Chatterton Homes Ltd

25/10/2026

Here is a quick way to judge any home: turn the heating off in the evening, and see how long the warmth lasts.

It is a long weekend, so here is a simple thing to consider.

In most homes, the warmth fades within an hour or two of the heating going off. It leaks out through the walls, the windows, and the gaps you cannot see, which is why the heater is forever cycling on and off.

A home designed and built to Passive House principles behaves differently. Because the whole building holds the warmth for days, barely dropping a degree with the heating off. You leave for a 3 week holiday and return to a comfortable home, no heating on, even in winter.

Check out our newly updated homeowner's guide which answers many of the questions those curious about building high performance have asked over the years.
https://www.chattertonhomes.co.nz/the-homeowners-guide-to-creating-an-energy-efficient-or-passive-home/

Enjoy the long weekend.

24/10/2026

Not your average window installation!

Some impressive crane work at our two storey Fendalton Passive House project, with these large, European made, triple glazed high performance windows being carefully lifted into place.

With timber on the inside and aluminium cladding on the outside, these windows combine the natural warmth of timber with the durability and low maintenance of aluminium.

Due to their size and weight, a crane and specialised vacuum suction equipment are needed to safely lift and position them.

A great example of the care and specialised equipment involved in building a high performance home. And once installed, these windows will play an important role in keeping the home comfortable and energy efficient all year round.

23/10/2026

A big day on site at our Swannanoa project!

Some impressive crane work at this rural home on a lifestyle block in Swannanoa, with large exposed roof trusses carefully lifted into position, followed by the installation of SIPs roof panels.

The result will be a stunning open raking ceiling, with exposed trusses creating a real feature in the living space of this high performance home.

And the best part? The entire roof truss and SIPs panel installation was completed in just one day!

A great example of how careful planning and pre assembled SIPs panels can make for an efficient installation on site.

22/10/2026

The air feels healthy indoors.

Shirley and Marius came to their Chatterton home after two very damp houses that had taken a toll on their health. The difference, in their words:

"The house is calm, quiet, warm and especially dry. Coming from a very damp last two homes that did have a negative impact on our health, we notice this a lot. I don't miss the musty, damp smell at all. That's one of the biggest pluses for me, the air feels healthy indoors. This house is very efficient in heat retention. We hardly use heating at all, and if we do, it's only for a few minutes to take the edge off in winter."

A calm, dry, healthy home. That is what it is all about.

21/10/2026

Second storey SIPs panels installed in just one day!

Great progress at our Fendalton Passive House project, with the second storey SIPs wall panels now in place.

Due to site accessibility challenges, some of the windows were installed into the panels by the team at pre-assembly stage, before being transported to site and lifted into position.

This required careful planning, transportation and installation to ensure the glass and frames were protected throughout the process.

With everything carefully coordinated, the entire second storey wall panel installation was completed in just one day!

20/10/2026

Energy efficient, passive house, high performance. What do the words actually mean?

They get used loosely, so here is a plain English take.

Energy efficient is the broad idea. A home that needs less energy to stay comfortable. Useful, but it is quite generic and does not promise much on its own.

The Passive House standard is a specific, measured standard, with strict targets for airtightness, insulation and energy use, verified by modelling and testing. It is the benchmark.

High performance, the way we use it, means building to those Passive House principles, warm, dry, healthy and affordable to run, at the level that suits each home and budget. Some of our homes are certified Passive Houses; others apply the same five principles without full certification. Both perform genuinely well.

The label matters less than the result....a home that looks after the people in it.

If a builder uses one of these words, it is fair to ask them exactly what they mean by it.

20/10/2026

Is New Zealand sunny enough for solar? ☀️

This was the subject of an interesting Stuff article over the weekend and is well worth a read.

When it comes to building an energy efficient home, our focus is always on designing a home that needs very little energy for heating and cooling. Solar can then be a great addition, helping to generate electricity for the other everyday household needs, from hot water and appliances to lighting and even that outdoor spa!

Have a read here 👇

Assumptions about the lack of sunshine hours in New Zealand aren’t entirely accurate.

18/10/2026

A well built home can take whatever style you love.

Contemporary or classic, simple or ornate, good building is not tied to one look.

This two storey, colonial style home sits at the end of an established oak driveway in Clarkville. The owners came to us with their architect's full plans and chose us to build it, for our experience with architectural homes and the way we run a project.

It is a home full of craft. Plaster render and a Viking tiled shingle roof outside; inside, extensive timber flooring, coffered ceilings, a colonial stairwell, a country kitchen with pantry, and a temperature controlled w**e store. Upstairs, rounded feature windows frame the rural views.

As the owners, Geoff and Jenny, put it: "The most fundamental thing would be the quality of your builders. They're just fundamentally good people that give a damn about the job, and it really comes through."

High performance is our speciality, and so is building beautifully, to your plans, with people you can trust on site.

15/10/2026

Progress on site in Christchurch.

A quick look at one of our builds underway. This large two storey architecturally designed family home sits high out of the ground due to extensive & elevated foundation works. The first floor structural insulated panels have been installed and currently the mid floor is being completed before the second storey SIPs are craned into place.

13/10/2026

Thinking of building? A few questions worth asking any design build team.

If you are interviewing, the answers to a handful of questions tell you a lot about how your home will actually perform:

- What, in your view, makes a home healthy to live in?
- Will the whole house sit at an even temperature, or only the rooms we heat?
- How little heating should a home like this need to stay comfortable?
- How will the home get its fresh air, and how do you avoid losing heat with it?
- How is insulation handled at the tricky junctions, not only the walls?

A good builder will welcome these and answer them plainly. If the answers are vague, that tells you something too.

No sales pitch, simply the things worth knowing before you commit to the biggest build of your life.