One of the most common questions we get asked is, “How long does it take to build a house?”
The answer really depends on what you’re building, how you’re building it, and perhaps most importantly, how prepared you are before construction begins.
For a conventional new build in New Zealand, construction can take anywhere from a few months to a year or more, depending on the size, complexity and circumstances of the project.
At Whio Homes, we’re doing things a little differently. Our modular homes are built undercover in our Rolleston yard, with a target construction timeframe of just 8–10 weeks for one of our 70m² homes.
But there’s a bit more to the overall building timeline than just construction.
The Three Stages of Building a New Home
When you’re looking at how long it takes to build a house, there are really three distinct stages to consider.
1. Pre-Construction: Design, Decisions and Consents
This is probably the most variable stage of the entire building process, and it’s also the stage where you, as the homeowner, have the most involvement.
It’s when you decide how your home needs to function, what layout works for your lifestyle, and what materials, colours and finishes you want.
If you’ve already looked through our standard plans and found one that ticks all your boxes, fantastic! The process can be relatively straightforward.
For example, with one of our standard designs, much of the building design work has already been completed. We use an independent Building Consent Authority, Building Consent Limited (BCAL), and for eligible standard designs, we’ve achieved building consent turnaround times of approximately four working days.
Of course, there’s still the site-specific requirements to consider, but having the building design ready to go can save a considerable amount of time.
On the other hand, if you’re developing a completely custom design, working with an architect or making significant changes to an existing plan, the pre-construction process can take considerably longer.
Depending on the complexity of the project, design decisions, engineering and council requirements, this stage could take anywhere from a few months to 12 months or more.
One of the biggest factors influencing how quickly your build progresses is simply making decisions.
When you have a clear idea of what you want, it’s much easier for everyone involved to keep things moving. When decisions are delayed or designs continually change, the timeframe can quickly stretch out.
2. Construction: Building Your Home in 8–10 Weeks
Once the design is finalised, the necessary approvals are in place and your construction slot becomes available, we can get started.
For our standard 70m² modular homes, we’re targeting a construction timeframe of 8–10 weeks.
The reason we can achieve this is largely down to how we build.
Unlike conventional construction, where your home is built out in the elements, our homes are constructed undercover in our Rolleston yard.
That means we’re not losing days to rain, wind or other weather conditions. We can also plan our materials, trades and construction processes much more efficiently because we’re working in a controlled environment.
With a traditional build, certain stages need to be completed before the next can begin. You might be waiting for the building to become weathertight before interior work can start, or waiting for measurements to be taken on site before materials can be manufactured.
Because we’re building undercover, we can keep progressing with the interior regardless of what’s happening outside. We’re not having to stop and start depending on the weather.
But one of the biggest time-saving advantages of modular construction is that your site works can happen at exactly the same time as your home is being built.
Let’s say you’ve purchased a section in a subdivision, with services already available at the boundary.
While we’re busy building your home in our Rolleston yard, you can be preparing your section. That might mean installing the piles, completing some of the drainage, putting up fencing or even getting started on your driveway, provided it doesn’t interfere with the delivery and installation of your home.
Rather than waiting until the house is built to start preparing the site, these two stages can run alongside each other.
So by the time we’ve finished constructing your home, your section can be ready and waiting for it to arrive.
It’s a much more efficient way of building and can make a significant difference to the overall timeframe.
3. Delivery and Installation: From Our Yard to Your Site
Once your home is completed, it’s ready to be transported to your property.
This is one of my favourite parts of modular construction because the transformation happens incredibly quickly.
Rather than watching a house slowly take shape on your section over several months, your completed home arrives on a truck.
For us, the actual process of landing the home and securing it to the piles generally takes a couple of days.
From there, it’s about connecting services, completing any remaining drainage, installing baseboards, building decks and finishing off any other site works.
How long this takes depends on the extent of the work involved. For example, a large deck or additional landscaping will naturally take longer than a straightforward installation.
But if everything has been organised in advance, and we’ve coordinated the drainage, plumbing and electrical trades to be there when they’re needed, it’s possible to have your home delivered and be moving in approximately a week later, subject to the necessary inspections and approvals.
How exciting is that?
Imagine owning a section in an established subdivision. Rather than having months of builders, vehicles, deliveries and construction activity happening on your property, the majority of the building work has already taken place elsewhere.
Your completed home arrives, it’s installed, services are connected, the finishing touches are completed, and potentially a week later you’re moving in.
It’s a pretty incredible process when you think about it.
So, How Quickly Could You Move Into a New Modular Home?
If you’ve selected one of our standard designs, made your decisions early, have a suitable site and can secure an available construction slot, the process can move surprisingly quickly.
Our target is just 8–10 weeks for construction, followed by delivery and installation, which can potentially take as little as a week for a straightforward, well-organised project.
However, it’s important to distinguish between the actual construction timeframe and the total time from your initial enquiry to moving in.
Design changes, building and resource consents, site preparation, manufacturing availability and other approvals can all influence the overall timeline.
Some eligible standalone granny flats may also qualify for an exemption from building consent under New Zealand’s newer rules, although specific conditions and other regulatory requirements still apply.
The Key to a Faster Build? Planning Ahead.
Whether you’re building a conventional house or a modular home, the biggest opportunity to save time is often before construction even begins.
Having a clear understanding of your budget, how you want your home to function and the decisions that matter most to you can make a huge difference.
At Whio Homes, we believe the building process should be as straightforward and efficient as possible. By combining good planning with our undercover construction process, we’re able to reduce many of the delays traditionally associated with building a new home.
And ultimately, that means getting you into your new home sooner.
Thinking about building a new home?
Explore our range of modular home designs or get in touch with our team to discuss your project, your site and what a realistic building timeframe could look like for you.