Watcon Projects is an LBP licensed residential builder based in Pahurehure, taking on the right jobs across Central Auckland - new builds, renovations, extensions, decks, kitchens, bathrooms, fencing and building maintenance from Parnell and Remuera through to Mount Eden and Epsom.
Cole's first ten years in the trade weren't in South Auckland at all - they were on high-end new builds and character renovations across Auckland's more established suburbs, the same kind of century-old villas and bungalows still standing through Epsom, Mount Eden and Remuera. Watcon Projects now travels in from Pahurehure to take on that same kind of work, including the odd kitchen or bathroom rebuild, with Cole handling the job and the client conversation directly rather than handing it off once the quote's signed.
The property mix here is different again to South Auckland and East Auckland - villas and bungalows through Parnell, Ponsonby and Grey Lynn, larger established homes in Mount Eden and Remuera, and a growing number of townhouses and apartments closer to the town centres. It's a smaller slice of Watcon Projects' coverage than South or East Auckland, but often the closest fit to what Cole spent a decade building before he went out on his own.
A lot of the work in Central Auckland is on villas and bungalows that are close to a hundred years old - stripping back kitchens and bathrooms, opening up a cramped floor plan, or adding a second storey without losing the character features out front. It's the kind of work Cole trained on for a decade before starting Watcon Projects, and the standard doesn't drop just because the job is smaller than a full new build.
Plenty of these streets, particularly through Ponsonby, Parnell, Mount Eden and Epsom, sit under Auckland Council's Special Character rules, which means changes to the front of a villa need to be planned properly from the start - matching rooflines, materials and setbacks rather than just building whatever fits. Watcon Projects builds that into the renovation quote from day one, not something that gets discovered halfway through consent.
Auckland Council is currently working through Plan Change 120, which replaces the old blanket rule that let three homes of up to three storeys go on almost any residential site.
Instead of spreading density evenly, it concentrates new housing capacity around town centres and transport corridors - places like Kingsland and Newmarket - while pulling back in areas at flood, coastal or landslide risk, and largely leaving the protected character streets in Ponsonby, Parnell, Epsom and Remuera to develop under their existing rules rather than the old one-size-fits-all approach.
For Central Auckland homeowners that means two different realities depending on the street. Closer to a town centre, a section might now carry real development potential it didn't have a few years ago. On a protected character street, the renovation and extension rules that have applied for years are the ones that still count. Watcon Projects works both ends of that - renovations and extensions on established character homes, and new build or townhouse-scale work where a site's zoning supports it.
Grey Lynn and Ponsonby sections tend to be narrow and tight to the street, with no side access and a hundred-year-old subfloor that's usually never been touched. A few suburbs over in Mount Eden or Epsom, the ground itself is the bigger factor - basalt rock sits close to the surface in parts of both, which changes what footings and foundation work actually involves. Remuera and Parnell sit somewhere in between: larger, more established sections, often on homes that have already been extended once or twice before. Watcon Projects treats each of these as its own job rather than assuming a Grey Lynn approach works in Epsom, or the other way round.
Often, yes. A lot of Central Auckland's villas and bungalows, particularly through Ponsonby, Parnell, Mount Eden and Epsom, sit under Auckland Council's Special Character rules. That doesn't mean the front of the house can't change, but rooflines, materials and setbacks need to be planned properly from the start rather than assumed. We scope this at quote stage so there are no surprises partway through consent.
Mainly renovations and extensions - most Central Auckland sites are already built on, so the work that comes up is villa and bungalow renovations, kitchen and bathroom rebuilds, and extensions rather than full new builds. Where a site's zoning does support a new build or townhouse-scale project, particularly closer to a town centre, we take that on too.
It can, depending on the street. Plan Change 120 is concentrating new development potential around town centres and transport corridors like Kingsland and Newmarket, while leaving protected character streets to develop under their existing rules. We check what actually applies to your property before pricing a job, rather than assuming one rule covers the whole area.
Often, yes. A lot of villas and bungalows in this part of Auckland haven't been touched structurally in decades, and subfloor, weatherboard or foundation issues - including ground conditions near Mount Eden and Epsom - can turn up once the work starts. We build realistic allowances into the quote rather than pricing on the assumption everything underneath is fine.
Yes. Cole Watson holds a current LBP licence, and all restricted building work on Central Auckland jobs - structural changes, cladding, roofing - is carried out and signed off correctly.
Fill out the form below or call 021 877 308. We'll get back to you within one business day to talk through the scope and arrange a time to come and have a look.
Based in Pahurehure, we work across South Auckland and East Auckland - from Central Auckland down through Manukau, Papakura, Karaka, Drury, Ardmore, Clevedon and Beachlands, out to Howick, Pakuranga and Botany, and south as far as Pukekohe and Pokeno.
If you're in Auckland and not sure whether we come to you - call and ask. Chances are we do.
We cover Central Auckland, Parnell, Remuera, Epsom, Mount Eden and surrounds. Tell us what you're after and we'll come back to you within one business day.
021 877 308Four quick questions. Cole reads every one and gets back to you within one business day.
Or call 021 877 308
