Can Anyone Build A Kitset Home?

One question we often get asked is “can anyone build a kitset home”?  Looking back over all the Kit Homes projects in the last five years the answer would be “no”, we believe that unless you have a talent in DIY or have friends/ family that can help or give some guidance, there will be parts of the build that will need a certain level of knowledge and skill. 

It is also important to remember that plumbing and electrical work will require an expert, and that the build will need to be checked at different stages of construction and signed off by a council building inspector.

One of our first clients was an electrician by trade and we were in awe of how he set about building his own home.  He knuckled down, worked efficiently and from the time he stood frames to moving in was only around three months.  He then went on to build another kitset for a client who had contacted us and was building nearby.  

In contrast, we have also had a number of builds completed successfully by clients who have had no qualifications in building or the trades, but happen to be talented in DIY, up for a challenge and applied for an owner-builder exemption.

So we thought it would be helpful to lay out the advantages and disadvantages of building a kitset home yourself vs hiring a builder.

Advantages of building your own kitset home:

• The biggest reason we hear from people wanting to build a kitset home themselves is the cost savings.  As labour costs are one of the largest costs of a build, doing all or a lot of the work yourself will reduce the build costs significantly.

• Some of our clients who worked on their build full time have also managed to complete the build impressively fast (although not always the case). Having the ability to work from early morning until late into the evening can pay off with a number of our kitsets completed from foundations to painting in 10-12 weeks.  It also helps that materials like frames and roof trusses come already pre-nailed which can speed up construction.

• DIY and having control over the end result is another reason we hear from clients regarding why they want to build the kitset themselves.  “DIY”, “can-do attitude”, “number-eight wire” - whatever you call it, seems to be ingrained in us Kiwis at an early age.  Many of our clients want a hands-on approach to their build, and they also enjoy the satisfaction of the end result and knowing that all the months of planning and hard work have culminated in a finished project they can be proud of.

Disadvantages of building your own kitset home:

• As mentioned above, we believe that you need a certain level of knowledge and experience in the trades to be able to complete the project to a high standard.  Fixing errors can be stressful, expensive and time consuming, so it’s important to be aware of your own abilities and limitations.

• The time commitment required to build your own kitset can also be a drawback, especially if you have a part time or full time job.  Managing all aspects of the build from coordinating tradies (for specialised work), to following building regulations and sourcing finishings, all of these tasks can be time consuming and at times stressful.

Advantages of hiring a builder to construct your kitset home:

• Hiring an experienced builder ensures your kitset will be completed to a high standard.  Builders are familiar with plans, have experience with issues that might crop up and know the ins and outs of building regulations, which can also speed up the project.

• Hiring a builder can also mean less stress.  Builders often take on most of the project management from site preparation to final details.  They are there throughout the whole project and can take on as much of the responsibility and decision-making as you’d like them to.

Disadvantages of hiring a builder to construct your kitset home:

• Hiring a builder is not cheap and will significantly increase the cost of the overall project.  It is important to weigh up the cost against the benefits above.

• Some clients have also struggled to find an experienced builder in their area, or one who isn’t booked solid for months, and finding the ‘right’ builder can be a challenge.

In summary, we’ve had close to 50 kitset homes completed since we launched Kit Homes in May 2020.  Every single project has been managed differently due to clients’ priorities and skills.  Some clients have had the time and expertise to manage and build the kitset home themselves, while others have had family members who’ve been tradies and have taken on the project, and again others who have decided to hire a builder to manage the whole process from start to finish.  It is important that all our clients take time to weigh up all the pros and cons above, get quotes to carefully consider all costs involved, honestly assess their own abilities, and ultimately decide on what will work best for them and their family. 

Below are some refreshingly honest words of wisdom from our incredible client Michael (not a tradie by profession).  He has taken on the bulk of the work himself, on a very challenging site on Waiheke, and thoroughly impressed the team here at Kit Homes!

We’ve definitely found it one of the most challenging things we’ve done.  For us it would be impossible without some expert advice, and we found an LBP builder who had time as a consultant essentially, to give us plenty of advice, lots of great tips, and all the many things we need to be aware of to avoid issues as we go.

Everything takes longer than expected, and that’s just something we’ve come to understand -  it’s always going to take longer.  Especially these stages we’ve just done - the cavity/wrap and the cladding. Weather is a big factor, and the juggle to get time off work on a nice day as well as arranging help to do those parts where a few pairs of hands are essential.

We’re lucky living close by to our site, and mostly working from home  - even so, it’s never quite as easy to get as much done as we hope. Just simply, it is what it is, and we keep going, little by little.  Doing a couple hours each day, and all day on weekends, is as best as we could do with our very limited budget. A little bit of help from casual labourers here and there for the heavy lifting.

Next time, we’d factor in budgeting for more time off work - at least a whole day each week would be quite good, taking into account the cost to cover unpaid leave from the day jobs.

We’ve just passed our cladding inspection so it’s all closed in and lock up stage essentially.

Our builder, and council inspectors, and such, all say it’s all downhill from here. Which is nice.  Looking forward to the interior work.

Oh, yes, speaking of council inspectors. We’ve found it good to get an inspection now and then before we’re actually ready - they call it a ‘fail’ of course, but we’ve found it good to just keep checking with them, get their expert advice, avoid any possible issues that might be a big deal later on.

Probably lots more we could say once we get closer to the end - it’s just on 12 months since we first started the site setout. Probably another 6 months to go.

We’re finding it hugely rewarding and exciting as our house comes together. Learning a lot along the way. About this, and about ourselves as well.

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