defitnz offers expert
deconstruction in live
trading environments.

defitnz specialise in retail, healthcare, education and offices. Frequently working in constrained sites and in busy locations.

defitnz is a safe set of hands, with over 20 years of experience, for removing fit out and building services. Whether you are updating the space or at the end of the tenancy agreement, defitnz can prepare a plan and a service package that meets your needs.

We have specialised and experienced teams ready to complete safe deconstruction works for you.

As a trusted supplier to major mall operators we understand the expectation that normal centre operations, tenants and customers are in no way to be impacted by the deconstruction works that are being carried out.

It’s important to defitnz that recoverable items are salvaged, upcycled or recycled. It’s part of our initial assessment and operating processes that identified reusable items are recovered.

defitnz can tailor a service to meet your needs.

Start to finish project management

Dust control

Safe removal of signage

Safe removal of fixtures and fittings

Safe removal of partitions, ceilings and bulk heads

Safe removal of all types of flooring

Preparation of substrate for re-laying of flooring

Safe demolishing of walls and building structures

Cleaning of site and safe removal of debris

Plaster repairs and painting

Completed to your contractual lease obligations

defitnz clients are also covered by our comprehensive $10m public liability insurance

Case studies

Retail Defit - Shoes & Socks

This Westfield based retailer needed the entire shop removed to comply with their lease agreement. This included secondary interior walls that were tiled floor to ceiling. The floor needed to have a paint finish removed. The store front and storeroom both needed to be demolished. IT equipment needed to be retained, packed and delivered to a warehouse location. Waste needed to be removed from site, and everything needed to happen outside of mall trading hours.

defitNZ handled the whole project including full liaison with the centre management. Compliance and signoff of the rip out were managed by defitNZ. Fire, plumbing, electrical and HVAC subtrades were all managed by defitNZ.
This was a precision demolition exercise including removal of a large steel portal frame supporting the store front. The store front was removed without trace.

1.47ton of steel was sorted and salvaged by defitNZ from this site for the recycling.

“defitNZ completed our store removal process without our Australian based operations team needing to set foot onsite. Progress communications were clear and the project was delivered on time. This specialist defit business makes a difference to our ongoing business.”

Hospitality Ends

When the laughter stops, and there's no fitting end. The pub needs to be removed.

This very very large space with complex construction detail gets removed just like a smaller installation. Carefully.

Bathrooms, kitchen, cool room, tap rooms, bar, chillers, bars, mezzanine floors, more bathrooms, offices, ceilings, walls, plant, joinery, steel structure, flooring. All gone.

Make good where base build walls and floors got damaged by installations. All complete.

Waste Sorting:
900kg of stainless recycled
4.3ton of steel recycled

defitNZ can handle the big rip out work. It takes the same careful operational planning & precision demolition that a retail fit out requires.

Retail Partial Defit – Glam Faux Jewellery

The brief was for a partial shop demolition of an existing store. Flooring and shop front (which is two of the big parts) were to be removed and it needed to be conducted, safely, with pace. Other existing finishes needed specific minor works and remediation of areas affected.

defitNZ completed a complex rip out brief with precision enabled by effective processes and an organisation capable of the specialised tasks.

This retained the maximum value for the client in the existing retail store. While also enabling the retailer to implement their brand identity cost effectively.

“When defitNZ achieved the result required by our business in less than a week. This took pressure off a project was timed to the very last minute. Thanks to defitNZ for the big effort that helped get us get the store trading on time”

Retail Defit – Up Market Casual Apparel

While the store defit brief was simple, the client’s relationship with the landlord was fraught. defitNZ calmly executed the store removal and debranding programme to deliver the results required by both parties. This includes removal of exterior signage that was installed above a glass canopy. The client was provided with a safety brief including staff and pedestrians below.

“Thanks to defitNZ we were able to exit the site with minimum disruption. defitNZ was able to defuse the emotive angst our people had with the landlord and enable us to make a smooth exit. defitNZ was like oil on troubled water – Multiple retail assets were redeployed across our local network. Curve balls from the landlord with unreasonable timelines were handled professionally and politely by defitNZ. Although not based in NZ we felt in control of the process throughout because of the great communication”

All fixtures removed from site by defitNZ were up cycled to a second useful life. Nothing was resold it was just repurposed.

Office Removal – 3rd level no lift

“defitNZ helped us devise a plan. The checklist of items we agreed formed the basis of our agreement with them, with the landlord and the final sign off. Seems simple right? It is when you appoint defitNZ experience and expertise to the job.”

This was a one-off office removal project. Not a first for defitNZ - defitNZ could help the client comply with their lease terms and conditions by providing a standard list of elements that we often do. Together we removed a few items from the list and added a couple specific to their needs. defitNZ provided a project programme (timeline) and update progress daily. defitNZ arranged and managed all the required trades to ensure the programme stayed on track.

Tenant office partitions, cabinetry, ceiling, services (fire, Hvac, plumbing & electrical) and flooring was all removed. An office rip out like it was never there.

1.2ton of steel material was recycled. Mobile partitions and many fixtures were repurposed instead of being directed into landfill.

One stop shop stop – Health & Beauty

This retailer wanted to exit their tenancy on good terms with the landlord as they retained locations in several other of their properties. They trusted defitNZ to execute the store removal with respect for the other mall retailers too.

Safety is a corporate priority for the client. defitNZ was able to provide an excellent safety record and robust systems to maintain that performance.

And “defitNZ demonstrated actual environmental achievement in precision demolition and debris sorting. Not just unfounded hubris and virtue signalling.

Making the tenancy exit process easier was defitNZ’s complete understanding of the landlord’s terminology, internal processes and requirements.

We don’t like leaving a retail space but to do it without causing more stress makes it much less painful. I suggest: Don’t rip out or strip out if you actually want to defit.”

Over 750kg of steel recycled. 53 fixtures repurposed instead of being landfill.

Retail Amalgamation

Sometimes one shop is not enough. You need TWO shops! But the two shops are on a sloping mall with different entrance heights. And they are on the second level of the mall, so it is a suspended slab. defitNZ can help with that.

Defit two shops back to base build. Walls, ceilings, floors, everything. Easy.
Remove the existing concrete ramps across the front of both shops. Done
Build a new concrete ramp across two shop fronts matching the slope of the mall. Sorted.
Protect the mall structural slab from damage & protect the tenant retailers below. Done
Safely include engineers and clients in the process for compliance & sign off. Sorted.
Clear tons and tons of concrete rubble from site. Done
Move over 6m3 of wet concrete up to the second level of an operating shopping mall. Sorted
Do everything after mall operating hours. Easy.

defitNZ can complete construction tasks like this as part of the brief. We call it Live Environment Construction.