What a package actually is
A house and land package is one advertised price covering a specific section and a specific home designed to sit on it. That is the whole idea: instead of buying land, then finding a builder, then discovering the plan you liked does not fit the site, somebody has already done that matching work and priced the result.
Underneath the single price there are usually still two agreements: one to buy the land and one to build the house. Sometimes they settle together, sometimes the land settles first. It matters, because it decides when you need money and what your bank is lending against. Ask early which structure a package uses, and get your broker to look at it before you sign anything.
Turnkey or progress payments
There are two ways to pay for a build, and they suit different people.
A turnkey proposal may place the main settlement at completion, following an initial deposit. Check the exact payment and completion conditions in the agreement. Your existing accommodation, land commitments and other costs still need to be planned with your lender or adviser.
A progress-payment agreement links payments to specified stages of the work. Ask your lender how the proposed payments would be funded and what information is required at each stage. The agreement determines the payment schedule; the label alone does not.
- Turnkey: confirm the deposit, settlement conditions and costs you carry before completion
- Progress payments: confirm the payment milestones and lender requirements
- Either way, ask what the deposit is and whether it is held in a trust account
- Either way, ask what happens to the price if the build runs past its date
The five questions that separate good packages from bad ones
Most package listings look similar. These five questions are what actually tell them apart, and none of them are rude to ask.
- Is the title issued? An unissued title means your start date belongs to the developer, not to you.
- What is in the price? Driveway, fencing, landscaping, letterbox, clothesline, appliances, curtains, heat pump. The gap between packages is usually here, not in the house.
- What is a provisional sum and what is fixed? Earthworks is the honest one to carry provisionally. A long list of provisional sums is a soft price wearing a hard number.
- What are the covenants? Height, cladding, roof form and completion deadlines are all enforceable, and they can rule out the plan you actually wanted.
- Who carries the risk if the ground is worse than expected? Somebody does. Find out who before you sign.
Why we say set price and not fixed price
Our packages use the term set price. Read the proposed price alongside the written scope, allowances, exclusions and contract terms. Ask what remains to be confirmed for the particular section and design you are considering.
Use the proposal to discuss how requested variations and other changes covered by the agreement would be handled. Record the answers before you proceed, and have the actual terms reviewed by your adviser.
Where the packages are
Browse the advertised catalogue, then confirm availability with the team. A listing can change, and multiple design options may refer to one section. Save the exact address and plan you want to discuss.
If you want to browse by area rather than by home, the region guides for Rodney, the Hibiscus Coast and Bream Bay each list every package across their suburbs, along with what building in that part of the map actually involves.
Compare the listing with the proposal
Save the package you like, then mark the design, exterior, finishes and outdoor work you expect. Ask the team which are included, illustrative or options. Different designs can appear against the same section.
- Is the address and plan version the same?
- What does the image illustrate rather than include?
- What remains to be confirmed before proceeding?
Sources and further reading
Quick answers
Do I need a bigger deposit for a house and land package?
The deposit and equity requirements depend on your lending position and the proposed agreement. Ask your lender or adviser to assess the particular package and payment schedule before making commitments.
Can I change the house in a package?
Ask which changes are available for the specific package and what design, pricing or approval work they would require. The section and development requirements may limit the options.
What happens if the section is not titled yet?
You wait, and your start date depends on the developer meeting their programme rather than on us. That is not a reason to avoid untitled land, but it is a reason to know which you are buying. Where a package sits on a titled section, we say so.