The granny flat building consent exemption applies to more situations than most people realise, including first homes on vacant sections. Here’s what you need to know.
Continue reading
Margins are tight, materials keep rising, and consent delays can stall jobs for months. That’s the reality most builders are working in right now.
EasyBuild’s DIY packs are one way to cut down risk, speed things up, and give you certainty – whether you’re building for a client or adding an extra option to your toolkit.
Here’s how they help:
All our designs are pre-approved through MBIE’s MultiProof system, and we manage the building consent applications on your behalf. That means less council back-and-forth for you, faster starts, and fewer admin headaches.
Take-offs done, all components included, with instructions and support to boot. Easier quoting, fewer surprises, and better margins.
Homes arrive as partially prefabricated packs, built on site (not transportable). Most are weathertight in 2–3 weeks, reducing weather risk and keeping projects moving.
With proposed consent changes, our 70m² homes could be a game-changer, giving you a fast and straightforward way to deliver code-compliant dwellings to your clients.
Builders already using our DIY pathway say it makes projects smoother, quicker, and easier to manage, without compromising on quality.
We’re keen to partner with more LBPs around the country who want a practical, lower-risk way to deliver quality homes for their clients.
Want to know what’s included in a DIY pack? Check it out here!
Or if you want to talk about an upcoming project, click the link below!
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.
We’re here to talk you through the differences in consent types, and the benefits of building a home with MBIE MultiProof Approval.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Getting Kiwis into quality, cost-effective homes, fast, is EasyBuild’s goal, and with our unique modular construction method, we can truly deliver on this promise.
Manufactured with a high-level of prefabrication in our Upper Hutt factory, EasyBuild’s partially constructed homes are delivered to site in a shipping container and completed on site. Completing the homes on site means that if you can walk there, we can build there – essentially we go where no transportable home can! Plus with our network of experienced EasyBuild teams across the country, you can trust that you’re in good hands.
EasyBuild’s unique modular construction method is based on a portal and panel system. Once the portal frame is in place, pre-finished panels with pre-installed windows and insulation are fixed between the portals, followed by ceiling sheets.
Our homes are enclosed and protected from the elements within as little as two weeks on site. If you’re familiar with construction in New Zealand, you’ll know this is a real feat!
Work then continues on both the inside and outside of the house concurrently, and the entire EasyBuild home can be completed in as little as 12 weeks, while our customers can rest assured that there’s no compromise on quality.
EasyBuild’s overall process is designed with speed and efficiency in mind, including MBIE MultiProof approval on all of our designs, which means building consent can be granted up to twice as fast. Gone are the days of lengthy construction projects and endless delays.
And what about the end result? Light-filled, quality, affordable homes in a range of family friendly designs, with raised ceilings, exposed rafters and unmatched energy efficiency, that are built for New Zealand’s unique conditions and designed to stand the test of time.
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.
This article was originally published by Rebecca Reed, NZ Manufacturer.
We support local whenever possible, and we believe in providing housing solutions to Kiwis.
Most of us dream of home ownership, in fact most people would argue that it’s a human right.
We have all been raised in an environment in NZ where you commonly design your own home, and every home is different.
The building industry advertise this all the time, but then customers wonder why the house is often poorly insulated, expensive and requires lots of heating.
This is very different to many parts of the world where people buy a house off plan and it is one of perhaps 30 in the same location that looks similar.
I often make the analogy that if you want a good, reliable and fairly priced car, you would buy a Toyota Corolla, however if you want something different you would drive a custom build or a Ferrari.
Looking at a modular home vs. a custom designed home, the pricing difference is similar, but you’ll get better bang for your buck with a modular home in terms of build time, thermal efficiency, environmental friendliness, and other benefits, when compared to a standard construction house of the same price.
Modular homes are normally quick to build, well insulated and built, minimise waste and are normally priced the same as a similar sized home, but superior quality.
The concept is relatively old, with the original inventor using this method some 30 years ago. However, the designs were brought up to date and the business was launched in its own right 5 years ago.
We have a simple but enduring purpose. We want to provide Kiwis with warm, robust, and affordable housing because we believe everyone should enjoy living in their own EasyBuild home.
We’re a local business building affordable, quality, robust, and warm homes. We build quickly and efficiently whilst reducing waste and trying to source materials locally wherever possible.
We also create opportunities to train and support those returning to work and looking to engage in the workforce. Available nationwide, we now have 10 licensee locations building houses in their local communities across the North Island from Northland to Wellington and are looking to expand into the South Island.
Excluding the time to create the pack in the factory, our homes on average are built and fully finished on-site in 12 weeks, but are closed in and weathertight within two weeks on-site.
Essentially the skeleton of the house is produced as component pieces in a factory, so every piece required for the shell of the house is cut marked drilled and prepared for quick assembly on site.
All external walls are constructed as super insulated panels, containing insulation suitable for any NZ climate, conduits for power, a waterproof shell and finally the windows, rebates and window architraves are fitted before the house is sent to site in a shipping container.
We feel very privileged as a business to be working with Koru Kāinga and our own values align with the objectives of this development; to bring affordable, quality housing to local families and first home buyers.
We have worked with Koru Homes NZ founder Adrian Chooi to design 51 three-bedroom homes in Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt and provided a team of experts or a “dream team” to support the planning and resource consent application.
Developments of this nature don’t just happen, and we have really enjoyed supporting this development. We are proud to be part of New Zealand’s first private development dedicated to getting first home buyers on the property ladder.
I think there are a couple of reasons why Adrian has chosen EasyBuild to partner with on this project and hopefully future ventures.
We provide a robust, warm, affordable housing solutions, we are experts in what we do, and we share common goals and values.
Like Adrian we support local whenever possible, and we believe in providing housing solutions to Kiwis.
We currently have 15 staff based in our factory in Upper Hutt, but this is constantly increasing to keep up with demand. In addition, we have 10 teams across the country who sell and build our homes in their regions.
We always try and hire locally and I’m proud that we have created jobs and opportunities in the Hutt Valley.
The current environment is challenging but rewarding. Our business is growing, and we are currently negotiating contracts with housing providers and other developers similar to Adrian, whilst also developing relationships with Government. Finding good staff can be challenging and of course we want to support and keep them.
The current supply chain and also the pricing changes have been a challenge for most builders in NZ, f not a global issue.
Materials are rising in cost on a regular basis and supplies have often been hard to secure.
Given our time in business we have some deep and established relationships with suppliers and merchants that are supplying us and all supporting us to the best of their abilities but even so it can be tough, and we spend lots of time on the phone calling in favours and chasing materials.
Ends
This article was originally published on newshub.co.nz.
You’ve probably heard of flatpack furniture, and potentially even built your own dresser or bedside table at home. But have you ever considered the possibility of a flatpack home?
Game-changing Kiwi company EasyBuild is dubbing itself the ‘IKEA of the local building industry’ and is tackling some of the country’s biggest housing challenges one home at a time.
With less warm, affordable housing around than ever before, it might just be the solution to a major problem.
“What we found when we set out to achieve and produce an affordable, robust home, was the marketplace had an overabundance of large expensive homes but the value end of the market was not being catered for,” says EasyBuild co-founder Mike Fox.
“Our homes are essentially like an IKEA of houses, flatpacked and delivered to site for easy and quick on-site building, by our skilled teams of builders around the country or as a DIY project.”
There’s a range of quality designs available, whether you’re looking to get into your first home or downsize to your last.
Here’s why an EasyBuild home might just tick all the flatpack boxes for your next build:
It sounds too good to be true to be able to buy and build an almost-readymade house – and sure, this isn’t going to be an afternoon job with a glass of wine to get you through.
But if you consider yourself somewhat competent on the tools, you’ll be able to tackle the build, with a DIY ‘house pack only’ option provided with every home.
Fox clarifies you must be “semi-skilled”, or at least have a friend or family member who is. But the high degree of partial prefabrication – including windows already installed – means it will only take a few months to get off the ground, so to speak.
Anyone who has watched a build be continually pushed out by weeks or months will know how rare that is.
If you’re more into watching The Block than participating, your local EasyBuild Preferred Builder will make the process smooth sailing for you.
Not only better for your stress levels, EasyBuild homes also have much less impact on the planet than a traditional build. Fox says they didn’t only want their building option to be affordable, but energy efficient and low waste too. Because the materials arrive ready-measured and cut, it makes the task a lot easier. In layman’s terms, he explained, when building a typical 140 sq m home, you’ll take around three skips to the dump to offload building waste.
“With ours, it’s half a skip – and we’re working to get that down.”
As any first-home buyer knows, affordable housing in Aotearoa is something of a pipe dream. If you’ve ever rocked up to a house auction and had the first bid blow way past your maximum budget, these homes are for you. With a small three bedroom home starting from around $225,000 + GST fully built, or around $117,000 + GST for the pack only, EasyBuild’s designs feature open plan kitchen, dining and living, spacious bedrooms and bathrooms and raised ceilings – everything you need to get yourself started.
“Our industry has not been good at explaining ‘buy as it is’ in terms of structure and layout,” Fox explains, revealing it’s when people want to make customisations to pre-existing builds that the costs really start to rise. “Don’t change the structure and you’re going to get a really good quality affordable home, quickly.”
The homes are also super energy-efficient and warm, so say ‘bye’ to shelling out hundreds trying to heat a decades-old Auckland villa.
All EasyBuild designs have MultiProof approval from MBIE, meaning the consent process is faster, costs less, and you won’t be drowning in red tape. Fox says all you need to do is find the right site – something the team can help with as well.
“Ideally the flatter the land is, the better access it’s going to have – but because our houses come flat packed, if you can walk to the site you can build on it,” he explains.
“The hard work has been done in regards to the council – the solution is there, you’ve just got to order it.”
And if this all sounds like it’s going to be easy on the wallet, but you don’t want to live in a house with the personality of a cardboard box, Fox assures me their houses have the “wow” factor.
“They’re very different to the rest of the products on the market – especially those that resemble a sort of well-lined garage,” he laughs. “We really encourage people to visit our showhomes, we’re hearing so often ‘wow, I didn’t think it would be as nice as this’.”
He says you can jazz up your space with interior design and outdoor living to really make a special home that’s truly yours.
In our Director Mike Fox’s latest Building Today article, he covers the risks of a Trans-Tasman bubble for the local construction industry. While the bubble may seem further away than ever, the reality is that when it eventually arrives, unintended consequences may surface, and as an industry we need to be prepared.
With all the talk of the much hoped-for but now less and less likely Trans-Tasman bubble and the benefits it would bring to the tourism sector and the economy in general, you’d think it could only be positive.
However, when the eventual euphoria of getting easier access to Australia turns into reality and some of the unintended consequences surface, it might not be all beer and skittles. Especially for those in the construction sector.
Australia has long used New Zealand as a source of ready and trained workers for decades. With often higher wages, our youngest, best and brightest are easily lured away with some never returning home, despite the majority living with second class resident status in Australia.
They are in essence tax paying contributors to the Australian economy without the full gambit of social and safety net benefits available to other residents. That injustice is canvassed well elsewhere, and of course not the reason for this article.
Australia really benefits from the free training New Zealand provides and the skilled workers we export, and I suspect that following the lengthy Covid-19 border closures there will be pent-up demand for our workers especially in the construction sector.
Thus far, Australia has classed its construction workers and projects as essential workers in their Covid-19 response, with no shutdown of the industry, so companies have not had to weather the same economic shortfall our industry has had to endure.
The Australian government understands that increasing the number of new home builds transpires into increased employment and wellbeing of the future occupants. As a direct response to Covid-19 the Australian Government put in place a new home grant of $25k which is in addition to other grants available.
Depending on which state you reside in, qualifying clients have access to grants ranging from $35k to $60k which are solid incentives to build new, supporting their Government’s goal of incentivising the building of 100,000 homes over the next 12 months.
It sounds a bit like Kiwibuild but in this case is an actual financial plan to get money through the system to the very people who need it and can make it happen. This housing stimulus is in addition to the massive infrastructure projects and buildings that they are pushing ahead with to keep their industry and economy moving.
To complete this work, they are going to need many skilled workers and the easy picking for these is from New Zealand. This will be even more prevalent especially if our residential market is allowed to tank, wiping much needed skills out of the industry by either exporting our skilled people or pushing them into other types of work. History tells us that once someone leaves the industry, they are unfortunately unlikely to return as they find the boom bust cycles and tough working environments a turn off, especially when there may be more stable positions in other professions available to them. The crazy thing is that the demand for housing will not decrease, on the contrary housing demand will only increase as the diaspora of scattered kiwis escape the Covid-19 ravaged world for the safer shores of New Zealand. If we were smart, we would use the upcoming downturn to catch up on the affordable housing shortage by fully employing the surplus trades on projects that would start to fill the gaps. However, our track record in these scenarios isn’t good. By default the solution gets left to chance and subsequently the market doesn’t have good results. Poor legislation and our hands-off approach are the driving reasons behind such a disparity between what the market delivers – an oversupply of large houses on expensive small lots – and the chronic shortfall of affordable housing so desperately needed but not catered for. New Zealand’s coalition government has taken a different approach to Australia, with ours doing a lot of talking about shovel ready infrastructure projects but placing very little focus on affordable housing.
Infrastructure projects sound great in theory but don’t deliver or preserve the jobs of valuable trades people. You need very few plumbers, electricians, painters, builders etc on a roading project. With the pinch point on employment for tradespeople coming later this year and early next year we are setting ourselves up for a potential exodus of trades across the Tasman as they follow the work and go to fill the burgeoning demand Australia has created. Their skills are readily transferable, and they won’t be alone on site as many work displaced kiwis will be there with them. This is not a new phenomenon as we lost droves of trades people in the mid to late 90’s when similar economic conditions prevailed. The result was a generation of skilled trades people lost and we’ve struggled to fill the gaps ever since. The last thing our industry and country needs in the months to come is a brain drain of our best or a repeat of the 90’s trades exodus. What levers does the Government have to avoid the oncoming train wreck of skills losses? For a start, they should copy our Australian cousins and stimulate the residential construction market by making meaningful grants available. Another solution could be as simple as forgoing the GST on new builds.
PwC’s June 2020 Restoring New Zealand’s Construction Sector report details that for every dollar invested in construction, economic activity in excess of $2.50 is generated. Show me another industry that that can impact the economy as directly as that. Conversely when the residential market contracts, so does the economy. It’s in our nation’s best interests in more ways than one to ensure this economic activity continues.
The Government can also be pragmatic and break down the red tape that stops and delays so many projects. They are well aware of how difficult it is with the failed Kiwibuild skeleton forever rattling behind them.
They really need to reinvigorate the vision they had with Kiwibuild but take pragmatic advice from the industry on how to deliver and remove the roadblocks. Put the money into the hands of the ones who can make it happen.
As well as targeted incentive grants, funds should be directed to community housing providers and Iwi as they often have access to land but are short on funds to build. This retains skills within New Zealand and starts the journey to provide the housing we need.
Failure to grasp this and put a solution in place will put our industry and society back decades, as not only will we lose another generation of skilled tradespeople but the housing gap will just continue to slip further behind.
This article was originally published in the August 2020 issue of Building Today.
In our Director Mike Fox’s latest Building Today article, he talks upcoming changes to building consents from August 2020, and what this means for the industry and DIYers.
Read on to find out more.
“Like me, no doubt you’ve probably seen recent media coverage that from August this year more building projects can be carried out without a consent.
This has to be good news for the industry and the consumer, as any initiative that reduces council involvement and cost, and improves efficiency, should be well received.”
Mike continues, “In essence, sizes of previously exempted work under Schedule 1 of the Building Act have been increased, and more authority is given to Licensed Building Practitioners and Chartered Professional Engineers.
Using a sleepout as an example, the exemption for building one without consent has increased in size from 10 sq m to 30 sq m.
A more useful exemption in this instance would have been to increase the exemption to 36 sq m — the size of a double garage, reducing the need for even more consents.”
“Continuing with the example of a single-level sleepout, as long as it meets local planning regulations, is supplementary to an existing dwelling, is the prescribed distance from boundaries and other buildings, then it can be designed and erected without a building consent in one of the following three ways:
No inspections are required with all of the above, but all work must be done in accordance with the Building Code and relevant standards. It remains unclear how this will be tested, unless a future owner challenges work that might not comply. It will certainly be an interesting space to watch.”
“MBIE has done some great work providing online modules which explain the Building Code and how to comply with it,” says Mike.
“They are also in the process of rewriting the current somewhat cumbersome guidance document that will accompany the revised Schedule 1.
I recommend all designers and tradespeople upskill by reading the guidance document and using the modules, all available here.
It’s actually somewhat surprising how much work can be completed without a consent but, as with most things, the devil is in the detail, so studying this will be time well spent.”
“One of the glaring risks I see with the new exemption regime is the ability for a DIYer to complete this work with zero oversight.
This transpires into significantly heightened risk of substandard buildings being completed.
Perhaps a smarter, safer way to do this would have been to set requirements for an LBP to complete or oversee the work of a DIYer for these increased exemptions. Or, failing that, the DIYer would need a consent and be subject to inspections.
Such an approach would provide accountability, and a worthy and clear distinction between a Licensed Building Practitioner and a DIYer, as well as suitable checks and balances on DIYers on larger structures.
Only time will tell how this omission pans out. However, I can see problems on the horizon with the lack of DIY oversight that’s currently proposed,” Mike elaborates.
Mike continues, “An often-asked question will be, can a sleepout be self-contained and still be built without a consent? The short answer is no — if you are going to include plumbing, then you need a consent.
It’s not yet clear whether the inclusion of plumbing triggers a full building consent for the structure or just the plumbing component.
I see no logical reason why you couldn’t erect your sleepout and then do a small consent for the plumbing required, either part-way through or before any internal linings are installed.
In a perfect world, plumbing would be allowed to be installed without consent on the proviso that it must be completed by a Registered Plumber/Drainlayer, with as-built drawings sent to the local authority so they can keep their records straight.
Perhaps this is something for the next round of amendments, as huge efficiency gains would be made by relaxing this. The reality is that if you are going to build a 30 sq m structure, at some point it will need plumbing.
Plus, with the tiny house revolution gaining momentum, having the ability to put in a small self-contained dwelling without the roadblocks and expense of council involvement would make much needed housing available to many who just can’t get a home through traditional channels.”
“I highlighted a sleepout as an example because it’s easy to relate to, but there are a number of increased exemptions which make sense and are helpful. Key ones include:
A full list of exemptions is available at building.govt.nz.
Whether each of these exemptions has been fully thought through and considered for its practicality remains to be seen, and there’s potential that some of the changes in the DIY space in particular increase risk in the longer term, and may come back to haunt them in the future.”
Mike concludes, “The increased exemptions present a good opportunity to educate the industry around how to make best use of these changes.
It’s imperative that anyone contemplating doing work under the exemptions allowed in Schedule 1 does their homework before forging ahead – especially if you are an LBP as it will be rightly difficult to feign ignorance and ask for forgiveness afterwards.
It would be fair to say that most of us in the industry know of Schedule 1 but would struggle to give you definitive answers about it. The existing guidelines are somewhat overdue for an overhaul and it’s timely that the changes MBIE are making will ideally make things clearer for everyone.
Overall, the changes are a step in the right direction but with a few more tweaks they could be brilliant and have made a real difference. Some opportunities have unfortunately been missed with this well meaning initiative.”
EasyBuild’s unique modular construction method is the perfect choice for your new home. We offer a top-quality product that gives you a warm, energy efficient home that you’ll be able to move into up to twice as fast as a conventionally built home.
Modular homes are partially prefabricated and consist of repeated sections called modules.
In EasyBuild’s case, the majority of your home’s structure is constructed off site as pre-finished panels, with pre-installed insulation, windows and exterior doors at our Upper Hutt factory, and then flat packed and delivered to your site for assembly.
All the additional components that make up the structure of an EasyBuild Home are delivered at the same time as your panels. The remaining materials to build your home are delivered in a series of three deliveries, and these include exterior cladding, interior linings, plumbing fittings, appliances and kitchen. From there, roofing, cladding and interior finishings are completed.
Faster, Smarter, Better Quality Building
EasyBuild’s unique construction method and partial off-site construction significantly reduces on-site build time, meaning you can move into your new home sooner.
Construction in our Upper Hutt factory is carried out by the same builders, time and again, so you can trust they’re experienced at what they’re doing, and quality control is high.
Modular building is smarter too – our team are experienced at producing EasyBuild homes, and each component is precision cut by custom machinery, so time spent on site by builders is as productive as possible, and building waste is minimised by design.
Plus, with our factory construction able to continue rain or shine, your house components are constructed with no delays, and are completely protected from the elements.
The subsequent quick on-site build time means that your house can be enclosed on your site within as little as a week, further reducing the exposure of your house to the elements. Overall you’ll be moving into your new home up to twice as soon as with a conventional build.
Buying and building an EasyBuild modular home is one of the most cost-effective ways to build your new home – and you’ll enjoy superior quality at an affordable price.
We’ve worked hard to make sure you’re getting the best value for money with EasyBuild. We include premium construction features such as a rigid air barriers, ventilated cavities and high levels of insulation in every home, ensuring they’re extra weathertight, dry and protected from the elements.
You can expect to be warm and dry no matter the weather – in all of New Zealand’s tough conditions!
A key benefit of building with EasyBuild is that all our designs have MBIE national multiple use pre-approval (MultiProof), meaning the consent process is up to twice as fast and costs you less.
Essentially, MultiProof consent means that each individual design already has consent, and local councils are simply checking that your chosen design is suitable for your site and any site specific requirements. Note that this does not cover Resource Consents if they are required.
Another bonus of EasyBuild’s modular home designs is that they’re ultra warm and energy efficient, so it’s easy to keep your house warm in winter, and it will stay cool in summer.
EasyBuild homes are more than twice as airtight compared to conventional builds, a benefit of the unique modular construction process. Our homes have less than 3 air changes per hour, while conventionally built homes have 6 – 10 air changes per hour, making your EasyBuild home easier to heat and cool, and more energy efficient, ultimately saving you money in the long term on heating and cooling your home, and helping the environment at the same time.
Our unique modular construction also has a significantly lower impact on the environment.
Our method reduces total build waste by two thirds compared to conventional build, and our quick on-site build time – up to twice as fast as conventional builds – reduces local environmental impact and land disturbance too.
So there you have it, just a few of many great reasons why modular homes, just like ours here at EasyBuild, are the future of construction in NZ, and a great choice for your new home journey.
