Frequently Asked Questions | FAQ’s

How much should we allow for in-ground services such as drainage, power, gas and telecommunications?

To understand how much you should allow for in-ground services such as drainage, power, gas and telecommunications, you need to determine the location of the services required for your home in relation to the site boundary and work area. For your site’s consent, you will need to engage a topographical surveyor to conduct a site study, and provide you with the levels of the site, on a grid of three metres, as well as locations and invert levels of the services on the site, including plumbing, gas and electricity. With this information, the plumber or electrician involved in your project will be able to help estimate the costs for providing these to your home. On a flat site with easily accessible services, we recommend allowing approximately $10,000.

Do you supply EasyBuild House Packs all over New Zealand?

Yes, we deliver EasyBuild House Packs all over New Zealand, including both the North and South Islands.

Does the cost include delivery?

The cost of delivery is in addition to the price of your House Pack. Delivery costs vary by location, including whether your site is located in the North Island or South Island. Deliveries to regional, remote or difficult to reach areas may incur additional delivery costs.

Do we need to seek a building consent? How does the building consent for an EasyBuild House Pack work?

We are here to help with your consent application. For more information please visit our Council Consents page.

Will you check our building site?

An EasyBuild representative does not routinely visit sites in person, however, through helping you during the consent process, and from the information you provide in your deposited plans, title and ground levels, we get a very clear understanding of your site, and help to plan your foundations for you using these details.  Our EasyBuild Preferred Builders will be happy to visit sites in their local areas. In the event that your site is not suitable for an EasyBuild House Pack, we will let you know as soon as possible.  If you have any questions about the suitability of your site for an EasyBuild House Pack, please Contact Us or talk to your local ITM or builder.

Are EasyBuild House Packs watertight? Are we at risk of having a leaky building?

When constructed correctly, EasyBuild House Packs are watertight. EasyBuild House Packs have been designed to withstand the tests of inclement weather. Features to make EasyBuild House Packs watertight include treated framing, a rigid air barrier that provides a second line of defence for any water ingress, as well as a ventilated air cavity which enables the building to drain and dry out in the unlikely event of any water getting inside the wall. These important features are not included with most traditional kitset homes.

Can EasyBuild House Packs be built on sloping sites?

Yes, EasyBuild House Packs can be built on flat or sloping sites. The main difference between construction on a flat or sloping site is the foundation type, and we will work with you to advise the type of foundation you require, and help you plan your foundation. If your site is very steep, with more than a few metres difference in height across your site, your site may not be suitable for an EasyBuild House Pack. Please Contact Us if you have any concerns.

Are EasyBuild Houses earthquake safe?

All EasyBuild designs have National MultiProof approval from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and will receive subsequent consent from your local authority approving your chosen design and foundations for your specific site.  This, paired with the high quality, trusted products that make up EasyBuild House Packs, means EasyBuild houses are safe and ready to stand the test of time.  In certain parts of the country, the Government requires houses to have strengthened foundation designs.  For specific designs such as this, you will need to engage a local engineer to design foundations to meet your specific requirements.  EasyBuild may be able to assist in recommending locally based engineers.

We live in a very high wind zone, will EasyBuild House Packs withstand this?

All EasyBuild designs have National MultiProof approval from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and will receive subsequent consent from your local authority approving your chosen design and foundations for your specific site.  This, paired with the high quality, trusted products that make up EasyBuild House Packs, makes EasyBuild houses safe and ready to stand the test of time.  Our quality homes have been designed and products sourced to meet the requirements of a very high wind zone.

Can EasyBuild House Packs be built by the coast?

Yes.  However, we need to modify the materials provided in your House Pack to meet the consent requirements of zones by the coast.  For this reason, it’s very important that all customers intending to construct an EasyBuild House Pack in an area near the coast advise us of this when placing their order.  Failure to notify EasyBuild about sites by the coast may mean the completed house won’t receive a Code Compliance Certificate.

Additional cost is associated with the materials required for coastal areas.

What type of insurance will we need?

All EasyBuild House Packs will require some form of insurance.

If you are undertaking a Full Build Option, your builder should have a Contractors All Risk Policy, that would cover your build. Confirm this with your builder.

If you are planning a DIY build, you will need to take out your own policy, and we recommend discussing this with your insurance provider to ensure you have adequate cover.

What safety gear do you recommend?

We recommend that all people working on site and visiting the site, wear appropriate safety gear including work boots, earmuffs, safety glasses, sun protection and protective gloves if required.

We also recommend that appropriate safety equipment such as scaffolding, fall nets and edge protection is used for all work at height and at the applicable stages. You may wish to purchase or hire a mobile scaffold for use indoors and out.

Where can we buy an EasyBuild House Pack?

All our house packs can be purchased from participating ITM stores throughout New Zealand, or through an EasyBuild Preferred Builder. For orders of multiple units, please Contact Us directly.

What finance options are available when buying an EasyBuild House Pack?

Visit our Financing Options page to find out more about the different finance options that people buying an EasyBuild House Pack can consider, including low deposit options that are unique to building new.

What is included in an EasyBuild House Pack?

Your EasyBuild House Pack includes all you need to build your home from the floor up. Visit our Inclusions page for specific details on what’s included in our House Packs, and our Exclusions page for specific details on what’s not included in our House Packs.

Can we customise any EasyBuild plans?

We have a wide range of EasyBuild designs available to suit most people’s needs, however we are unable to make structural customisations to any EasyBuild plan. Customers are able to mirror image the designs to suit the orientation of their site. Customisation in the form of interior and exterior paint, floor coverings, window coverings and light fittings is possible; and customers are also able to select their cladding type, kitchen colour scheme, roof colour and front door colour from a range chosen by our designer.

For all pre-selected products, colours and colour options, our designer has chosen classic, neutral options to help ensure they will easily match the products chosen by EasyBuild customers.

Can we select our exterior and interior house paint colours?

Yes, you can select the colours of your interior and exterior walls, as the paint for these is not included in your House Pack. Use a good quality paint, suitable for its intended purpose, and designed for exterior or interior use based on the walls you are painting. It is recommended that dark colours are not used on timber surfaces on the exterior of your house.

Some cladding options, such as Palliside and Brick Veneer are pre-finished products which do not require painting. You are able to choose your option from a small selection of popular finishes.

Can we customise our Kitchen and Bathroom fittings?

Kitchen and bathroom fittings have been chosen by EasyBuild’s interior designer to provide quality, style and value. While unable to be customised, fittings have been selected from trusted suppliers to provide customers with kitchens and bathrooms they will love. Find out more about kitchen and bathroom fittings on our Inclusions page. Two colour schemes are available for the kitchen fitout, with customers able to choose their preferred option.

What warranty/guarantee is provided with an EasyBuild House Pack?

All the materials and products used to construct EasyBuild House Packs are trusted, commonly used and tested building materials that you will find on most New Zealand building sites for conventional houses.  Components such as windows and roofing come with their own warranty that will be provided to you.

If you want the added assurance of a ten year guarantee, we recommend you use a Registered Master Builder to construct your EasyBuild House Pack, and request the 10 Year Master Build Guarantee from them.

Can we build an EasyBuild House Pack without the assistance of a builder?

After the laying of the foundations, EasyBuild House Packs can be largely built without the assistance of a builder. We strongly recommend that all customers engage a builder to complete their foundations, and assist at various points throughout construction, such as when fixing exterior cladding, roofing, interior linings and Gib stopping. Qualified plumbers and electricians are also required at various points throughout construction.

Whether or not a person can build an EasyBuild House Pack without the assistance of a builder also depends on each person’s individual capabilities. We recommend that no fewer than two fit and healthy adults work on site at any one time, and recommend that customers building their own EasyBuild House Pack have DIY experience.

When building a two-storey EasyBuild House Pack, it’s important to note that while they use the same methods and systems as single storey House Packs, by the very nature of two-storey construction, they will pose a more challenging build than single storey construction.

How do we find a builder and contractors to work on our EasyBuild House Pack

View our list of EasyBuild Preferred Builders or Contact Us for recommendations in your area.

Your local ITM store will also be able to recommend local builders to work with you on your EasyBuild House Pack. Any Licensed Building Practitioner will be able to easily construct your EasyBuild House Pack.

Most builders have sub-trades including plumbers and electricians that work with them, and will manage this for you.

For added assurance with your builder, use a Registered Master Builder who can offer you a 10 Year Master Build Guarantee.

Are your products sourced from New Zealand?

Yes, wherever possible our products are sourced from New Zealand. We use conventional products, tried and tested in New Zealand, that have stood the test of time. Find out more about the products we use on our Inclusions page.

What is the build time?

EasyBuild House Packs significantly reduce on site time for building a house.  While times vary from house to house, whether or not professional builders are completing the house pack for you, and how many days a week are spent on the build, we say that after the foundations have been laid, with two full time builders an EasyBuild House Pack can be fully enclosed within one week and fully completed within 6 to 9 weeks.

Smaller or larger EasyBuild House Packs may take less or more time than this to complete.

Can EasyBuild House Packs be relocated once complete?

EasyBuild House Packs can only be relocated if they have been built on timber pile foundations, with a timber floor pack. EasyBuild Houses built on concrete slab foundations are unable to be relocated.

Is the timber treated?

Yes, all timber used in EasyBuild House Packs has been treated to the appropriate standards. Timber with specific treatments from different Hazard Classes has been selected for different parts of the structure and house to comply with the Building Code and to ensure maximum durability and protection from the elements.

How do EasyBuild House Packs differ from conventional houses?

EasyBuild House Packs differ from conventional houses primarily in their method of construction – and the fact that the houses are partially constructed off-site, meaning time spent on site and labour costs are significantly reduced. In EasyBuild House Packs, you will find many of the same trusted and high quality products used to build conventional New Zealand homes for many years. While you are saving on labour costs and time by building an EasyBuild House Pack, you can still expect high quality products and a house that’s designed to last.