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The world of building surveying demands not only technical prowess but also a keen understanding of legal intricacies. Here we look into the pivotal role building surveyors take as expert witnesses, ensuring fairness, clarity, and integrity. 1. Bridging the gap between law and construction: Imagine a construction-related dispute going to court. The intricacies of building codes, regulations, and industry standards can be overwhelming for those without a background in construction. As an expert witness, a seasoned chartered or registered building surveyor with their deep understanding of both the technical and legal aspects, steps in to articulate these complexities in a manner accessible to legal professionals and judges. Their testimony provides clarity on technical matters, helping the court make informed decisions. 2.  Unbiased evaluation: One of the hallmarks of an expert witness is their commitment to objectivity. They are not advocates for one party or another. Through in-depth analysis and evaluation, expert witnesses present an unbiased perspective, they aid the court in arriving at fair and just conclusions. 3.  Investigation and reporting: An expert witness begins their journey with a thorough investigation. Whether it’s a dispute over structural integrity, building defects, or compliance issues, they meticulously examine the evidence, often producing detailed reports that serve as invaluable resources in legal proceedings. These reports are based on the highest standards of professional integrity. 4.  Mediation and resolution: While some legal proceedings that professional building surveyors assist in do end up in court, their influence extends to alternative dispute resolution processes as well. Mediation and arbitration benefit from the nuanced understanding and mediation skills that expert witnesses bring to the table, often facilitating swifter and more amicable resolutions. 5.  Continuous professional development: To serve effectively as expert witnesses, building surveyors engage in continuous professional development. Staying up to date with the latest industry trends, legal precedents, and technological advancements is crucial for offering testimony that is not only accurate but also reflects the current state of the industry. For more information on our expert witness services, please get in touch

In the ever-evolving landscape of surveying and construction, technology is becoming an indispensable ally, revolutionising traditional Building Surveying practices and enhancing efficiency. One such innovation is the use of drone surveys and how they are reshaping the way we approach surveys, here’s how: 1. Precision Drone surveys provide a bird’s-eye view of buildings, offering unparalleled precision and accuracy. Equipped with advanced imaging technology, drones capture detailed and high-resolution aerial photographs, allowing our surveyors to obtain a comprehensive overview of the site. 2. Time & Cost Efficiency Time is money, and in construction, efficiency is key. Drone surveys significantly expedite the surveying process compared to traditional methods. With the ability to cover large areas swiftly, drones reduce the time required for data collection and analysis. The use of drones also eliminates the need for scaffolding and other potentially expensive access equipment. 3. Enhanced Safety Building surveys, particularly roofs, often pose safety challenges. Drones eliminate the need for personnel to navigate potentially hazardous terrain, minimizing the risk of accidents. 4. Accessibility & Adaptability Drones are agile and adaptable to project access challenges. Whether it’s a large-scale construction site, a remote location, or a complex structure, drones can access and survey areas that might be challenging or impractical for traditional surveying methods. Drone surveying offers a safe and cost-effective method of building and roof inspection, removing the need for scaffolding and other expensive access equipment. We utilise industry-leading technology to identify defects and areas that require closer inspection, our surveyors then provide a detailed report including high-definition photos. Our drone pilots are 101 certified and can arrange authorisation to fly in controlled areas if required. We recently put these benefits into practice by using a drone survey to identify defects and maintenance requirements at The Cloud, located on Queens Wharf in Auckland’s CBD. Due to The Cloud’s shape and size the drone cut the survey time down and provided a detailed condition assessment. For more information on drone surveys, please get in touch

Introducing Wren – our sponsored assistance dog Wren was born in December 2017 and is currently in formal training to become an assistance dog with Assistance Dogs New Zealand Trust (ADNZ).  Watch this space for updates on Wren’s progress. The ADNZ Trust was founded in 2008 by Julie and Rick Hancox after Julie left the field of a prominent service dog organisation.  During her career in this field, she came across people that had various disabilities that did not receive the same access to service dogs.  There was nowhere for people with disabilities such as Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and Diabetes to go to obtain a dog to assist with their disability with legal public access rights.  After being introduced to families bringing in dogs from the US to assist their children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Julie took on the challenge of creating an organisation in New Zealand to cater for this gap of service in our community. Veron are proud to continue our support of the important and much-needed service the team at ADNZ Trust provide. If you would like to sponsor a puppy of your own or maybe you are able to help care for and raise a puppy via the Puppy Development Programme, get in touch with ADNZ Trust to find out how:  https://assistancedogstrust.org.nz/

Are home buyers still “turned off” by re-clad homes? What cladding system is the best to combat the “leaky home” stigma? Researchers from the University of Auckland Business School’s Department of Property have recently published a study they carried out regarding the stigma surrounding remediated leaky homes and how the choice of cladding system for a re-clad project has a direct effect on a buyer’s perception of the property. The results are good news for owners of monolithic homes looking to re-clad. Read the article here: goodreturns.co.nz Veron have successfully assisted home owners in the remediation and re-clad of their homes; from concept design, obtaining building consent, main contractor procurement and through contract administration to practical completion. We work closely with our clients, designers, specialist consultants and contractors to ensure quality results that add value to your home.

Director and Senior Chartered Building Surveyor, Martin Hill was recently invited to be a keynote speaker in front of a packed house in Brisbane to some of our valued clients on topical issues within the building industry. Ongoing maintenance and associated long term planning requirements for buildings was covered to help the audience gain a better understanding of how a structured approach to life-cycle costings can have a long term benefit to a capital asset. The feedback we received from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive with many people commenting on the interesting and engaging content as well as having learned some practical advice and tools to use in managing their assets.

As a result of Veron’s expert advice, New Zealand’s Commerce Commission have been successful in pressing charges against the misrepresentation of an external wall cladding panel system With a shortage of housing stock, rising construction costs and the need to meet recently amended fire regulations, the New Zealand construction industry is often exposed to new untested products and systems from abroad.  Unfortunately, not all of these products are suitable for our specific New Zealand climate conditions leading to failure and extensive repairs required. As featured on One News in May 2018, Global Fibre8 Limited (GF8) supplied such a sub-standard cladding panel system to the market, promoting it as being “resistant to fire, moisture, earthquakes, termites, cyclone and harsh weather”.  For at least two new-build home owners who purchased and installed the KT3 system on their new homes, cracks started appearing in the cladding shortly after it was installed.  This was the beginning of many issues with the product itself and frustrations in dealing with GF8 to get these issues resolved. Veron were engaged by one of the affected families to carry out an investigation to identify key defects with the K3T cladding panels.  Our experienced building surveyors’ independent advice assisted our client with their successful legal recourse. This year, New Zealand’s consumer “watchdog”, the Commerce Commission, has filed eight representative charges against GF8 and its sole shareholder under the Fair Trading Act, as reported by the New Zealand Herald.

Veron Building Consultants have moved to a new North Shore location Having outgrown our office space in Constellation Drive we have moved into our new office at 5 Ceres Court located in the Apollo Drive business district. The Veron team love living and working on the North Shore in Auckland  so the carefully chosen new location provides good linkage with the Northern and Southern motorways and a variety of great cafes and eateries within walking distance. Our new office location makes us neighbours to AUT Millennium for those of us who enjoy visiting the gym and pool before or after work and we are always only a 5 to 10-minute drive from one of the local East coast beaches should we fancy a lunch break at the beach. Our new larger, open-plan office is light and modern with an elevated outlook over the Apollo and Constellation Drive industrial and business hub towards the South-West. We look forward to welcoming clients and industry partners to our new office space.

Helping develop the future management team at Veron As part of our Graduate Programme, Veron have sponsored memberships for both Nick and Krystal to attend the regular North Shore Toastmasters meetings in order to help develop their communication, presentation and management skills.  Although finding themselves outside of their comfort zone, Nick and Krystal are enjoying the experience.  At a recent meeting Krystal was one of the winning speakers on the night – see the Albany Toastmasters website for more information.

Super proud to be part of the team at Veron that has been associated with ADNZ fundraising for many years and the incredible work they do for the community. This year we rasied a total of $2,500 to help ADNZ with their mission of enriching the lives of kiwi’s living with a disability. If you would like to donate, please click here

A huge congratulations to Nick Woods for winning the award for the best prepared speech for competing in the division K international speech contest, he has also won the toastmaster of the year award for being part of the executive committee, vice president of education, general effort in the background and running the club. Nick has now been invited to take over the role of President of Toastmasters next year. Keep up the good work Nick!