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 checked
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 checked
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 checked
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 checked
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 checked
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.
Read →6 min read · last checked
Getting a home loan for a new build in NZ — how construction lending works
A new-build loan is paid out in stages as the house goes up, checked by a valuer, with the last payment at the code compliance certificate. Here's how it works.
Read →6 min read · last checked
The cheapest way to build a house in NZ — where the money actually goes
Build smaller, simpler and single-storey on a flat, serviced section, from a builder's standard plan. The biggest savings are decided before the first quote.
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