01

Types of Property Ownership

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In this lesson we learn about property titles. A Record of Title is the legal document that shows who owns a piece of land and any buildings on it. The title is important because it tells you exactly what you are buying, what you are allowed to do, and what rules you must follow. You will learn about the four main types of titles in New Zealand which are freehold, cross lease, leasehold, and unit title. You will also get simple explanations of legal words like easements, covenants, encumbrances, and caveats. By the end of this lesson, you will understand the good and bad points of each title type, and you will choose the type that suits you best.​​​

02

Build your Team

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Before beginning a property search, you will need to build a trusted team of professionals, who can guide you through the legal, financial, and practical complexities. In this lesson you will learn how to find a property lawyer, a mortgage advisor, an insurance broker, real estate agents, and a good property inspector. You will discover how they operate, and what questions to ask, to ensure you have the best people to support you every step of the way. By assembling your team early, you gain clarity, reduce risk, and can move ahead with confidence.​​

03

Select your Preferences

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In this lesson, we will focus on the factors that will help you identify properties that meet your needs. Finding the right home is not just about the building itself. It’s about how well it fits your lifestyle, now and into the future.

When two or more people are buying together, it is important to talk openly about what matters most to each of you. Reaching agreement early makes the search faster and more focussed. It also makes the decision‑making easier, because you are clear about the priorities and non‑negotiables. You will be introduced to LARA, an app which will help you identify your preferences. After each viewing, you will rate each property against your preferences. LARA helps you to compare one property to another, and makes your decision-making process more objective and less overwhelming. You will have clarity about exactly what you want and this will make the search for your perfect home faster and easier.

04

How Property is Sold

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In this lesson, you will gain an understanding of the different ways that property is sold, along with strategies for how to approach each sale type. This will help you increase your chances of securing property at a price that works for you.

We explore set price sales, deadline sales, price by negotiation, auction, tender, private sales, mortgagee auctions, and off-market sales. Each one has it’s own rules, timeline, and negotiation approach. When land or an almost finished property is sold by a Real Estate Agent, they will use one of these methods.

The method of sale will impact your strategy as a buyer and your chances of success. By the end of the lesson, you will understand each sales method and have a strategy for approaching the type that aligns with your goals and preferences. Knowing which sales method, you prefer and understanding the strategies for each will streamline your buying process, reduce stress, and give you confidence when making offers.

05

Start your Property Search

This lesson focusses on finding your ideal property and setting up your property search. You will be shown the steps involved and how to use property web sites to set filters, save searches, and track listings.

We look at broader search strategies like Google Alerts, Facebook groups and other Social Media Platforms. Finally, you will learn about off‑market opportunities, quiet listings through agents and private leads through community networks. This shows you how to access properties that may never show on public websites. By understanding both the mainstream and alternative ways of finding properties, you will have a broader set of strategies that increases your chances of finding the right property.

06

Site Inspections​

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In this lesson, we explore site inspections. When visiting a site, it’s essential to look beyond the surface and assess the fundamentals to identify whether the land is practical, safe, and suitable for development. This lesson guides you through key checks such as walking the boundaries, and observing whether the land is level or altered in ways that could affect building costs. It also covers evaluating access, water supply, sewerage and power connections. We highlight how orientation and hillsides influence sunlight, warmth, and create potential shadowing. By combining practical checks with awareness of natural features, you are equipped to spot hidden risks, anticipate costs, and make informed decisions about whether a site truly meets your needs.

07

Off-the-Plan

In this lesson we explore one of the riskiest purchases a first-time buyer can make - buying off the plan. Off the plan builds can appear attractive, especially with developer incentives like free appliances, cashback or deposit contributions. But they come with considerable risks and little room for negotiation.

Many first‑home buyers are pushed into signing off‑the‑plan contracts under pressure, often before a property lawyer has even looked at the contract. They have no real sense of what they’ve committed to or how exposed they are until it’s too late.

In this lesson, I explain in plain English the risks and the clauses commonly found in pre-sale contracts. You will learn about the gap that can exist between marketing and what is actually delivered and the risks around quality, substitutions, and changes the developer is allowed to make. We also explore the financial risks, completion risks and the possibility of developer failure.

08

Turnkey Builds

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This lesson covers the key themes you need to understand about Turnkey property contracts. It explains what a Turnkey build is, how the payment structure works, and what parts of the process the developer controls. It also outlines the major categories of risk buyers face, including financial risks, contract risks, build‑quality risks, valuation and lending risks.

You will learn about the types of clauses commonly added to turnkey agreements, what they generally allow the developer to do, and how they can affect your rights. Finally, it highlights the importance of understanding what is included and excluded in the contract, what documents you should expect at completion, and why legal review is essential before signing.

You will learn what to look for, what to question, and how to protect yourself. By the end of this lesson, you will have the practical knowledge needed to identify risks early and decide whether a Turnkey build aligns with your goals and risk tolerance.

09

Land & Build

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This lesson gives you a broad understanding of how land and build contracts work and the main things you need to be aware of before choosing this path. It explains the basic structure of buying land and then entering a separate build contract, the need for proper site investigations, and how financing and staged payments typically operate. It also outlines the key risks buyers face, including delays, cost increases, site complications, consent issues, and the responsibilities you carry once you own the land. The lesson highlights the differences between fixed‑price and cost‑plus contracts, and why contract wording around site risk, variations, timelines, insurance, warranties, and dispute processes matter. Overall, it focuses on helping you understand how these projects are structured, and where the major risks sit, and why careful contract review is important.

10

House & Land Package

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This lesson explains the general idea behind house and land packages and what you need to understand before choosing one. It outlines how these packages are structured either as two separate contracts for land and build, or as a single turnkey‑style contract where the developer delivers a completed home. Each structure comes with different levels of control, risk, and financing requirements.

You will learn how the advertised price often excludes important costs and that location can influence long‑term value. You will discover how these packages work, what risks they carry, and why you need to check which contract type you are actually being offered.

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11

Design & Build

This lesson explains the general idea of a design and build contract and the key things you need to be aware of when choosing this type of arrangement. It outlines how these contracts combine design and construction under one agreement, how progress payments work, and why this approach gives you more flexibility but also more responsibility. It also highlights the main risks buyers need to watch out for, such as cost increases, variations, delays, communication issues, and the need to understand clauses that affect price, timelines, and defect repairs. The lesson emphasises the importance of checking references, reviewing the contract carefully, and getting legal advice so you can manage the higher level of risk that comes with a custom build. ​

12

Spec Homes

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This lesson gives you a clear overview of what spec homes are, and the main ideas you need to understand before considering one. These homes are sold at a fixed price using a standard sale and purchase agreement. They usually offer faster move‑in times with fewer risks because the builder carries the construction burden. You will learn about the broader themes to watch for. We also cover the importance of checking defect and warranty clauses. Overall, the lesson focuses on helping you recognise how spec homes work, what advantages they offer, and what general risks you should be aware of when reviewing the agreement.

13

Tiny Homes

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This lesson gives you a broad understanding of tiny homes and the main themes you need to think about before choosing one. It explains why tiny homes appeal to many buyers, how the contracts for them usually work, and the importance of understanding payment schedules. You will learn about warranties, ownership, and who is responsible for consents and insurance. This lesson also highlights the council‑related challenges around how tiny homes are classified, where they can be placed, and what rules they must meet. You will discover the financial risks, including difficulties getting finance, company failures, and limited guarantees, as well as the legal risks if a tiny home is placed on land you do not own. Overall, it focuses on helping you understand the benefits, the lifestyle trade‑offs, and the key risks so you can make an informed decision before committing.

14

Pre-Fabricated Homes

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This lesson gives you a clear overview of what prefabricated and modular homes are, and the main ideas you need to understand before choosing one. It explains how these homes are built partly or fully in a factory, how the installation process works, and what council approvals are required. It highlights the key risks, including transport damage, site access challenges, compliance delays, design limitations, and potential resale concerns. The lesson also outlines the importance of understanding what happens if the manufacturer cannot complete the build, how insurance and warranties work at each stage, and what to look for in the contract around pricing, delivery, inclusions, and responsibilities. Overall, it focuses on helping you understand how prefabricated homes are built, what makes them different from traditional builds, and what to check carefully before committing.​

15

Relocatable Homes

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This lesson gives you a clear understanding of what is involved in buying and relocating an existing house. It explains that relocatable homes can look affordable at first, but the process is complex, heavily regulated, and full of risks at every stage. The lesson outlines the major steps involved in council approvals, inspections, transport, foundations, reinstatement, and final sign‑off, and highlights why structural reports, insurance arrangements, and clear contracts matter. It also emphasises the risks buyers face, including transport delays, hidden defects, weather exposure, foundation problems, and council requirements. A major theme is the need for thorough due diligence, because poor operators, vague contracts, missing documentation, and weak communication can lead to serious financial and legal consequences. Overall, the lesson helps you understand that relocating a home is a full building project with significant coordination, cost, and risk, and should only be attempted with strong legal advice and careful investigation of everyone involved.​

16

Property Value

This lesson focuses on understanding how property value can change over time and how to assess whether land or a home is fairly priced. It explains the importance of researching market value rather than relying on headline figures, and introduces several websites that help you compare properties for sale, recent sales, track price trends, and understand how different suburbs are performing. It also looks at future potential, encouraging you to think about long‑term resale appeal, whether an area is rising or declining, and how to identify suburbs that may be overvalued or undervalued. 

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17

Negotiate with Confidence

This lesson gives you the skills to negotiate effectively when buying land or dealing with builders and developers. You will understand seller motivations and position your offer strategically. You will also learn about vendor finance and how to research the seller and use that information to strengthen your negotiating position. You will understand how multi offer situations arise and how to avoid them. By the end of this module, you will have a clear negotiation framework and the confidence to secure favourable outcomes while protecting your interests.​

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18

Negotiate the Build 

This lesson helps you to negotiate the build. The foundation to negotiating is always research, because knowing comparable prices, build costs, and the reputation of the developer or builder gives you leverage. Negotiation is not just about price. It’s also about terms such as the settlement date, deposit size, inclusions like appliances or landscaping, and warranties. We show you how to push for clarity in specifications so that materials, finishes, and fixtures are clearly defined. We explain how to protect yourself against cost escalation by asking for fixed price contracts or caps on variations. We show you how to protect your deposit and use competition between builders or developers to secure upgrades or better terms. The overall aim is to shift risk away from you, and have clarity in the contract. By the end of the lesson, you will come away with a clear framework for approaching negotiations, and the confidence to secure the best possible outcome, while protecting your interests.

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19

Sale & Purchase Agreements

When you sign a Sale and Purchase Agreement it is a legally binding contract which you cannot get out of simply because you have changed your mind. In this lesson you are introduced to the Sale and Purchase Agreement, and the common conditions buyers include to protect themselves.

We explore the difference between conditional and unconditional agreements. You will learn about the different types of agreements including those used for Auctions and for Tenders. You will learn about the front page of the agreement, which records the key details. We also look at how seller warranties provide assurances about the property’s condition, and title. Finally, we cover the signing requirements that make the agreement legally binding. You will learn how to ensure negotiated terms are written clearly, and why legal advice before signing is critical. By the end you will understand how to protect yourself, and secure the best possible outcome.

20

Land - Due Diligence

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In this lesson you will be introduced to the essentials of due diligence when purchasing land. You will learn how to read and interpret a Record of Title, a LIM report, and a property file, and you will learn the red flags to look out for. You will learn how to identify concealed risks, when a geotechnical assessment is needed, and how to assess flood hazards and other natural risks that could affect the long‑term value and safety of a property. You will also explore how council zoning and future infrastructure or development plans can impact your decision, and how to research local schools, crime and noise in the area.

By the end of this lesson, you will know how to approach due diligence in a structured way, so that you can make confident, well‑informed decisions before committing to a purchase.

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21

Builder - Due Diligence

In this lesson you will learn how to carry out thorough due diligence on the people and companies who will build your home. Doing this work is the only way to be sure you have the full picture before committing, and it helps you make informed decisions you will not regret later. Every build and every agreement is different, so while the downloadable roadmaps provide a useful starting point, they are only a guide. In some cases they may cover more than you need, and in others you may need to go further depending on your situation. You will explore how to assess whether your build partners have the skills, experience, and integrity to deliver on their promises. This includes asking about the build process itself, reviewing the build contract carefully, and paying close attention to inclusions and exclusions so you know exactly what you will get.

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22

Budgets

This lesson will take you step by step through the critical process of building a realistic and well-structured budget for a land and build project. You will learn how to account for hidden expenses such as consent fees, site preparation, professional services, and the many small but significant items that can quickly add up. The lesson explains why a contingency allowance is essential, giving you a financial buffer to handle unexpected changes, delays, or cost increases without derailing your project.

Beyond the build itself, you will explore the need for a separate budget for ongoing costs. These include rates, insurance, maintenance, and utilities. Understanding and planning for these responsibilities ensures you can manage your home over the long term. Finally, the lesson encourages you to think strategically about sustainability and energy efficiency. You will weigh the upfront investment in features such as insulation, solar panels, or efficient heating systems against the long term benefits of reduced running costs, improved comfort, and a smaller environmental footprint. By balancing affordability with future savings and impact, you will be equipped to make choices that support both your immediate needs and your long term goals.

23

Councils and Compliance

This lesson explains everything you need to know about the key approvals and processes. It covers Resource Consent, Building Consent, and Project Information Memorandums, outlining when each is required, how long they usually take to get, and the typical costs involved. The lesson also explains council inspections, showing what inspectors look for, why these checks are necessary, and when they occur during the build process. Understanding this, helps avoid delays, unexpected costs, and compliance issues. Finally, the lesson introduces Code Compliance Certificates, which are issued once a building project has passed all inspections and meets the required standards. A Code Compliance Certificate is essential for proving that a property is legally fit for use and is often required by lenders and insurers. Without it, a property may be difficult to sell or finance. Councils and compliance may feel complex, but knowing what is required, how long it takes and what it costs helps you plan effectively, and avoid risks.

24

Disputes

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This lesson covers what to do when things go wrong. We take a practical look at how disagreements are managed across different types of property agreements.

You will learn the key resolution pathways available including mediation, adjudication, arbitration, and the Disputes Tribunal. By the end, you will have a clear roadmap for navigating disputes, knowing which processes apply, and what protections you can call on.

25

End of Build

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This lesson explains what happens when construction is finished and the home is ready to be handed over. A final inspection allows you to walk through the property with the builder, check that everything has been completed as agreed, and identify any defects or unfinished work. We also look at the value of the home at the end of the build, which can go up or down depending on market conditions, the quality of the build, and the desirability of the location.​

26

Warranties

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This lesson explains the legal protections that automatically apply to most residential building work. It covers the built‑in warranties in the Building Act, when they apply, when they don’t, and why buyers need to check their contract, especially with turnkey or off‑the‑plan deals. It also highlights the limits of these protections when a developer or builder goes into liquidation, and why uninsured guarantees can leave buyers exposed.

27

Franchises

This lesson explains how building franchises operate and who you are entering into a legal agreement with.​