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EasyBuild are making it easier for Kiwis to create affordable housing options on their own properties.
In a bid to tackle the country’s housing shortage, the New Zealand government is looking to introduce new regulations that allow homeowners to build granny flats up to 60m2 without the need for resource or building consents.
With the proposed rules designed to make it easier for Kiwis to create affordable housing options on their own properties, EasyBuild have a range of suitable options for building when the new rules come into effect.
Check out our Granny Flat friendly home designs
Oxford
38.8m² - 1 bedroom - 1 bathroom
Tekapo
55.2m² - 1 bedroom - 1 bathroom
Waihi
60m² - 2 bedrooms - 1 bathroom
Benefits of building a Granny Flat, Secondary/Minor Dwelling, or any home, with EasyBuild
Fast build time, with no compromise on quality
Our partially prefabricated homes make the on-site build, of smaller homes in particular, go by in the blink of an eye. Gone are the days of lengthy on site delays – our homes are closed in with work able to be completed inside and outside in as little as two weeks, and finished on-site in just 10-12 weeks.
Low risk with MBIE MultiProof Approval on all designs
All of our designs have MBIE MultiProof approval – which means in essence, the house design itself is pre-consented, so you can rest assured the home you build will be safe, secure and top quality.
If you can walk there, we can build there!
Unlike traditional transportable homes, our partially prefabricated modular system means if you can walk to site, we can build on it. With secondary dwellings and granny flats, we understand that access to the back of a site can be tricky – EasyBuild has you covered.
Standard new build finance on full builds
Because our homes are completed on site, lenders offer standard new build finance, which makes it much easier to get your ducks in a row and get started on your new build.
What are you waiting for?
Talk to your local EasyBuild team today about a potential secondary or minor dwelling/granny flat on your site.
Talk to your local EasyBuild team today
Urban Duplex
Get to know EasyBuild Auckland Central
Building a new home is an exciting process but not something most of us do every day.
Like anything new, jumping into the unknown can be pretty nerve-wracking, so it’s important to get to know the team who’ll be taking care of your build. Clear communication, trust and an upfront approach set the foundations for a positive, stress-free, committed relationship with your building team.
Get to know Bobby Prajitno of EasyBuild Auckland Central, and find out why EasyBuild offers a smart solution to building new in the Auckland region.
Tell us about yourself
I’m an Indonesian-born Kiwi, married to my beautiful wife of 27 years, with 2 overseas-based kids. I have been a project manager for over 25 years, with 9 years of NZ construction industry experience under my belt.
Who makes up the EasyBuild Auckland Central team?
Ole (pronounced as Ollie) is my right hand man in the EasyBuild Auckland Central team. We are supported by our back office team Endro and Celeste who keep our operations running well, and Rio our senior LBP who runs our sites.
What makes EasyBuild a great choice for building in the Auckland region?
Auckland’s house building market has its ups and downs, not helped the past few years by a sub-trades shortage and now surplus builders, and materials swings too. Consenting and inspections can also contribute to the building process in the Auckland region being a less than smooth journey.
What makes EasyBuild a great choice is that with our MultiProof designs, consenting and inspections are much more simplified. And our high degree of off-site prefabrication including the prefinished modular panels from our NZ based factory, makes the building process itself faster and more easily repeatable, resulting in more predictable timeline and quality.
What EasyBuild home designs are your clients choosing for their Auckland builds, and why?
If you are building a on vacant section in the inner city, you would want to consider designs that are suitable for higher density use like our multi-units designs – the Totara urban duplex, or duplexing our smaller single level designs.
If your section has a small backyard or frontyard that you want to maximise living space on, such as a minor or secondary dwelling for your parents or adult children, many of our smaller 1 – 2 bedroom design would be worth considering. Check out our Oxford or Waihi designs for highly space efficient designs.
What’s your advice for anyone thinking about building new in the Auckland region?
Be clear on your why. Why you are building a new home? Is it for you? Is it for extended family members? Or is it to increase the investment yield of your section?
Consider factors such as location, budget, size, and the type of home you want. You should also think about any specific features you would like in your home, such as number of bathrooms, single or double storeys, deck and verandah.
Understanding your needs will help you narrow down the list of builders to consider. You would not want to spend high-spec budget on an investment property, and similarly you may not want to build a standard design home on a multi-million section in Remuera.
Choose your builder carefully. It is absolutely critical to choose a builder who you feel comfortable working with. Building a new home is a big step, and you may have worry or anxiety at points during the process – choosing a build partner you can communicate comfortably with will help alleviate some of this. Homeowners and builders must be able to work collaboratively as a team to achieve the best outcome.
What do you think makes EasyBuild Auckland Central stand out from other new home providers?
Our right size. We are not a volume builder, where deviation in build quality may vary greatly from one house to another. And we are not a small bespoke outfit where the operations is too highly dependent on just 1 or 2 key persons.
We are right-sized for smaller independent builds, up to smaller sub-division/development.
Get in touch with Bobby and the EasyBuild Auckland Central team today.
Style your brand EasyBuild new home on us, with Freedom.
For most people, building a new home is a once in a lifetime thing.
But being able to properly style your new home once you get the keys is often put to one side with the cost of finance and other life expenses taking priority.
At EasyBuild, we’d love for our customers to be able to enjoy their new homes, the way they want to, right from the start.
That’s why we’ve teamed up with Freedom to offer our customers up to $10,000 in Freedom Gift Cards so you can enjoy the freedom to style your home, on us.
Whether you want a show-stopping sofa, high-quality dining table and chairs, stylish outdoor furniture or to refresh your homewares, here’s your chance to choose it all!
“We’re thrilled to be bringing our customers the opportunity to style their homes, on us! EasyBuild prides itself on offering top quality, cost-effective new homes that are designed to stand the test of time, and being able to further support our customers in getting set up in their new homes is really exciting,” says Scott Matthews, EasyBuild CEO.
“We’re thrilled to join forces with EasyBuild, to help you style your new home and surround yourself with beautiful things. Inspired by our relaxed way of living and our love for open spaces, Freedom offers you an array of customized sofas crafted to suit your lifestyle, alongside a curated collection of furniture, mattresses, and decor destined to transform every room—and even your outdoor areas—into a sanctuary of beauty. Discover new possibilities and find everything you need to design your world at Freedom,” says Zoe Hertelendi, Freedom New Zealand’s Managing Director.
With our quality modular homes able to be built across Aotearoa, from Kaitaia to Bluff, and with Freedom stores in a wide variety of locations across the North and South Islands, as well as online, we’re confident you’ll find furniture and homewares that will let you make your mark on your EasyBuild home.
For all the details and to get started, visit www.easybuild.co.nz/freedom.
Offer available for a limited time only. Terms and conditions apply.
Building a new home is exciting, but not something most of us do every day. We’re here to guide you through the process and make sure you feel supported every step of the way, from assessing your site through to completing your brand new home.
We’d love to chat with you about your new build plans. Get in touch today to book your free new home build consultation, and get started on bringing your new home to life.
Get to know EasyBuild Northland
Building a new home is an exciting process but not something most of us do every day.
Like anything new, jumping into the unknown can be pretty nerve-wracking, so it’s important to get to know the team who’ll be taking care of your build. Clear communication, trust and an upfront approach set the foundations for a positive, stress-free, committed relationship with your building team.
Get to know Scott and Nicole Hargood from EasyBuild Northland, and find out why EasyBuild Homes offers a smart solution to building new in the Northland region.
Tell us about yourselves
Both born and bred in Northland, Scott and Nicole offer a wealth of experience to make sure your experience building with EasyBuild Northland is a great one.
With more than 20 years in the construction industry, Scott has broad experience within the building industry both here in Aotearoa and overseas. Starting his own renovation business in Whangarei in 2015 led Scott to see a niche in the local market for quality, affordable new homes, and knew EasyBuild’s homes would offer a great solution for addressing Northland’s housing shortage. Thus, EasyBuild Northland was born.
Outside of work, Scott’s a keen fisherman and snowboarder and loves enjoying the outdoors with his young family.
Nicole’s background is as a healthcare professional in the natural health and wellness industry, a passion that was borne out of a desire to give people back hope in their health. Housing and health needs are intrinsically linked and there’s nothing Nicole loves more than giving people the opportunity to explore the possibilities they’ve dreamed of for their home and turning that into a reality for them.
Growing up on a Northland farm, Nicole loves hard work and making things happen. She loves the outdoors and living in a tiny home for five years gave Nicole a renewed appreciation for the simpler things in life.
Who makes up the EasyBuild Northland team?
Our tight-knit Northland based team is made up of Scott, Nicole and Marc, as well as our on-site teams. As a team, we share a passion for delivering the best possible results for our clients and building strong working relationships with our clients. You can expect to get to know our team pretty well during the course of your build!
What’s your favourite part of the build process?
Our favourite parts of the EasyBuild build process are the container arriving to site and opening the doors to see the components that make up a whole home packed inside. Closely followed by heading back out to site only a week or so later and seeing the home take shape so fast! You really start to feel a sense of home so quickly as the house takes shape.
There is no better feeling than visiting site with a client and seeing them feel at home in their new home for the first time, and knowing their vision has come to life, from what was previously a design on a screen or a piece of paper.
What do you see as a successful home build project?
Our number one measure of success is a happy client, and having our client actually get what they dreamed of – ie) expectations and reality aligning completely.
A successful home build project also requires a happy team, as we know a happy and engaged team will do great work so we work hard to make this happen.
What makes EasyBuild a great choice for building in Northland?
An EasyBuild home is an excellent choice for building in Northland because our homes are closed in so much sooner than most conventional builds, which means the house is dryer and much more protected from the elements – very important with Northland’s more tropical climate.
Our homes are also solid and robust which makes them a great option for some of the less stable ground you can experience in Northland.
Plus, if a site can be walked to, an EasyBuild home can be built there. This means we can access a lot more sites in Northland than other home providers by nature of easier accessibility.
What EasyBuild home designs are your clients choosing for their Northland builds, and why?
By far the most popular designs in Northland to date are our Carlton, Kuratau and Glenorchy designs, each for different reasons.
Our Carlton design has been really popular with clients looking to put infill housing on their land, or for multi-generational living on the same property. Overall, we’re finding a lot of interest in infill housing and secondary dwellings, and we have a wide range of designs suited to different sized sites to accommodate that.
EasyBuild’s Glenorchy design is a popular choice amongst our clients looking for a family home. With four bedrooms, two bathrooms and an extended living area, there is space for the whole family to relax.
Lastly, our Kuratau design has been popular among our customers looking to build rental accommodation locally, and a great option for farmworker accommodation. It features 3 bedrooms and two bathrooms which makes it a practical and very comfortable, warm and low maintenance home, which makes for happy landlords and happy tenants.
What motivates you to do a great job for your clients?
Wanting to do the right thing by people is our key motivator.
In a close-knit community like Northland, word of mouth is our best form of advertising, and we want to make sure all of our clients have a happy and positive experience, and that they get the home they dreamed of.
At EasyBuild Northland, we pride ourselves on our honesty and integrity, and endeavour to do the right thing every single time. This is a key driver in how we manage our jobs, and ensuring our clients get value for money. You can trust that we’ll be communicating with you every step of the way during your project and know that we want the best for you.
What’s your advice for anyone thinking about building new in Northland right now?
The cheapest time to build was yesterday, and the best time to build is now. There’s no time like the present, so if you’re thinking about building, just do it! The sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll be enjoying your comfortable new home.
We also can’t stress enough getting the right advice, and making sure you trust the people you’re building with, whether it’s us or someone else. It’s important you have someone who understands your dream, that you can trust to deliver your home.
Finally, read the fine print and always know what’s included/excluded from your contract. We price our jobs to be site specific, so you’re getting more accurate pricing, and this reduces the likelihood of nasty surprises down the track.
What do you think makes EasyBuild Northland stand out from other new home providers?
We have a strong and experienced team with so much integrity. We offer something different to everyone else: a quality product, speed of build and a personal touch. Plus, we’re all local, with a proven track record in the local community. What are you waiting for? Get started on your new home journey with EasyBuild Northland today.
Get in touch with Nicole, Scott and the EasyBuild Northland team today.
Are EasyBuild’s modular homes the future of housing in New Zealand?
A version of this article was originally published on newshub.co.nz.
Anyone who has seen Grand Designs knows that building a new home from scratch can be an expensive and time-consuming process. With so many variables, a lifelong dream can become a stressful, drawn-out experience.
But EasyBuild, a 100% New Zealand-owned and operated modular home builder, is here to prove that it doesn’t have to be that way.
The company builds standalone and multi-unit homes modular that can be constructed in half the time of a traditional build and at a lower cost, making it easier than ever for Kiwis to get into a quality, brand new home, or complete housing development and investment projects faster.
With more than 25 different designs to choose from, the company can pump out three houses a week from its factory in Upper Hutt. The components are then flat packed, put in a shipping container and sent to sites around the country, where their teams of trained, expert builders complete the homes on site.
EasyBuild Co-founder and Director Mike Fox describes the homes as being “the Ikea of the building industry” and says modular housing has the potential to play a major role in easing New Zealand’s housing crisis, especially given recent RMA changes and council regulations now allowing for greater housing density in urban areas.
“They can be built twice as fast as a conventional home, and they’re energy-efficient and affordable,” he says.
Fox says modular housing offers a much-needed alternative to our traditional way of construction, which focuses on building bespoke homes on site. “We need to be able to give the consumer a choice,” he says.
“You can buy a good-value house that is pre-consented and pre-designed. You can make some tweaks to it, you can get it quickly and you can save a bunch of money and time. Or you go for the traditional method where you wait a long time to get your house, you pay a lot more and it’s put together piecemeal on site.”
“The reason that we can do things affordably and quickly is because we are doing lots of the same thing. We use the same methodology all the time, which enables us to get economies of scale – and that is where the traditional industry falls down. We’re able to produce a high-quality product, in a highly efficient way, that doesn’t cost the earth.”
Fox says the construction method the company uses is similar to what exists in Scandinavia but has been adapted for local conditions and “turned into a New Zealand system”. Fox also points out they differ from other kit-set houses, where essentially you are just sold a “big pile of materials and you put it together”.
“We’ve prefabricated them to a high level in our factory, so that when the walls come out they have the windows and insulation pre- installed, and everything’s already pre-cut and ready to be assembled by our teams on-site.”
Another difference between EasyBuild and many other transportable home or prefabricated home providers, is that because the structure is put together on site and only a deposit paid in advance of the materials arriving on site, typically standard construction lending is available from financial institutions.
Modular housing also has environmental benefits, with total build waste reduced by up to two-thirds of that of a conventional build.
Once on site, a trained team will generally have the homes watertight within seven to ten days, with the construction period taking around 12-14 weeks in total. All house designs also have MultiProof approval from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, making the consenting process much quicker and easier than that of a conventional build, with Fox estimating it normally takes half the time to cut through the red tape and gain consent.
And because the houses range in size from one-bedroom, 38-square-metre homes to four-bedroom 176-square-metre homes, and there are standalone, duplex and multi-unit options, EasyBuild’s modular homes are suitable for all types of people and styles of living.
Fox says they are particularly popular with existing homeowners looking to unlock more value from their land by subdividing their property or building a minor dwelling to rent out to tenants or tourists. They’re also popular with clients who have multigenerational living requirements, and for larger scale development projects in medium density housing areas.
And while he is aware modular housing may not appeal to people who want a unique, bespoke house, Fox firmly believes that by giving people more choice as to what sort of home they can build, the concept can play a role in getting more Kiwis into warm, affordable housing sooner.
“We’re not all things to all people. We are about providing really robust, high-quality, energy-efficient, affordable homes that can be built quickly and will stand the test of time.”
Head to your local EasyBuild Show Home to discover the comfort and quality of an EasyBuild home for yourself, or contact your local EasyBuild team to start making your new home dreams a reality.
Talk to your local EasyBuild team today
Is an EasyBuild home the affordable housing solution you’ve been looking for?
A version of this article was originally published on newshub.co.nz.
A lot of things may have previously come to mind when picturing a prefabricated home. In the past, it’s been considered a temporary housing solution, a glorified garage or an office out the back.
But one Kiwi company is changing all of that, with its Kiwi-designed and built quality modular homes, that may just be the future of housing in Aotearoa.
EasyBuild, a nationwide modular home building company, specialises in modular homes which can be built up to twice as fast on site as other new home options – at less cost and with no compromise on quality.
If you’ve suffered through the last damp winter in a drafty villa, or you’re stuck while looking for a first home option, these warm, dry and spacious home designs may just be the perfect solution.
EasyBuild co-founder Mike Fox certainly thinks so, and is willing to make the claim that an EasyBuild home offers “the best value on the market”.
“Often, if you want to buy cheap, you end up with no more than a lined-out garage,” he told Newshub. “[But] our homes have above average energy efficiency, they’re made producing very low waste, the construction is way more solid…”
“Every time people turn up to one of our show homes they always say ‘wow, I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as this’.
“It’s the value for money aspect – there will always be something cheaper, but you’re not getting the same quality, warm, environmentally friendly home for your money.”
The numbers back up the claims. According to EasyBuild data, their homes are more than twice as airtight compared to conventional builds, with less than three air changes per hour, compared to 6-10 per hour in conventionally built new homes – all translating to more money in your pocket with lower bills for heating and cooling your home.
To make it even better, building waste is reduced by two thirds, and each build is extra weathertight with a rigid air barrier and ventilated cavity – all features you don’t commonly find in comparable homes.
If you’re unsure about how an EasyBuild home works, Newshub previously wrote about the ‘flatpack‘ designs. Basically, if you can walk to a section, one of the company’s modern, modular home designs can be built on it.
In what will be another huge surprise to anyone who’s ever built a home, the on-site building process only takes around 12-14 weeks from foundations being laid – meaning you’re saving time and money across the entire build, including rent and finance, labour costs and more.
So who’s the best fit for EasyBuild’s housing solution? Just about anyone it would seem -– their wide range of light and spacious designs means there’s something for everyone. But Fox says a major portion of their clientele is especially those looking for first homes, looking to downsize, or add secondary dwellings to their existing land.
If you don’t mind living a stone’s throw from mum and dad, Fox says they’re seeing a surge of first home buyers building on larger family sections after previously being locked out of the market because prices are too high.
“A really big thing we’re seeing is families using their assets if they’re on a large section, by subdividing and building another house on the back for their adult kids or parents to move in to,” he explained, noting that there’s been a big focus on solutions for multi-generational living in recent years.
“Or they’re also great for people wanting to downsize and move into a warmer, drier home. Baby boomers are a big portion of our market – especially people who are retiring – because they’re warm, low maintenance homes that stand the test of time.”
If it all sounds too good to be true, the EasyBuild team recommends you get along to one of their show homes or talk to your friendly local EasyBuild team to see for yourself – before getting out of your cold, damp home quick smart, and into something warm, environmentally friendly and energy-efficient – without breaking the bank.
Talk to your local EasyBuild team today
Unlocking Efficiency: Why your EasyBuild home can be consented up to twice as fast!
Here at EasyBuild, we’re always talking about how quickly our homes can be consented. In fact, a good majority of our homes are consented by councils in less than 10 working days, with no RFIs. Anyone with any experience in consenting new builds will know this is far from the norm!
This is all possible because each of our home designs has MBIE Multiple-Use Approval, more commonly known as MultiProof.
But what do we mean by all of this? How is a MultiProof Approval different from a Standard Building Consent? What’s the benefit to you? And why is it faster?
We’re here to talk you through the differences in consent types, and the benefits of building a home with MBIE MultiProof Approval.
What is a Standard Building Consent in NZ?
A standard building consent in New Zealand is the typical review process that a new home design will go through to be approved to be built on a section. It involves producing and submitting specific detailed plans, engineering documentation, specifications, site-specific information and other necessary documentation to the local Building Consent Authorities – your council.
The council reviews the consent application documents to ensure that all restricted building work complies with the NZ Building Code and other relevant regulations. This process focuses on the specific details of the proposed project, including its design, structural integrity, safety measures, and adherence to environmental standards. Councils aim to complete a standard building consent within 20 working days, however, requests for information (RFIs) and other factors can extend this timeframe by weeks or in some cases, months, delaying the start of your build significantly and increasing costs.
What is MBIE Multiple-Use Approval/MultiProof?
MBIE Multiple-Use Approval is given for pre-approved building designs and is beneficial for builders and companies who build standardised designs. It provides evidence to Building Consent Authorities (councils) that a design complies with the NZ Building code.
EasyBuild has MBIE MultiProof Approval for each of our individual designs.
MBIE’s pre-approval process involves the submission and review of comprehensive plans, including detailed drawings and engineering documentation, along with other documentation that demonstrates compliance with the NZ Building Code and regulations. Once a MultiProof Approval is granted, that design is added to the MultiProof Register, where councils are able to access the information they require.
When a building consent application includes a MultiProof Approval, the Building Consent Authorities must grant or refuse it within 10 working days instead of the usual 20 working days.
Any RFIs, (request for further information) raised while assessing the consent application should only be site-specific (such as service connections, foundations etc), and not related to the design of the home, unless the design has departed from the MultiProof.
A Building Consent Authority (Council) is there to confirm and establish:
- the design, with any permitted variations, is the same as the design approved in the MultiProof
- that the proposed site meets the conditions of the MultiProof
- that the site-specific features of the design comply with the Building Code
- the on-site inspections required
So how will building a home with MBIE MultiProof Approval help you?
It saves you time
The primary advantage of building a home with a MultiProof Approval is time. Time saved on both preparation of documents required for your home, and the significant reduction in time required for consenting, with a guaranteed council timeframe of 10 working days, if all information is supplied at the time of submitting your building consent application.
With pre-approved designs readily available in the Multiproof Register, council teams can skip the time-consuming review process for standard building consents. This leads to your project getting started in a matter of weeks after submitting your consent to council. Ultimately, your new home will get out of the ground more quickly, and you’ll move into your new home sooner.
It saves you money
The streamlined nature of MultiProof Approvals translates to cost savings. By avoiding the need to create individual plans and consent documents for similar home designs, money is saved on each home build through both the design and consenting phases.
Increased certainty
Because the design has already been approved, there’s less uncertainty regarding compliance with regulations. This leads to smoother interactions with councils throughout the consenting and inspection processes, and fewer surprises during the construction process.
Design flexibility
While the core design is pre-approved, there’s still room for flexibility within certain parameters. Site-specific considerations and minor floorplan design modifications can be made while staying within the bounds of the approved MultiProof designs, meaning your home can be truly yours.
At the end of the day, building a home with an MBIE MultiProof design, such as one of EasyBuild’s wide variety of home designs, helps to save you money and limit surprises and delays during the consent and building phases, while still offering you the ability to make your home unique to you and your family.
Best of all, MultiProof Approvals on our designs help us get you into your new home sooner, which paired with EasyBuild’s unique construction method, makes the entire build process from design to moving in, seriously fast!
Talk to your local EasyBuild team today to get started on your new home journey with EasyBuild, or visit your local show home to experience the quality and comfort of an EasyBuild home for yourself.
