Chatterton Homes Ltd

Chatterton Homes Ltd Energy Efficient & Passive House Specialists! Christchurch & Canterbury. Warm Healthy Sustainable

A high performance home earns its keep in summer too.People often think of high performance homes as a winter thing, all...
25/08/2026

A high performance home earns its keep in summer too.

People often think of high performance homes as a winter thing, all about keeping the warmth in. But the same features that keep winter out hold summer's heat at bay just as well.

High insulation and an airtight envelope slow the heat coming in. Careful shading and well placed high performance windows keep the sun's load down. And the mechanical ventilation keeps fresh air moving, so the home stays cool and comfortable without the air conditioning running flat out.

The result is a home that holds a steady, pleasant temperature right through a Canterbury summer, the same way it does in winter. Comfortable in a heatwave, comfortable in a frost, and gentle on the power bill in both.

A home that works with the climate, all year round.

A well built home should look after you for a long time.Building a home is a big investment, so it is fair to want it to...
23/08/2026

A well built home should look after you for a long time.

Building a home is a big investment, so it is fair to want it to last.

A home built to Passive House principles is put together with that in mind. An airtight, well insulated, moisture managed envelope does more than keep you warm, it helps protect the building itself, reducing the wear that damp and large temperature swings can cause over the years. A home that stays dry and stable simply holds up better over time.

None of this means an ordinary home is doomed. Most homes can be heated and kept comfortable with enough effort. The difference is how much effort it takes, and how well the building looks after itself along the way.

A warm, steady home matters more the older we get.When you are young, you put up with a cold house. You throw on a jumpe...
18/08/2026

A warm, steady home matters more the older we get.

When you are young, you put up with a cold house. You throw on a jumper, close off the spare room, and get on with it.

It gets harder to shrug off with time. Cold, damp homes are tougher on older bodies, on circulation, on joints, on the chest through winter. A warm, dry, evenly heated home is not a luxury at that stage of life. It is part of staying well.

That is a big reason so many of our clients are building for their later years a home that holds a steady, comfortable temperature in every room, with fresh filtered air, and asks almost nothing of them to keep it that way.

A home that looks after you, so you can get on with enjoying it.

More insulation sounds like the obvious fix. On its own, it does surprisingly little.It is a common assumption that the ...
16/08/2026

More insulation sounds like the obvious fix. On its own, it does surprisingly little.

It is a common assumption that the way to a warmer home is simply more insulation. Insulation matters, but by itself it does less than people expect.

Think of a good winter jacket. All the padding in the world will not keep you warm if the zip is open and the wind cuts straight through. A home is the same.... insulation only works when the building is also airtight, with the gaps sealed so your heat is not leaking out and draughts are not getting in.

But seal a home up tightly without planning for fresh air, and you create a different problem of trapped moisture, condensation, and stale air. So airtightness has to be paired with proper ventilation, a mechanical heat recovery system that brings in a constant supply of fresh, filtered air while holding on to the warmth.

That is the part people often miss. A high performance home is a system, not a single upgrade. High insulation, airtightness, and heat recovery ventilation are designed to work together, along with higher performing windows and careful consideration of thermal bridging. Get the balance right and the home stays warm, dry, and healthy on remarkably little energy. Add insulation on its own and you will be disappointed.

Tiled floors that are never cold underfoot.Tiles get a bad name in winter. In most homes they are the coldest surface in...
13/08/2026

Tiled floors that are never cold underfoot.

Tiles get a bad name in winter. In most homes they are the coldest surface in the room, the reason you keep slippers by the bed and rugs over the floor.

In a home built to Passive House principles, that changes. Because the whole home sits at an even, comfortable temperature, the floor is never the cold spot. Tiles stay pleasant underfoot, in the bathroom, the kitchen, right through the house, and without underfloor heating running to make it so.

It is a small thing you stop thinking about, which is rather the point. The home is comfortable everywhere, all the time, without you having to manage it.

A high performance home built to take on the wettest coast in the country.On the rugged west coast of the South Island, ...
09/08/2026

A high performance home built to take on the wettest coast in the country.

On the rugged west coast of the South Island, between Greymouth and Punakaiki, the weather does its best to get into a house. It is not the cold that tests a home here so much as the relentless wet and humidity, which can wreak havoc on a build that is not ready for it.

This completed home, overlooking the Tasman Sea, was built to Passive House principles to stand up to exactly that. An airtight, wellinsulated envelope keeps moisture where it belongs, on the outside, while mechanical heat recovery ventilation keeps the air inside fresh, dry, and comfortable year round.

See more of this home in our gallery: https://www.chattertonhomes.co.nz/portfolio/barrytown/

Not all high performance homes deliver the same outcome.Home performance isn't simply a choice between building to code ...
06/08/2026

Not all high performance homes deliver the same outcome.

Home performance isn't simply a choice between building to code or building a Passive House. It sits on a spectrum, with different levels of comfort, health and energy efficiency depending on your goals, budget and design priorities.

In our latest blog, we've introduced our new Health & Comfort Spectrum Comparison, helping to explain how the living experience changes as home performance improves.

If you're planning to build, it's a helpful way to understand what's possible and where your project might sit on the spectrum.

Read it here: https://www.chattertonhomes.co.nz/what-does-better-home-performance-actually-feel-like/

A whole floor of walls, up in a day.One of the things people notice at our build sites is how quickly the structure can ...
04/08/2026

A whole floor of walls, up in a day.

One of the things people notice at our build sites is how quickly the structure can go up. That is often thanks to SIPs, one of the advanced building systems we use.

SIPs arrive on site pre-assembled, a rigid core of insulation bonded between two structural boards, and go into place fast, often a whole floor of walls in a day. They give a continuous layer of high insulation which can be easily taped to mitigate heat escaping or air leaking, a real head start on warmth, airtightness, and comfort. Graphite SIPs go a step further, with a higher insulation value than standard panels for the same thickness.

SIPs are one way we build to a high standard. We can also build timber framed homes to the same Passive House principles, applying the same airtightness and insulation strategies.

Whichever way we build, the goal is the same..... a warm, dry, healthy home that performs, on a fraction of the energy an ordinary house would need.

When you build with us, you talk to the people who run the company.There is a lot to be said for building with a small, ...
02/08/2026

When you build with us, you talk to the people who run the company.

There is a lot to be said for building with a small, hands on team.

You are not passed around a call centre or handed off between departments. You talk to the people who actually run the company, the same people who are across your project from the first conversation to handover and beyond.

It means your questions get answered by someone who knows your build. It means decisions are made quickly, and honestly. And it means when we say we will look after you, there is a real person standing behind that.

A larger builder might match the specification. What is harder to match is picking up the phone and reaching someone who knows your name and your home.

If that is the kind of build relationship you are after, we would love to talk.

Have you noticed how quiet a well built home can be?Comfort is not only about temperature. It is also about sound. Betwe...
30/07/2026

Have you noticed how quiet a well built home can be?

Comfort is not only about temperature. It is also about sound. Between high performance windows and an airtight, well insulated envelope, a home built to Passive House principles is remarkably quiet. The road, the wind, the neighbour's dog, all of it softens to a hush once the doors are closed.

It is the kind of quiet you notice most at night, or early on a still winter morning.... a calm, settled feeling that makes a house feel like a retreat.

The same building science that keeps the home warm and dry does this too. Quiet is one more thing you get when the envelope is built properly.

Address

4B Newnham Street
Rangiora
7400

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+6433130103

Website

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