Thinking about building your dream home but not sure where to begin? We’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions about building with Hallmark Homes to help you feel informed, confident, and inspired - whether you’re just starting to explore or ready to dive in.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
As a family-owned business with over 30 years of experience, Hallmark Homes takes a personal, family-oriented approach — when you build with us, you become part of the Hallmark family, not just another project. We pride ourselves on award-winning quality, flexible design options, and open, transparent communication throughout your journey. We’re also happy to work with you if you’d like to supply your own materials, helping you create a home that’s truly yours.
No, you don’t need to have your own section before getting in touch with us. If you already have land, that’s great — we can start planning your new home right away. However, if you’re still searching for the perfect section, we’re more than happy to help. We have a range of house and land packages ready to build, and we also work closely with Christchurch developers to help you secure a site that suits your home design and lifestyle.
Yes, we certainly can. At Hallmark Homes, we have an experienced in-house architectural designer who specialises in designing architectural homes. Whether you’re after a unique, custom design or something bold and contemporary, we can bring your vision to life with a home that reflects your style and makes the most of your section.
We offer a free concept design, which includes a rough estimate and proposal to help you get started. To provide a fixed price, additional steps may be required — such as site investigations or detailed drawings — depending on your chosen plan. These extra steps could involve some additional costs, but we’ll always discuss them with you upfront so there are no surprises.
We occasionally have our showhomes available for sale. Aside from that, we don’t typically have ready-built homes, as most of our builds are custom-designed for our clients.
The cost of building a custom home can vary depending on your design, specifications, and site conditions. At Hallmark Homes, we offer three house plan series to suit a wide range of budgets and lifestyles. Our Headstart range typically starts from around $370,000, with pricing increasing depending on the level of customisation you’re after. Whether you're looking for a simple, stylish design or something fully bespoke, we’ll work closely with you to create a home that reflects your vision and fits your budget.
The timeframe for building a new home can vary depending on the size, design, and level of specification. On average, most builds take between 5 to 10 months from the start of construction. Smaller or more straightforward homes may be completed sooner, while larger or more detailed homes may take a bit longer. We’ll provide you with a realistic timeline based on your specific plans and keep you updated throughout the entire process.
Yes, we’re happy to work with you if you prefer to supply your own materials. If you have trusted suppliers or access to more cost-effective options, we’ll do our best to incorporate them into your build. At Hallmark Homes, we aim to be flexible and collaborative to help you get the best value without compromising on quality.
Yes, we do. Hallmark Homes builds right across Christchurch and the wider Canterbury region — from Ashburton to Amberley and everywhere in between, including Rolleston, Lincoln, West Melton, and more. If you're unsure whether we cover your area, just ask — chances are, we do!
Yes, we do. Hallmark Homes builds throughout Christchurch and the wider Canterbury region. We can build in the northern areas of Canterbury, including Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Woodend, Amberley, and the surrounding towns. If you're planning to build in this part of the region, we'd be happy to help bring your new home to life.
We chose Hallmark Homes to build our new house on our rural property. We had never built a house before so we were nervous about the process. The staff at Hallmark were completely professional, always available to help us, and made it as stress free as possible for us. We are so happy with our new home and cannot recommend Hallmark enough!
Sarah Bennett
We built our dream home with Hallmark Homes and couldn’t be happier! As new arrivals from the U.K. with no building experience, we were blown away by how supportive and flexible the Hallmark team was. We were involved in every detail of our architecturally designed home — and felt like we were their only clients! It’s a family-run business with amazing staff who made the whole journey smooth and exciting. We now live in a beautiful home that turns heads — people often stop to ask who built it! Highly recommend Hallmark Homes, no matter your budget — they’ve got options to suit everyone. We walked in as clients and left feeling like family.
Nick Tillekeratne
It just felt like a no-brainer for us - you really got on our wavelength, and we could tell straight away it was a great move working with such genuine people
Hamish and Lydia Hodgson
The entire process, from start to finish, has been excellent. The team was honest and transparent every step of the way, delivering exactly what they promised with the build. Everyone I interacted with was kind and professional - starting with Jodi, Fiona, Debbie, Chris and of course Fi and Georgia too. Every interaction was a 10/10 experience.
James Brown
Our first builder got liquidated, just after the house got wrapped. It was a horrible bit to go from there, so this time we chose to go with a more reputable brand, a company that had been in the game longer, not just one flashy one that turned up! That gave us that enjoyment because we've been through the process before and the bad side and now, we've seen how good it was with this build. Credit to the Hallmark staff they have been amazing the whole way through, and nothings been an issue for them either!
The Lesters
I highly recommend Hallmark Homes, we enjoyed the entire process as we were working with them for nearly 2 years. From start to finish it was a lengthy process at the start with me trying to make decisions on what I wanted in the house and getting my husband to agree with them, they were great. I really think they are one of the best building companies in Christchurch which I highly recommend!
Angela Fairmaid
“Hallmark Homes” did an excellent job constructing our house. They were attentive to our needs and preferences, and the quality of their workmanship was top-notch. Communication throughout the project was clear and timely. We are very pleased with the end result and would highly recommend them to others.
Igor and Irina Gaghis
We just moved into our beautiful home this week it's been finished to high standards (my husband's very fussy). Debbie is the absolute superstar to the company she's an absolute angel and I'm so thankful for her and all her hard work getting us in, in time and putting up with me!
Nicola Reed
