of a residential subdivision — elements that separate it from the average to something that is pretty special. Nestled on a hill on the western edge of the small Waikato township of Te Awamutu, commanding magnificent views of Mount Pirongia Forest Park, is the residential development of Kotare Heights — and it is very special. The project is Kotare Properties’ latest residential development in the Waikato region. John Illingsworth, who co-owns the development company with his business partner Graeme Lee, says Kotare Heights is all about its location in terms of its views, its north and west orientation that delivers the sun to every home, and the quality of the development. “We believe we build a very high quality subdivision in terms of layout, consistency in design, the recreational areas, street lighting, driveway access and parking availability, quality of roads, and the consistency of fencing style. “It’s high quality at an affordable price. Kotare Properties vision is ‘Kotare Best Value’. The idea is that we deliver sections that are of a high quality at a fair price, so that they are affordable to first home buyers, young families and the like.” The Sanderson Group originally bought 18 hectares of land which it subdivided, selling 9 hectares to International retirement village specialist Arvida to develop a neighbouring retirement village, which is currently under construction. Retaining the remaining 9 hectares, Kotare Heights is comprised of 83 standard residential lots, along with 40 compact homes that are all duplexes. “We’ve used our own civil construction company, Phoenix Construction, and our own consultancy company Kotare Consulting throughout the project,” says John. “The site slopes down and across the valley resulting in the need for retaining walls between the rows of sections. We’ve built all the retaining walls at a cost of about $400,000, as part of the package to ensures there was an attractive uniformity, and retain the high quality and style of the development.” The idea of the duplex units enables owners to walk around the side of their houses to the backyard, which can’t be done with a terrace building. They are also better for smaller building companies to construct. “Building eight terrace houses is quite a big project, whereas a smaller builder can easily take on a duplex construction project.” Kotare Height’s appeal is further enhanced with a substantial wetland area at the bottom of the residential subdivision, which has been built in conjunction with Arvida. “The wetland encompasses about 1.5 hectares and was a way of treating stormwater. “The water is very shallow and there are lots of native trees, grasses and flaxes planted which cleans the water up before it flows out into the stream on the other side of the subdivision. Included in the wetland area is a recreational area and walkways.” While the compact section area is still being developed, all 83 standard sections, which were priced between $375,000 and $420,000, were sold off the plans in about three weeks. “Through the resource consent application it was proven that the amount of developed land in the area was quite low. There are a lot of areas where development can occur, but the amount of sections available for sale was quite low, So, hence the demand. We try to deal direct with mums and dads, limiting one section per family, so everyone gets a chance to build a new home, and at a reasonable price.” All house plans go through Kotare Properties design team, who issues approval to build, based on the quality of the design. “We don’t try to align people in the style of home or its planning. Very seldom would our design team make recommendations for change to a design. It’s more that we want to ensure that the house is attractive when you look at it from the street, and that is also about ensuring the high quality of the subdivision.” Design & Drafting Limited has 20+ years experience in the Architectural and Structural Drafting industry to bring YOUR dream into reality. Delivering concept through to building consent drawings and maintaining YOUR vision every step of the way. 027 525 1209 www.designanddrafting.co.nz
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