The New Zealand Building Code (the Code) sets clear expectations of the standards that buildings should meet. However, these are legal minimums and home owners can exceed these minimums. Previous Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) research indicates that cost is a major factor prohibiting consumers from designing and building new homes to a standard that is higher than the Code. Other factors, such as fragmented, unhelpful, and inaccessible information, are also creating barriers to lift the standard of residential buildings.

This research forms part of BRANZ’s Exceeding the Minimum Programme. It considers how the New Zealand banking sector can lead the way in financing mortgages and home loan packages that consider building integrated features in high performance homes.