Do-it-yourself

An owner-builder (or do-it-yourself) exemption to the Licensed Building Practitioner Scheme will take effect on 1 March 2012, the same date from which restricted building work requirements will apply.

The exemption means DIYers will be able to undertake restricted building work on their homes provided they meet certain conditions. These conditions are that the DIYer:

• is an individual (not a company or trust)
• has a legal, beneficial or equitable interest in the land
• carries out the work themselves or with a close friend or relative
• completes statutory declarations that they meet these conditions.

The declarations will be kept on council property files. This will enable a prospective purchaser of the property to choose whether to buy a DIY home. If restricted building work on the house subsequently proved to be defective, the purchaser would be able to take the matter up with the DIYer.