Chinese-made houses look for home in New Zealand

WELLINGTON - China, after supplying the world with cheap household products for almost three decades, could soon be offering New Zealanders a roof over their heads too.

A New Zealand entrepreneur is hoping to offer recyclable, movable houses designed in North America and made in China, the New Zealand Herald reported Wednesday.

Anthony Dengli was representing Plug In Construction, based in Montreal, Canada, the newspaper reported.

Plug In hoped to ship components to New Zealand and assemble houses on site at a sale price of N$300,000 to N$400,000 ( $237,858 to $317,123) for a four-bedroom home.

Dengli was dealing with a local authority to modify Plug In's design to meet New Zealand building standards, the paper said.

Warwick Quinn, of Registered Master Builders in Wellington, told the Herald, "As long as the houses meet our Building Code and New Zealand standards, this is an option for more affordable houses. I don't see any issues."

Dengli said Plug In's revolutionary business model would challenge more expensive housing options.

The firm offered leases when a home was no longer needed, and it could be returned to the Chinese factory and modified for a new use,he told the paper.

"Once it was established here, Plug In could import and place five to eight houses a day, he said.

"They are made with the highest standards and withstand rough weather conditions, are durable, well insulated and easily transported to any site," he added.

"These places do not go to waste afterwards as we take them back to factories and modify them to reuse for other projects."

"It will be a whole new ball game for the building industry. The banks will need new ways to loan against these products. Councils will have to find a new way of inspections as 95 percent of the home is completed off-site," Dengli reportedly said.

The company was one of 220 firms that applied to supply temporary homes after the earthquake in Christchurch in February, but the government opted for a New Zealand company that used local building materials.