Could you own a house with 40 mates? These tradies do

During a sluggish period for homebuilding last year, a New Zealand construction boss came up with an innovative idea to boost his team’s spirits and pockets. 

It led to 40 of his tradies working together to build a collectively-owned house. 

“A lot of the building companies weren’t paying the creditors at the time, and the guys were going, ‘Far out, we are not getting paid. What’s going on here?’ Everyone was a bit down so I thought, ‘Why don’t we do something to build each other up as a group and show we are all in it together’,” Daniel Davies told OneRoof. 

Each tradie had the chance to contribute labour and materials to the build. In return, they each owned a percentage of the final property. 

The team voted together on the type of house they were going to build. “That’s how we ended up with the red brick and the black weatherboard and so forth,” Davies explained. 

When it came to the internal fittings, each subcontractor got to choose their own design. 

“Whoever was putting their product in the home got to choose their colour. So the kitchen manufacturer just used the products they wanted to put in the home. The tile people, they supply what they want to put in,” he said. 

It might sound like a recipe for visual cacophony, but the final build is surprisingly coherent. 

It’s a slick three-bedroom house with two bathrooms, a two-car lockup garage, and every mod con you can imagine. 

Thermally-broken double glazing keeps the windows ultra-weathertight, underfloor heating warms the home in winter, and a keypad entry maximises security. 

The kitchen is a particular triumph, with a large island bench, bespoke cabinetry, cord pendant lights, and a secret butler’s pantry tucked away in one corner. 

Of the 40 shareholders who contributed labour or materials to the project, each has a different-sized share based on the amount they contributed to the project. 

The house will go to auction in the week before Christmas. 

When it sells, each tradie will get a payout for their hard work. 

Angela Finnigan of Bayleys Hamilton is selling the property.