Accredited Homestar Assessors - Healthier, Warmer & More Energy Efficient NZ Homes

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Headstart + Homestar

Homestar is an independent rating tool for assessing the health, efficiency, and sustainability of homes across Aotearoa. Building a Homestar rated home helps to ensure a healthier, warmer, drier and more comfortable home that uses less power and water than a similar home built to the minimum standard of the New Zealand Building Code.

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Homestar benefits

Homestar benefits you, your family and the environment.

Cheaper to run

Homestar reduces the cost of running a home. Homes rated 6 Homestar can enjoy savings on energy and water bills of $573-$877 per year^[1]

Healthier for families

Kiwi homes are often cold and damp which impacts our well-being, with 1 in 6 Kiwis affected by respiratory issues. Homestar homes are warm, dry and healthy for the whole family^[2].

Controlled temperature

Many Kiwi homes fall short of the WHO’s healthy indoor temperature of 18˚C. Homestar’s insulation and ventilation standards help achieve temperature and moisture control^[1].

Future asset value

A Homestar rating provides assurance to future buyers about your home’s warmth, efficiency and sustainability – attracting a resale premium^[1].

Benefit the environment

Green building utilising eco-friendly materials reduces the impact on the environment, with ongoing environmental sustainability through improved energy and water consumption.

Innovation

Incorporate a range of ‘innovative’ initiatives with significant sustainability recognised by Homestar, such as Green Walls and Real-time monitoring of energy use^[1].

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How is Homestar designed?

Knowledge

Our Homestar Accredited team at Headstart Homes have the knowledge to incorporate the Homestar framework into the design of your home right from the concept phase. We also provide a realistic costing for the project design.

Integration

Considerations of the Homestar Categories and Requirements are already made during the design process, therefore allowing for an easy and seamless integration of your Headstart Home plan into a Homestar certified home.

Specifications

Our new home consultants will work with you to select specifications that are required to achieve the rating, and the associated additional costs. These costs are easily offset by the tangible benefits and savings with the improved efficiency.

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Save thousands of dollars off your mortgage

A Homestar 6 rated home is not only healthier for your family and the environment, it is also healthy for your pocket!

The gift that keeps on giving

With a Homestar 6 home, you could start saving $573-$877 in energy and water costs annually. You could also save thousands on your mortgage with a discount on your home loan of up to 1%!^[2].

Over a 30 year mortgage life, you could save up to $182,000^[3]!

Learn more

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How does Homestar work?

Here at Headstart Homes, our consultants are all accredited Homestar Practitioners. Mike, Mark and Jodi are also in-house Homestar Assessors. Each of them is expertly trained and accredited by the NZGBC to help you achieve the right rating for you!

How does it work?
When you decide you want Homestar, we will walk you through what is required.
Each and every home is different, so there is no one size fits all approach with Homestar. Our team will take a deep dive into your home, its specifications and make recommendations carefully tailored to your home that will be practical, budget friendly and also ensure you get the best rating possible.

Once you're happy with our proposals, we get to work. Our project management team will ensure all Homestar upgrades are incorporated in your home throughout the build process. As your home nears completion, our team will execute their final checks and calculations before submit your home to the NZGBC for their final assessment and sign off. Once it is approved, you will receive your Homestar certification!
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Contact our team today

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Get in touch with us today about Homestar!

Healthier HOME,
Healthier YOU!

We believe healthier homes should be available for everyone. Experience the many benefits of a Homestar home and make huge savings at the same time. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help you.

Enquire now

Homestar 6 includes:

Passive Solar Design
Passive solar design saves on long-term comfort, well-being, and running costs. It involves optimising the building's orientation, having north-facing living spaces, well-designed glazing, and shading for summer heat.

Thermal Insulation
‍A higher Homestar rating means better insulation and a more efficient thermal envelope for cheaper running costs. Installing extra insulation during construction is more cost-effective than retrofitting. Proposed recommendations include improving insulation for the roof, slab footing, whole slab, and walls.

Glazing
‍Homestar Rated homes have thermally broken aluminium frames that can reduce up to 40% of heat loss through windows. Other improvements include low-emissivity coating on glass and insulation glass units. These upgrades can increase insulation by around 65%, resulting in up to 24% reduction in heating costs.

Material Use
‍Building materials have environmental impacts from extraction to disposal. Homestar Ratings assess environmental sustainability, including material use. Careful selection of materials can reduce carbon footprint without compromising budget. Considerations include waste reduction, sustainability, durability, energy efficiency, and use of renewable or recycled materials.

^[1] Based on a standard Headstart Home plan

^[2] Available at some retail banks. Get in touch with us for more information.

^[3] Based on a calculation of 5.59% interest rate with weekly repayments compared to 6.59% repayments for a 30-year term mortgage of $786,000.