Top Tips for Buying a Spec or Kitset Home
See if you can tailor the plans to suit your requirements.
A ‘spec’ home is put up by a builder or property developer before it’s offered for sale. The eventual home owners usually have little or no input into the design of the home or its location on the site – though sometimes the home is sold off the plans and there are opportunities for input.
Kitset homes are use prefabricated, factory-made components. They’re usually sold for use on the buyer’s existing site.
If you’re considering either of these options, it’s worth finding out if you can make changes to the plans to suit your requirements.
Getting started
- Before you start looking, make a wish list. Think about price, style of home, size of home, and any features you particularly want such as sun, views, or proximity to services.
Gathering information
- Get a copy of the certificate of title - this will tell you the size and shape of the section, who owns it, and whether there are any mortgages, leases, rights of way or other interests affecting the title, and any covenants, easements or other restrictions on how the property can be used. You can get a certificate of title from Land Information New Zealand or you can get a lawyer or search agent to get it for you.
- Get a copy of the Land Information Memorandum from your local council - this should tell you about rates, restrictions on use of the land/buildings, resource consents relating to the property, sewage and stormwater pipes, and any environmental issues such as erosion, flooding and hazardous substances that might affect the site.
- Check the District Plan and/or local council design guidelines - this will tell you what you can build on the property and use the property for, and also what the neighbours can build
- You may need an engineer’s report, especially if you have questions about the stability of the ground on the site. For new subdivisions, an engineer’s report should be provided.
- Get information about the price. One of the best ways to do this is to look at other properties on the market in comparable locations. You can also buy information about property price trends from the Quotable Value website, or you can hire a valuer.
- If you have any doubts about the boundaries, check the survey information. You can get survey plans from your local council.
- Before you sign any agreement, seek legal advice.
If you have any doubts about any aspect, ask the land agent. If the agent misleads you, you’ll have some comeback if things go wrong later. If the agent avoids answering your questions, proceed with caution.
Checking the design
It’s worth considering the home’s design - whether it will suit your needs, and whether it has been well designed to catch the sun for heating and breezes for cooling.
Look for:
- North-facing windows to catch the sun - especially in living areas
- Eaves, plants or other features that can provide shade from summer sun without blocking winter sun
- Plenty of insulation
- Double glazing, secondary glazing or some other way of preventing heat from escaping through windows and doors
- A home that’s the right size for your needs - for example, it has enough bedrooms, and its living areas are the right size
- Rooms/spaces that can adapt to different uses at different times of the day, or can be adapted as your lifestyle changes.
Making changes to the design
Find out if you can make changes to the layout or specifications. If you can:
- Ask an experienced architect or professional designer to suggest ways of improving energy efficiency.
- Consider whether the home can be better oriented for sun, views, cooling breezes, or privacy.
- Ask to install extra insulation, above the Building Code minimum requirements - it’s much easier to install insulation while the home is being built, and the extra cost will be repaid through lower heating bills
- Ask to install double glazing.
- Consider installing a solar water heating system.
- Consider increasing the size of eaves for better shading.
- Make sure you are happy with the electrical fittings, wiring, cabling and plumbing. For example, do you have power, phone and internet outlets where you’ll need them? These can be expensive to alter after completion.
Also, it’s difficult to visualise the actual size of a room from the plans. Pace out the measurements from the plans in your existing home or garden to ensure they are not larger or smaller than you need.
