Field notes
What to read before you sign
Plain-English guides written for people about to spend a lot of money on a house. No advice that should come from a lawyer or financial adviser is presented as advice.
6 min read · last updated 2025-09-01
House-and-land vs build-on-your-section — what each one actually is
House-and-land sounds tidy. Build-on-section sounds bespoke. The reality is messier than either label suggests — here's the honest comparison.
Read →5 min read · last updated 2025-09-01
What Master Builders, Certified Builders and Site Safe actually cover
Three logos that look interchangeable but aren't. Here's what each one means for you, and what none of them mean.
Read →7 min read · last updated 2025-09-01
Choosing a cladding system — brick, weatherboard, plaster, EIFS, fibre cement
Cladding is one of the few decisions that's hard to undo. The wrong cladding for your site is a slow-burn problem; the right one disappears for thirty years.
Read →6 min read · last updated 2025-09-01
The build stages, in order — what's happening on site each fortnight
Foundation, frames-and-trusses, roof-on, lock-up, fix-out, practical completion. Eight months of milestones, decoded.
Read →7 min read · last updated 2025-09-01
Contracts, progress payments and what to read line-by-line
Most NZ build contracts are NZS 3902 or a Master Build / Certified Builders variant. Here are the clauses to mark up before you sign.
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