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.

Self Managed:
If you are going to manage the project yourself, then now is the time to engage a Licensed Building Practitioner. We can work with you to ensure you have all the details you need for your contract with them. We will provide them with the information they need to come up with a quote for the building of your EKOKIT. You will have one contract with your builder, and one contract with EKOKIT for the supply of the materials.

Fully Managed:
EKOKIT will select a local builder, and will work with them to confirm the contract price. You will contract directly with EKOKIT for the delivery of the material and all the labour required.

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.

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.

Self-Managed
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.

Fully Managed
Within four weeks, we will submit the plans on your behalf and answer the queries from the council related to the plans.

Note:
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.

Confirm finishing details

Self-Managed:
While you are waiting for the documentation process 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.

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.

You will have access to EKOKIT Cash Trade accounts, in order to get the best value deals from our preferred suppliers, for any additional materials required.

Fully Managed
We will work with you to ensure that we have all the details specified for your new home – including the Room-by-Room specification of wall coverings, tiles, paint colours, appliances etc. You will sign this specification off as part of the contract, and we will complete all the ordering to fit with your building timeline.

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.

Construction

The main difference between a standard home build and an EKOKIT build, is that the materials are delivered in a series of three containers over the course of the construction.

Adequate heavy vehicle all weather access is required to the site with sufficient space to accommodate one 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.

Self Managed
After your building consent is issued, you will need to contact us to arrange delivery of your EKOKIT components. These will be packed into three containers and the initial container will be delivered to your site within four to eight weeks of your contacting us, or on the date you request, whichever is later. It should be timed to arrive as all the earthworks and site preparation is due to be completed.

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 to assist builders and other trades as required with any questions during construction. Training in sustainable construction is also available to builders and tradespeople working on EKOKIT homes.

Fully Managed
Once we have received the building consent, we will map out a construction timeline. This will include the staged delivery of a container of materials to site.

Completion and moving in

The confirmed end of completion and formal handover of the house, is once the council inspections have taken place and the Code of Compliance Certificate (CCC) is obtained.

It is common in Building Contracts to have a 90-day warranty period which starts at Handover.

Self Managed
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, passive solar, 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.

Fully Managed
EKOKIT will schedule Handover as soon as possible, with the completed Code of Compliance. We have a 90-day warranty period, to cover anything that may arise once you move into your new, healthy, thermally and energy efficient, passive solar, non-toxic and great looking home.