This year the NZ Govt has increased the standards of the New Zealand building Code to ensure Kiwi homes are warmer, healthier and drier.
This is a fantastic change that is well overdue! It’s been 18 years since the last update of the building code.
You’re probably wondering, how does this affect me? Well, we’ve put together a quick overview of the incoming changes and how they could affect you!
Firstly, various elements of the building code are changing. The key ones to be concerned with are the change in R Values required in your home.
As noted, the Building Code is enacted to ensure Kiwi homes are warmer, healthier and drier. The way the code improves those factors is by setting the minimum standard for building elements such as insulation, ventilation, and energy efficiency.
The update in November 2022 is primarily concerned with the improvement of insulation. R Values are the measure of an area’s thermal “resistance” value. This means that a higher R-value indicates strong insulative properties and vice versa.
The new code mandates that the increase of R Values in these areas of a Canterbury-based home:
As you can see, the new code is mandating significant increases to a Home’s insulative properties.
The second important thing to be aware of is that there will be a phased rollout of the new code standards. The changes in this new code are significant, and without a doubt well overdue. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the industry was prepared for them.
The fallout of COVID, significant supply chain issues, and price increases coupled with low buyer confidence led to the building industry falling into a “mini-recession”. It was noted that 25% of all companies liquidated in 2021 were Construction companies. The sudden introduction of the new code posed yet another obstacle for the construction industry.
Consequently, the Government held open consultations with the representatives of the Construction industry who confirmed that they could not meet these new standards as the Government had initially intended. Some of the standards the Government was mandating had not even been achieved yet.
To cut the industry some slack, the following timeline has been proposed:
building.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/building-code-compliance/building-code-updates/transition-period-for-the-energy-efficiency-housing-outcome-of-consultation-building-code-update-2022.pdf
We understand that the decision to build a home is a large one. You must be fully informed when deciding this magnitude. That’s why we want to be 100% transparent with you so that you know with certainty that you’re making the right decision for yourself and your family.
A change in the code will significantly change what Kiwi’s look for in a home. Understandably, It will be important that their home meets the new standards coming in the next 8 months. This is because their home will be warmer, healthier, and drier than the average kiwi home. It will also have great resale value.
If you’re in the market to build a home right now, we would encourage you to ask any builder you’re dealing with whether they will build to the impending code changes. It is quite possible that given the changes are due until May 2023 that their current pricing does not include the update. However, if you would like to better future-proof your investment, it might be worth investigating this further.
At Headstart Homes, we offer pricing flexibility. Our current pricing doesn’t always include the new code upgrades, however, we are happy to incorporate these for you at your request.
We are experts in building warmer, drier and healthier homes with our Homestar Homes promotion. If you invest an additional $5K, we will give you up to $16K worth of Homestar upgrades back, for FREE! The Homestar upgrades will get your foot in the door with the new code changes too! So it’s a win-win!