The EKOKIT Process

Choose your site

If you have not already done so, the first thing you will need to do is obtain land and/or identify the site you plan to build on, as this will influence your choice of design options.

If you need help with selecting a site, you may wish to contact your local EKOKIT consultant to request a free simple one-page site selection guide.

We can also arrange for one of our build partners to carry out a site appraisal either before or after purchase to confirm your site is suitable for one or more EKOKIT designs. This is an additional cost and will be priced separately.

Choose your EKOKIT design and materials

As well as your lifestyle and needs, your site’s size, shape, topography, geotechnical features and the location of roads and driveways are all factors that can influence the EKOKIT design/s that will work best for you. If you have not done so already, now is the time to contact your local EKOKIT consultant, who will guide you through the process of choosing the right home for your site and needs:

Phone 0800 4EKOKIT (0800 435 6548) or visit our contact pagewww.ekokit.co.nz/contact.html

Once you have settled on the design, your EKOKIT consultant will work with you to confirm materials, including any upgrades you may require.

Quotation and Contract

Within two weeks of confirming your chosen design and materials specification in writing, your EKOKIT consultant will provide you with a formal written quotation. You can use this, along with the blank budget form available to you on request, to work out the total amount you will need to build your home, and ensure you have sufficient funds to cover the cost of the EKOKIT components as well as additional materials, labour and other costs.

When you provide verbal acceptance of the quotation, your EKOKIT consultant will prepare and present you with your contract, which will confirm the design, specification and pricing agreed, as well as outlining other terms and conditions. You will also need to provide the name of the Licensed Building Practitioner (builder) who will carry out/oversee construction as this will be included in your contract.

Payment

When you sign your contract, a 10% deposit is required to secure the agreed price.

The balance payable will be set out in stages and the structure will depend on your personal circumstances and financing options available to you. Should you require a financing option, we work with an ethical lender who specialises in sustainable lending and investments.

Please talk to you local EKOKIT consultant, who will be able to talk you through various options available to you.

Documentation and Consent

Once you have signed your contract and we have received cleared funds for your deposit, we will begin preparing a detailed set of plans and a full specification of materials for your EKOKIT, based on the design and materials you have selected, and any other information you have provided us. Within four weeks the completed documentation will be provided to you in PDF format, which you will need to print out and include with your building consent application. You will also use this documentation as your construction manual.

When you submit your building consent application, your EKOKIT contract price includes our dealing with any queries from your local authority in relation to the plans and specification that have been prepared by us.

Your EKOKIT price does not include building consent application fees, resource consent preparation or application fees (if required), surveying fees, geotechnical reports or any engineers’ or other consultants’ fees associated with customised designs, non-standard materials, specific site conditions or individual local authority requirements.

Book sub-contractors and purchase finishing materials

While you are waiting for your documentation to be completed, you should be obtaining quotes for and confirming the sub-trades you will be employing (e.g., plumber, drainlayer, electrician), as you will need to provide the names of these on your building consent application. If your Licensed Building Practitioner (builder) or members of the construction team are not already approved EKOKIT builders, you may like to arrange for training at this time as well.

While your building consent application is being processed, it is a good idea to select and purchase finishing materials such as tiles, carpets and light fittings, as having these available before construction begins will help the build process run smoothly and to schedule.

Alternatively, if you do not wish to manage your EKOKIT build yourself, your EKOKIT is also available as a complete finished home. Talk to your local EKOKIT consultant about this easy option or contact us through this website.

You will have been given access to the EKOKIT online project management system when you accepted your contract, giving you access to discounts on recommended materials and fixtures additional to your EKOKIT package.

Container delivery and construction

After your building consent is issued, you will need to contact us to arrange delivery of your EKOKIT components. These will be packed into a container/s and will be delivered to your site within four to eight weeks of your contacting us, or on the date you request, whichever is later.

Adequate heavy vehicle all weather access is required to the site with sufficient space to accommodate the container for the duration of the construction process. Your EKOKIT price includes delivery of the components to your site by truck and container rental fees for calendar 120 days.

Additional fees may apply if it is necessary to air lift the container to your site, and if the container is required for longer than 120 days, daily hire fees will be invoiced directly to you by the container company. If you are managing your EKOKIT yourself, you need to know that all construction must be carried out under the supervision of a Licensed Building Practitioner with a Level 2 – Construction license or higher as a head contractor. The head contractor is responsible for ensuring council inspections take place and that all construction is completed to the supplied plans, and in accordance with the New Zealand Building Code. In addition to the plans and specification provided, EKOKIT offers free email support and an 0900 telephone support number to assist builders and other trades as required with any questions during construction.

Training courses in sustainable construction are also available to builders and tradespeople working on EKOKIT homes – see the EKOKIT website or phone for upcoming dates and locations, or for a list of builders and tradespeople who have completed this training.

Completion and moving in

Your head contractor is responsible for ensuring council inspections take place, including obtaining the Code Compliance Certificate (CCC) when construction is complete. Ideally this should be done before you move in and begin to enjoy your healthy, thermally and energy efficient, passivesolar, non-toxic home.

As part of our ongoing quality control system, when you send us a copy of your CCC and complete a final questionnaire, we will issue your official EKOKIT Completion Certificate which confirms your EKOKIT has been built using the plans and materials supplied.