Free planning guide
Before You Build.
What 30 years of building Auckland homes has taught Finn about planning a new home or major renovation. Twenty pages, written for people who are not ready to call a builder yet.
“Most of the stress people go through when they build could have been avoided at the start.” Finn Glengarry, Director
Inside the guide
Seven chapters, in the order the decisions come up.
- 01
The real order of a build
Brief, budget, site, team, design, pricing, consent, contract, construction, sign-off. Most problems come from doing these out of order, especially designing before setting a budget.
- 02
What it actually costs
Industry averages for Auckland build rates, what the build rate leaves out, where budgets go wrong, and how to set one you can trust.
- 03
How long it really takes
Design, consent, construction and sign-off, phase by phase. The phases before construction are the ones owners most often underestimate.
- 04
Your site and Auckland's rules
Planning overlays, ground conditions, and how to decide between renovating and rebuilding before you pay for any design.
- 05
What makes a great build
Five things award-winning homes have in common, most of them decided long before anyone is on site.
- 06
Choosing your builder
Twelve questions to ask every builder you talk to, and what a good answer sounds like.
- 07
Understanding your contract
Fixed price or charge-up, how variations are handled under each, and the protections worth having in place.
It opens with a one-page checklist to find your starting point, and ends with what to do next. Whether you build with us or not, it should save you a few expensive mistakes. If you would rather see the standard first, look at our projects.
Already past the planning stage?
Tell us about the build, or call Finn directly. He takes the first call himself.