High Performance Design & Build

House Plans:
We have several home plans available.

Our collection of high-performance plans provides a fixed price with some options to upgrade. These homes are all energy modelled and incorporate passive house principles.

We also have an inspiration range which has guide prices only.

House & Land Packages:
We have relationships with several developers of subdivisions in North Canterbury and occasionally further afield. We can put one of our plan ranges on your choice of available sections and provide a price for you to consider.

These relationships are constantly updating so please contact us to find out what is available at the time.

Design & Build Option:
The cost per square metre for a high-performing home can vary greatly due to the wide range of materials and construction quality. Each home is unique, even those with the same floor area, as the shape, structure, and material usage can differ significantly. For example, kitchens and bathrooms are more expensive than living rooms and bedrooms. While more bedrooms and living areas can lower the average m² rate, they increase the overall cost due to a larger floor area. Energy-efficient homes, however, aim to eliminate unused spaces, which can raise the m² rate but potentially lower the total cost due to a reduced floor area.

For a design and build project, we work within your budget, focusing on your specific needs and priorities. Through detailed discussions, we can advise on your budget and what you can achieve, ensuring the best value for your investment.

While rough price guides are available, effective communication with your builder and designer is essential. Understanding your priorities and budget helps achieve the best outcome for your investment.

High Performance Plan Range:
Our high-performance plan range provides you with a fixed price for a specific design and its inclusions.

We collaborate with several designers offering a range of styles, practice sizes, and budgets. All our designers are experienced in the nuances of high-performance homes and prioritise a team-first approach. This ensures that homeowners, designers, and builders work closely together from the start.

Once we understand your aspirations, requirements, and constraints, we can suggest designer options that best suit your needs.

Our design costs vary depending on the designer, project requirements, and the size and complexity of the project. Generally, a draughtsman will be the least expensive, followed by an architectural designer, and then a certified architect. Larger practices may involve multiple people working on your design, while others work alone. Additionally, some practices include thorough analyses of environmental and climatic factors, depending on the site and the scope requested.

Once we sit down and understand your needs, constraints, build location and design budget, we will be able to suggest designers to suit, we will meet with them and request a detailed fee proposal from them before any commitments are made.

Yes, we can price your existing plans for a nominal fee. This fee covers the use of an independent quantity surveyor (QS), who provides detailed pricing by extensively communicating with suppliers and subcontractors. This ensures transparency, reduces hidden costs, and increases pricing accuracy.

Often, plans lack specific details, so we ask clients to make selections beforehand to provide accurate quotes, avoiding generic allowances. Although this process is involved, the benefits of accurate project costings and preparation far outweigh the nominal fee.

Even at the concept stage, we offer a ‘Concept Estimate’ to gauge feasibility before proceeding to detailed drawings and engineering. This estimate helps you decide whether to proceed with the plan or tweak the design, ensuring a smoother transition to working drawings. At Chatterton Homes, we engage an independent QS for this stage and present the estimate to help you guide your designer or request necessary changes.

Once we understand your scope and your site, and we have discussed potential designers, we will be able to give you a much better idea of the design process time.

The design time can be affected by:

• Your site
• Your scope – one design or versions of a design, size, style etc
• Your scope – architectural or conventional
• Any plans or layouts you already have
• Consideration of different aspects/locations on site
• Groundworks, foundation requirements
• Your designer – size, commitments, scope
• Any modelling, verification, certification
• Number of design changes, amendments

We also complete two sets of pricing during this process (concept estimate & full fixed price investment).

A simple design job can be completed within 6-8 months if motivated. More complex architectural jobs can take over a year or more.

Note: The plan range reduces this time as the design stage only requires a site plan to be completed by the design team (fitting the desired plan on your section).

There are a several ways we manage this:

• A fixed price contract.
• We try to fix as many items pre contract as possible. Many items are not drawn on plans, so we work with you to choose your selections, include quotes or agreed allowances so there are no surprises, and the inclusions reflect your preferences.
• A transparent variation process. Plus, any variations must be approved by the Homeowner.
• Together – up front selections, a Project Manager, and a job management system reduces the risk of delays and overruns.

Right at the start of the design process we will discuss with you your timelines and requirements. We work on a build slot system so we can better plan the management of our projects and provide realistic timelines to our clients.

Once we understand your scope, your site and start the design process, we will be able to give you a much better idea of the build time. We understand the importance of this question as many clients are renting or bridging finance during the build.

If you have land and are wanting to take the next step in planning your new home there are two key things that should be top of your list of considerations.

1. Identify Needs vs. Wants (aka Priorities):
– Needs: Determine essentials based on family size, such as the number of bedrooms and living spaces. Consider an office if you work from home. Prioritise a healthy or energy-efficient home, especially if family members have health issues, are elderly, or young, or if you are tired of cold, damp conditions or high power bills.
– Wants: Think about your dream features, like a butler’s pantry, a wall of windows, large skylights, a rumpus room, or a large balcony. Decide which are non-negotiable and which you can compromise on if necessary.

2. Understand Constraints:
– Budget: Establish a clear budget to avoid overspending.
– Site Limitations: Consider the size, shape, slope, and foundation of your plot. Check for any covenants or resource consent issues that might affect your build.

This approach provides goals and boundaries for the design team. This will help save time, money, and avoid confusion, ensuring informed decisions and a smoother home-building journey.