Not all property developers are the same. The industry may be dominated by large companies, some of them offshoots of overseas corporations, but there are plenty of enterprising Kiwis getting into the business of creating homes for others. Former teacher Barbara Ritchie-Luxton talks to OneRoof about why she’s developing Album, a seven-storey apartment block in Auckland’s Parnell.
Q: What did you do before you got into property development?
I taught design technology. I wanted to get out of that so I decided to do bed and breakfast in the family home. I earned twice what I had earned as a teacher after just a short while.
Q: Why did you switch to property development?
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I inherited some money from my parents, Jack Luxton and Margaret Ritchie, and I decided to make it work for me. I wanted to build a hotel that was bigger and better than the B&B I had but right from the beginning, I planned the project so that if I needed more money I could sell it as apartments. When Covid came along, that’s what happened. Covid changed everything.
Q: Had you done any building work before?
I was the project manager for work that was done to the B&B. Then when I bought the site in Garfield Street for Album, I had the 1920s home on it moved off. I wanted to save it for sustainability reasons. I rang every house removal company there is and only one would relocate it for me, everyone else said it was a waste of time. But I did it anyway. I bought a section, moved the house to it, did it up and made money on the deal. So I do understand the process and have that experience, but I had never done a development like Album.
Q: Did you have anyone you could go to for advice?
The architects, Patterson Associates, were very knowledgeable and helpful about the process and I also have a girlfriend who has been in the property business for many years who I was able to talk to about some of the issues. There are lots of ups and downs in development and she provided grounded advice and encouragement. But the rest of the time it has been a matter of working through the process and learning as I go along.
An artist’s impression of one of the Album apartments. Photo / Supplied
Q: You’ve dealt with everyone from banks and the council through to architects and builders – has it been a steep learning curve?
Very! There has been a huge amount to learn but it doesn’t matter what you do in life, you are always learning as you go along.
It has been a mammoth task as I have been the project manager, financial manager, researcher and the interior designer. The planning regulations have been onerous and comprehensive. However, I have enjoyed the challenges and met lots of lovely people and professionals during this journey.
One of the things that has made it a little more challenging is the fact that it is very important to me that everything is top quality. I have had to fight to get some of the things I wanted, like Matisse kitchens.
I have had people say to me, “Don’t do it that way, this way is cheaper.” But I am not prepared to do that. I’m not one of these developers who builds a building cheaply and flicks it off. I want it to be top level for the people who live there, and that includes me. I will live in one of the apartments so I’ll have a nice place to live and an income in retirement.
Q: Have there been any surprises along the way?
Some of the inefficiencies in the construction industry came as a shock. You are always waiting for people to get things done and they don’t seem to have deadlines. As a teacher you have deadlines all the time and sometimes you have to spend your evenings and weekends working to meet those deadlines – and you don’t get paid for those extended hours. In the construction industry people tell you they can’t get something done for two or three months, and if they have to work extended hours they get paid for them. And one person has to finish their job before the next one can start theirs, which can be very challenging.
Q: What’s Album going to be like?
Beautiful! I want it to be a beautiful building for Auckland and for the people who live there. It’s over seven levels, with a café on the ground floor. I was keen on that and people said don’t waste your money but for me, it helps to make it a good product.
There will be a mixture of studios and one and two bedrooms – there’s scope for change, depending on what people want.
Ritchie-Luxton says her mother taught her to have “high standards and perseverance”. Photo / Fiona Goodall
My plan right from the beginning has also been to make Album a sustainable building. I have always said I want to generate my own power, collect rainwater, have a concrete building with lots of insulation that is warm in winter, and have tall floor-to-ceiling windows that let in a lot of light. I also want a quiet building – acoustics are important to me. Plus it has touch screens everywhere and lots of mod cons.
Q: What’s it like being both new to the industry, and a woman working on her own?
A bit of a challenge. A lot of people have asked what my background is and why I think I can do this. I do have moments of thinking, “Why am I doing this?” But it is a matter of staying focused and keeping my goal in mind. I know this is a good product.
I have a determination not to be put down, and a strength to achieve my goal. I know I am on the right track. My mother taught me to have high standards and perseverance. She used to be a pilot, flying Cessnas, and she wrote books on genealogy. She was a lady of leisure; in contrast, I have worked all my life.
Q: What have you learned from this experience?
To be patient. You can’t expect things to happen instantly. I actually started this whole process 10 years ago – although five of those years have been spent doing other things – so it has been very long. It took two and a half years to get it through council, because we made a few changes. But it will be worth it.
Q: Would you do it again?
I think so, although all I have ever wanted is this building. I have enjoyed the process and I have gained confidence so maybe I would. But first, I want to be able to get into my beautiful apartment and relax.
