A Guide to
BUILDING YOUR NEW HOME
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Welcome to Signature Homes Building Your Home, Your Way Since 1983 Hello, and congratulations on taking the first step towards building your brand new home. Building with Signature Homes is an exciting and rewarding experience; our aim is to make it easy and enjoyable too. Whether you’re looking for a first family home, a holiday retreat, an investment property or somewhere to retire, your Signature Homes team will be with you every step of the way, to help you build the home you’ve always dreamed of.
This Building Guide is designed to give you an overview of what happens during the process of building a Signature Home, and the team you’ll meet on your journey. With nearly four decades of experience building homes in New Zealand, we are a company you can trust to build Your Home, Your Way.
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About Signature Homes
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Why choose us?
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What do we offer?
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Start your building journey
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Designing your home
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The construction process
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Building Guarantees
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Contact your local team
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About Signature Homes Signature Homes is a full-service company. We take care of every detail of designing and building your new home, from your very first dreams and ideas to the moment you turn the key in your front door on moving day – and beyond. Founded in 1983, Signature Homes is one of New Zealand’s longest-serving home building companies. Kiwi owners Gavin and Anneta Hunt have been with the company since its launch in 1983, ensuring that when you build with Signature Homes, you are in reliable, trustworthy hands. For added peace of mind, all our builds are protected under our unique Signature Homes Guarantees, which are the best in the building industry in New Zealand, so you can be assured your investment is securely protected.
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Benefits of building with Signature Homes END-TO-END SERVICE
Because we’re with you at every stage of your project, we confidently guide you through every step, from design and consents to your final build. We’ll check in with you after you’ve moved in, too.
BUILDING GUARANTEES
We want you to feel 100% confident you’re in good hands. Our comprehensive Signature Homes Guarantees are the best and most extensive in the country, covering every aspect of your build. For a full list of Signature Homes Guarantees see page 23.
NO BUDGET BLOWOUTS OR EXTRA FEES
All aspects of your build, including architectural design, consents, project management and the build process itself are incorporated into one contract. What you agree with us when you sign your Building Agreement is what you’ll get: no nasty surprises, no hidden extras.
BETTER BUYING POWER
Our industry relationships across New Zealand give us unique access to premium products at very competitive prices, which you will benefit from.
YOUR HOME. YOUR WAY. LOCAL EXPERTS
Signature Homes has franchises across the country, with local experts who know the area and build conditions.
DIVERSE HOME BUILD POSSIBILITIES
We offer a large range of homes and designs to suit every client and budget. Whether you have your project fully mapped out, or you’re looking for some help and guidance, our experts will be on hand to work through all the options to ensure you build a home that suits you perfectly.
Whether you start with one of our tried-and-tested pre-designed plans or choose to design your home from scratch, you’ll always have control over the finished product. All our plans can be altered to suit your specific requirements, and there are endless combinations of materials and colours to choose from to bring your personal touch to your new home.
Your Signature Homes team takes care of all the nuts and bolts, so you can relax and be confident your build is in good hands from start to finish. On time, on budget, with no nasty surprises.
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What does Signature Homes offer? DESIGN & BUILD
You may have an idea of your perfect home in your head or sketched somewhere, have plans already drawn up by an architect, or be looking for something completely unique. We can help you Design & Build your dream home from scratch or follow your existing plans. This is a great option if you’re after something a little different or have a tricky site.
BUILD FROM A PLAN
Decades of experience have shown us that there are elements of great home design that are universal amongst our clients. With this in mind, we have created collections of plans that include almost any layout you can think of, and they are a great place to start.
HOUSE & LAND PACKAGES
If you don’t have a section to build on, then a House & Land package might be the answer. Our packages often feature newly-released land from developers that isn’t available to the public, and we match each section with one or more plans that maximise the specific site and environment.
KNOCK-DOWN & REBUILD
Love where you live but not the house you’re living in? We have decades of experience in managing the removal of existing homes and rebuilding on your site to create a home that suits your lifestyle.
SUBDIVIDING
This is a great option if you have a larger site, potentially offering you very good financial rewards. We offer a streamlined Subdividing Service, bringing together a number of specialists to save you time and money.
Whatever option you choose, each home is designed so that when the keys are handed over, you step into the home you’ve always dreamed of. We’re with you every step of the way. This is your home, built your way, with all your aspirations, expectations, needs and budget at the forefront of everything we do.
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Your Building Journey Building a new home should be an exciting experience. Your Signature Homes team will be on hand from the get-go to make the process as smooth and stress-free as possible, so you can focus on the fun parts of bringing your home to life inside and out. The Signature Homes 9 step process is easy to follow and is designed to cover every aspect of your home build, keeping you updated at every stage, without any of the worry or nasty surprises.
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Workshop One: Taking Your Brief Your first meeting is a free, no-obligation chat to discuss the process of building with Signature Homes. One of our New Home Consultants (NHC’s) will meet with you at one of our showrooms or showhomes to understand your needs, investment level and design ideas. Our NHC’s will ask a lot of questions to get a picture of you, your family and lifestyle, and a broad understanding of what you want and need from a new home. To make this process easy, it’s good to be prepared for questions they may ask, such as: • Why are you building the house – is it a first home, investment or your dream home? • What are your key concerns about building a new home? • What is important to you in selecting a building company – design, guarantees, reputation, quality? • Have you started to consider an investment range for your project? Nothing is finalised at this stage, so be sure to explore lots of options of what you like and keep gathering ideas to bring with you to future meetings.
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Design Workshops Next, you’ll meet with your Signature team to discuss your vision for your new home in more detail. Taking into account your site visit and initial ideas, we’ll chat in depth about your home and different options that can be achieved within your budget. We’ll show you a range of plans from our collections that could work on your site or, if you’re after something a little different, talk you through the process of designing your new home from scratch. We’ll present a range of concepts based on your investment level and show you homes we’ve built on similar sections for similar budgets. We know this is one of the most important parts for both of us, so at this stage we’ll have as many workshops as you need to get the design you want, to ensure you’re completely happy with how your house will look. You’ll have the confidence you need to go into our Greenlight Planning Service with a real idea of what you can achieve within your budget.
2 Site Visit Your NHC will meet you on your site to discuss how different designs and ideas from your initial consultation might work on your section. Whether you’ve purchased land already, you’ve got your eye on a particular site or you have a section you’d like to subdivide, the ground you’re building on will affect your options. Your NHC and Signature team will assess your site and start to match the things you talked about in your first workshop with a design that fits. Things to think about during your Site Visit: • Have you got any ideas on how you would like to utilise the site? • Where do you think your outdoor living area will be? • Where do you imagine the garage to be? • Think about your home’s positioning, considering sun, privacy and outlook 10
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4 Greenlight Planning Workshop Based on previous workshops and our research into your site, your Signature Homes team will draw up and present concepts of how your home could look. Once you’re happy with your design, you’ll be provided with an estimate of the total cost of your build. This includes a breakdown of all the options available within your budget and how much each element costs. Up until now, there has been no charge from Signature Homes. We want you to be happy you have all the information you need before signing your contract with us.
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Greenlight Planning Service When we are in complete agreement about the design, layout and budget for your new home, you’ll be asked to pay a deposit of 1% of the estimated build cost. This is where your design team comes in – your designer, estimator and franchise partner (who will be across your build from start to finish) – will all work closely with you to develop your design concepts into a full set of conceptual drawings that enable us to provide your final build price. 2D and 3D renderings on our architectural design software will give you a better feel for your new home, floor plans provide a birds-eye view of your house from above, and elevation drawings show you the view of each external wall. The elevation drawings include details like building height, exterior cladding and veneers, roofing and any other aspect that affects the external appearance of your home. At this stage you’ve seen renderings, images and drawings of how your new home could look. Once your home’s external features have been set and your floor plan finalised, it’s time to
look at the finer details. Appliances, colour and style of kitchen benchtops, fixtures and fittings, interior design; perhaps you’ve discovered some exciting home innovations you’d like to include in your build. At this point you can make any final internal changes, such as moving a window to catch more light, or adding more power points or a storage room. By investing in our Greenlight Planning Service, you have access to our team of experts who will prepare the guaranteed final pricing ready for your build contract. Your final price includes: • Topographical and Geotechnical reports • Design and architectural drawings and fitouts • Interior design concepts • Appliances (internal and external) • Trade costs • Consent processing • Project Management of the build • Completion Guarantee
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Building Agreement Now the finer details are nailed down and the Geotechnical report has been supplied, you’ll get your guaranteed final cost to build. From here, you’ll be able to manage all the other factors you’ll need to consider, such as financing your new build. We’ll draw up a Building Agreement outlining everything we’ve agreed on so far and all aspects of the process going forward, including our comprehensive Building Guarantees. The Building Agreement includes the following services and information: • Full designs and architectural drawings • Build specifications • Project management of your build, including all costs and sub-trades
Your Building Agreement will be made up of confirmed sums and PC sums, better known as Provisional Costs. A PC cost is an estimated cost from the builder, providing the best possible estimate before a build takes place, and will vary according to each individual site and build. You’ll see PC Sums where it’s not possible to provide a confirmed cost. This could include site-specific circumstances such as unsuitable soils, ground stability or contamination, or for client selections not yet confirmed e.g. kitchen design and bathroom fittings. You will be provided with estimates initially, then confirmed sums at the time expenses are incurred. Your Building Agreement is an important legal document. You’ll need to get it reviewed by your lawyer, and provide it to your bank and/or finance company if applicable.
• Kitchen design and installation, including appliances • All meetings and correspondence with your Signature Homes team • Council consents • Payment timings • Total cost to build
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While you’re deciding on the colours, fabrics, styles and design features of your new home, your Building Project Manager will be working behind the scenes with your Signature Homes team. They will be busy working on drawings and design specifications, council consents and timings for tradespeople, leaving you to focus on what really matters to you.
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Greenlight Building Process Your build has been locked down and signed off. Congratulations! Your NHC will introduce you to your Building Project Manager (BPM) and your own design team. Your BPM is your main point of contact from now on, and your go-to for any questions or concerns. They’ll manage the tradespeople on your site and all the requirements for the remainder of your build, keeping it on time and on budget, right up until you move in. This is the stage you make all the colour and design choices for the interior of your home. There are some big decisions to be made! Don’t worry if you don’t have an eye for interior design – when you build with Signature Homes, you have access to your own design team, including a colour consultant who will help guide you through these key decisions. They can show you examples of colours and designs that other Signature Homes clients have chosen, and what could work well with your particular home and site. For many people this is their favourite part and what makes a house a home, so take your time. You’ll need to think about things like: • What colour tiles or splashbacks do you want in the kitchen? • What colour benchtop and cabinets would you like? • Do you want any bespoke extras, like a cookbook shelf? • Do you have any furniture you’re planning to keep that affects the colour or style of a room? • Do you prefer carpet or wood flooring? • Is there any specific tapware you’d like to incorporate into your kitchen or bathrooms? • What colour do you want to paint the walls? • Do you plan to have any feature walls?
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Building Your New Home a. SITEWORKS & SLAB
This is the official start of the construction process. Your site will need to be excavated in order to provide a level building platform for your home’s foundations. Once your foundations are set up in the correct position, the underfloor plumbing and drainage is put in place and the concrete is poured. You will then recieve your guaranteed completion dates.
b. FRAMES UP
This is where things really start to take shape – literally! We’ll erect and secure the wall frames, giving you a real sense of how your new home will look on your site. You’ll see your home’s outline go up before your eyes.
c. TRUSSES, FASCIA & ROOFING
Once the frames are up, it’s time for your trusses, fascia and roofing to be installed. The trusses will be placed on top of the walls, fascia mounted around the edges of the roof, and finally the roofing material will be fitted.
d. CLADDING AND WINDOWS
Your double-glazed windows will be installed securely to ensure weather tightness, then we’ll install your choice of cladding – whether that’s bricks, weatherboards, wood, iron, or James Hardie products.
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e. INTERNAL FIXINGS
During this stage, insulation will be installed to keep your home warm and dry. The interior linings will go up, with plasterboard being installed to the internal walls and ceilings. This stage also sees the installation of the skirting boards, architraves and internal doors.
f. DECORATING
Now we’re ready to paint your home and install your tiles and flooring. You’ll have chosen your style of flooring from a selection of tiles, wood, polished concrete, linoleum or carpet from our leading New Zealand suppliers. Your bathrooms and kitchens will be finished, including appliance installation, and electrical and plumbing fit offs finalised.
g. FINAL INSPECTION & SETTLEMENT
That’s it! Once all the above steps have been ticked off, we reach ‘Practical Completion’ and it’s time for your Final Inspection. We’ll complete a comprehensive Quality Assurance inspection before inviting you to walk through your finished home with your Building Project Manager. They will present your home to you, pointing out all of the features and explaining how everything works. A settlement date will also be confirmed.
Remember, Signature Homes manages all suppliers, contractors and consents on your behalf, so you can sit back and relax.
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Handover It’s done! Your house has been built, and it’s almost time for you to take the keys and move in. At this point, you’ll be invited to come and do a full inspection and completion walkthrough to find out how our post-possession service will work. This is an exciting day. All those meetings and decisions have been brought to life, and for the first time you’ll be able to see how they all fit together in your beautiful new home. The handover moment is one where you see your dream come true. Your Signature Home is made up of thousands of separate parts, all of which are covered under our Signature Homes Guarantees. These include our Home Completion Guarantee, a 10-year Structural Guarantee, and our 10-year Weathertightness Guarantee. See page 23 for our list of Signature Homes Guarantees. Once all the financial matters are completed and the Code Compliance Certificate is issued, it’s time for us to hand you the keys to your new Signature Home. It won’t be the last time you hear from us; we’ll be in contact to make sure everything is perfect, and you’re delighted with every aspect of your new home. We hope you enjoy it for years to come.
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o t s u r o f e m i T s y e k e h t u o y hand
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Signature Homes Building Guarantees At Signature Homes, we want you to be confident that your investment is protected. We offer the best Building Guarantees in New Zealand, which include: HOME COMPLETION GUARANTEE
Your payments to us are 100% secure, ensuring that you receive Your Home, Your Way, on budget, in accordance with the specification in your Building Agreement.
TEN YEAR WEATHERTIGHTNESS GUARANTEE We have great faith in our builders and the products we use, so much so that we guarantee all our homes will be warm, dry and healthy to live in for years to come.
TWO YEAR MAINTENANCE GUARANTEE
One of the best things about moving in to a brand new home is the fact that you don’t have to fix anything up. You’ll receive a maintenance guarantee for two years, giving you more time to enjoy living in your home, rather than fixing it.
TEN YEAR STRUCTURAL GUARANTEE Your new home will stand the test of time.
TOTAL PRICE GUARANTEE
At Signature Homes, we guarantee that the price we give you when you sign your Building Agreement is the same price you will pay for your new home, excluding any authorised Variations. No nasty budget blow-outs, no surprise costs and no scary extra fees.
COMPLETION DATE GUARANTEE
When we tell you which day you can move in to your new home, we mean it - otherwise we pay! Knowing exactly which date you will be moving in makes it easier to organise the sale of your existing home, or the final date of your rental agreement as well as moving vehicles and the all-important house warming.
NO HIDDEN EXTRAS GUARANTEE
We believe the price we give you upfront, should be the same price you pay. We guarantee that we won’t sneak anything else into your price meaning there are no nasty surprises when it comes to building your dream home.
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Contact Us NORTH ISLAND NORTHLAND Ceanel Construction Ltd 2699 State Highway 1 Ruakaka 0800 082 882
BOTANY & MANUKAU Houzz By Design Ltd 53 Huntington Drive, East Tamaki Auckland 0800 102 109
BAY OF PLENTY & COROMANDEL Vogue Homes Ltd Cnr Sixteenth Avenue & Fraser Street Tauranga 0800 102 105
RODNEY & NORTH SHORE Signature Residential Ltd 5 Antares Place, Rosedale Auckland 0800 488 828
PAPAKURA & FRANKLIN Garland Builders Ltd 13 Massey Avenue, Pukekohe Auckland 0800 828 822
TARANAKI Mizak Homes Ltd 2 Devon Street New Plymouth 0800 102 104
WEST & NORTH-WEST AUCKLAND Pritchard Building Ltd 80 Main Road, Kumeu Auckland 0800 020 600
WAIKATO Parangon Building Ltd 455 Te Rapa Road Hamilton 0800 082 888
GREATER WELLINGTON T&N Construction Ltd 2 Lyttelton Avenue, Porirua 0800 102 135
SOUTH ISLAND
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NELSON SJB Construction Ltd 308 Queen Street, Richmond Nelson 0800 244 422
CHRISTCHURCH SOUTH TKR Homes Ltd 31 Watts Road, Sockburn Christchurch 0800 844 488
CHRISTCHURCH NORTH BHC Ltd 30 Main North Road, Papanui Christchurch 0800 744 466
QUEENSTOWN LAKES TKR Homes Ltd 41 Jack Hanley Drive, Hanley’s Farm Queenstown 0800 844 488
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