A Mid-Year Update from HouseMe. Wow, what a busy first half! The first six months of the year have been full-on for HouseMe, with new show home locations, strong customer demand, product updates, finance options, team growth, and plenty happening behind the scenes.
The first half of 2026 has been one of the busiest and most exciting periods we’ve experienced at HouseMe. While we’ve continued to deliver homes across New Zealand, we’ve also been working hard behind the scenes to improve the customer experience, invest in new products, expand our show home network, strengthen our financing options, and help shape the future of factory-built housing.
There has been a lot happening, but our goal remains the same: to make well-built, affordable housing more accessible for Kiwis.
None of this would be possible without the support of our customers, staff, suppliers and the wider HouseMe community. Thank you for being part of the journey.
Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to.
📝 Here's what we cover below...
✔️ Let’s get into it...
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⚡Team Member Spotlight – Roweena Ioane
Every successful HouseMe delivery has many moving parts, and Roweena is right at the centre of ensuring they come together.
From deposit to delivery, Roweena helps coordinate the journey from the moment a customer secures their home through to the point it arrives on site. She works closely with our customers, transport partners, production team, and sales team to keep everything moving in the right order.
With a strong background in building supplies, logistics and haulage, Roweena understands the practical details that make a big difference. Site access, timing, delivery planning, transport coordination and customer communication all need to align properly.
We often call her the flight controller of HouseMe, and it is a fair title. She helps land homes across the country and keeps the process as smooth and stress-free as possible.
If you’ve got a question, there’s a good chance Roweena already has the answer.
Our Team - Click Here to See More
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⚡Minister Visit to HouseMe
We were pleased to host Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk at HouseMe for a factory tour and discussion around proposed changes to building consent legislation.
This was a valuable opportunity to show how our homes are built, how quality is managed in a factory environment, and how transportable and modular homes can help support New Zealand’s wider housing needs.
Factory-built housing is very different from traditional on-site construction. Much of the work is completed in a controlled environment, which helps with consistency, speed, weather protection, quality control, and scheduling.
Having the opportunity to talk directly with decision-makers is crucial. It means we can share what is happening on the ground, where the current system works well, and where improvements could make the process better for customers, councils and the wider industry.
For HouseMe, it was another step toward ensuring factory-built housing has a clear and practical voice in New Zealand’s building future.
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⚡Invited to Meet MBIE in Wellington
Tim Fahey and Bryce Glover were invited to Wellington to meet with MBIE and the people directly involved in shaping the new Granny Flat building consent exemption rules.
This meeting gave HouseMe a seat at the table to provide direct feedback from the off-site manufacturing sector. We were able to talk about how pre-built homes are designed, manufactured, transported, installed, and consented, and why the rules need to reflect how modern factory-built homes are delivered.
Two major improvements followed that were important for the wider industry:
• SIPS panels being allowed under the building consent exemption
• Pre-built homes being included under the exemption framework
These are significant steps forward because they recognise that modern building methods are changing. New Zealand needs housing solutions that are faster, more efficient, more scalable, and off-site construction plays an important role.
While HouseMe has chosen to continue using the Building Consent pathway for our own customers, it is still important that the wider industry is properly represented in these discussions.
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⚡Why We Have Opted Out of the 'Granny Flat' Building Consent Exemption Pathway (PIM Process)
There has been plenty of discussion around the new Granny Flat rules. While HouseMe supports changes that make building easier, we have chosen to stay with the Building Consent pathway in its current format
Why?
Because we believe it gives customers a clearer process and better protection.
Our homes already go through Building Consent and receive a Code Compliance Certificate for the unit. This gives customers stronger documentation, greater certainty, and a cleaner process for finance, insurance, resale, and long-term peace of mind.
The exemption pathway may suit some situations, particularly simple on-site builds or projects where the owner is comfortable taking on more responsibility.
But for HouseMe, we believe the consented pathway remains the better option for our customers.
A Building Consent and Code Compliance Certificate give a clear record that the home has been assessed and signed off. That matters not just today, but years down the track if the property is refinanced, insured, sold or valued.
Our approach is simple: make it easier for customers where we can, but not at the expense of long-term protection.
It is important to understand that the new Granny Flat pathway applies only to unconsented buildings that have not undergone a formal compliance process and are not subject to the usual checks and balances.
Read more here: CLICK HERE
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⚡Fieldays 2026 - Wow!
Fieldays was huge to say the least.
It is fair to say Fieldays has evolved well beyond a traditional agricultural event. It is now one of New Zealand’s biggest retail, property and lifestyle events, bringing together town, country, farming, investment, family and retirement buyers.
This year was the best turnout HouseMe has experienced at Fieldays in three years. We had strong enquiry levels, steady foot traffic, and a record number of homes sold directly from the event.
That tells us one thing clearly: Kiwis are actively looking for smarter, faster and more practical housing options.
A lot of the conversations we had centred on the same key themes: affordability, finance, speed of delivery, family accommodation, worker housing, rental options, secondary dwellings, and future-proofing land.
People are no longer looking at transportable homes as a fringe option. They are seeing them as a practical way to solve real housing problems, whether that is for family, income, staff, retirement, downsizing or lifestyle.
For HouseMe, Fieldays confirmed that demand is strong and the market is continuing to shift.
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⚡HouseMe Continues to Rank Among New Zealand’s Top Builders
HouseMe continues to be featured among New Zealand’s Top 5 building companies by dwelling consent volume.
That puts us in the same national data pool as some of the country’s biggest building names, including G.J. Gardner, Fletcher Living and Mike Greer Homes.
We are also ranked number one in New Zealand for builds up to $300,000, based on build value excluding land.
For a business focused on transportable, modular and factory-built homes, that is something we are genuinely proud of.
It shows that factory-built housing is no longer a small corner of the construction sector. It is becoming an increasingly significant part of New Zealand’s residential building market.
For customers, this is important. It shows HouseMe has scale, experience, systems and proven delivery behind it. We are not testing a concept. We are delivering homes across the country every week.
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⚡Cromwell Grand Opening: 10-12 July
Our eighth HouseMe Show Home site is here!
The new Cromwell site is our biggest and boldest yet, and it marks another major step in becoming a truly nationwide operator.
Demand from the South Island continues to grow, with order volumes now competing strongly with the North Island. Over the past few years, we have seen increased enquiry from Otago, Southland, Canterbury and the wider lower South Island, particularly from customers looking for family accommodation, farm housing, rentals, lifestyle properties, and holiday accommodation.
Cromwell is a strategic location for HouseMe. It gives South Island customers a better opportunity to walk through our homes, compare layouts, understand finishes, and speak directly with the team before making a decision.
Buying a transportable home is a big decision, and seeing the product in person makes a real difference.
We are very grateful for how HouseMe has been received across the South Island. Cromwell is a big move for us, and an even bigger signal of where we are heading.
View the Cromwell show home here: HouseMe Cromwell Click Here
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⚡No Deposit Finance Has Expanded
Our No Deposit Finance option has now expanded, with higher lending amounts available and record-high approval levels.
For eligible customers, this can be a fast way to get approved and move into the production schedule without needing to save a large upfront deposit.
This has been especially useful for customers who want to use their available cash for other important parts of the project, such as site works, service connections, council costs, driveways, decks, groundwork or preparation around the property.
In the past, the deposit has often been one of the biggest hurdles for people wanting to buy a transportable home. By expanding our finance options, we are helping more customers move forward sooner.
Every application is assessed individually, and approval still depends on affordability and lender criteria, but the expanded No Deposit Finance option has already helped open the door for more Kiwis.
Learn more about No Deposit Finance here: No Deposit Finance - Click Here
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⚡Rent to Buy Is Now Available
We have also introduced Rent-to-Buy through our Consumer Lease-to-Own programme.
This option is designed for customers who may not be ready for a standard finance contract straight away but want a pathway toward ownership.
For some people, the issue is not affordability. It may be credit history, limited savings, a previous financial setback, or simply needing time to build a stronger finance profile.
Rent to Buy can help eligible customers move into a HouseMe while building a consistent payment history. The goal is to help them work toward converting into a standard finance contract in the future.
It is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and it will not suit everyone. But for the right customer, it can provide a practical stepping stone.
The important thing is that HouseMe now has more finance pathways available, which means we can work with more customers and help find an option that fits their situation.
Rent To Buy - Find Out More
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⚡EasyPile Coming Soon
We are also preparing to launch EasyPile.
EasyPile is our own fuss-free, concreteless screw pile foundation system, designed to make the foundation process faster, cleaner and more straightforward.
Foundations are one of the areas that can slow a project down. Traditional concrete foundations can involve excavation, concrete trucks, curing time, weather delays and more disruption to the site.
EasyPile is designed to simplify that process. Screw piles can often be installed quickly, with less mess and less impact on the surrounding land. They also provide a practical option for many transportable and modular home sites.
HouseMe will be the exclusive supplier and installer for the New Zealand market, representing the global powerhouse RADIX.
This is another step toward better vertical integration, which means we can offer customers a simpler and more controlled end-to-end process. The more we can bring key parts of the journey under one roof, the easier it becomes for customers to get from enquiry to delivery.
⚡RBNZ and Treasury Meeting
HouseMe was invited to meet again with representatives from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and Treasury to discuss the building and construction landscape.
The conversation covered current economic conditions, legislation, housing demand, finance, customer behaviour and what we are seeing on the ground across New Zealand.
These discussions are important because businesses like HouseMe see customer behaviour in real time. We hear directly from people trying to build, buy, finance, downsize, house family members, create rentals or add worker accommodation.
That gives us a practical view of what is happening in the housing market beyond the numbers.
We were able to share what customers are asking for, where they are feeling pressure, what is driving decisions, and how factory-built homes are helping solve real housing needs.
It was a constructive discussion and another opportunity to provide a practical temperature check from inside the industry.
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⚡My House, My Castle
HouseMe featured on Episode 4 of the newly relaunched prime-time show, My House, My Castle.
The episode gave viewers a look at what we do, how we build, and why more New Zealanders are considering transportable and factory-built homes.
Media coverage like this is important because it helps normalise modular and transportable housing. For a long time, factory-built homes were often misunderstood or seen as a temporary option.
That has changed.
Today, customers are looking for warm, well-built, consented homes that can be delivered faster and with more certainty than many traditional building options.
Being featured on national television helped put that story in front of a wider audience.
⚡Building Pulse Podcast
Bryce Glover and Tim Fahey also joined the Building Pulse podcast for a one-hour High Performer Builder episode.
The discussion covered HouseMe’s growth, the factory-built housing model, industry challenges, innovation, customer demand and where we believe the market is heading.
It was a good opportunity to go deeper than a short article or soundbite. We talked about the realities of scaling a building business, the benefits of off-site manufacturing, the pressure points in the wider construction sector, and why practical housing solutions are needed now more than ever.
It was also a chance to share some of the thinking behind HouseMe’s growth, not just building more homes, but building better systems around the customer journey.
Available to watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify.
⚡ House and Land Package in Waiuku
Our first HouseMe house and land package is now available for viewing in Waiuku, South Auckland.
This is a brand-new four-bedroom home on freehold land, created using HouseMe’s modular building system.
It is available now, with an auction this week.
This project is an important milestone for us because it shows what is possible when factory-built homes are used to deliver full-sized family housing, not just secondary dwellings or smaller units.
There is a common misconception that transportable homes are only for cabins, minor dwellings or temporary accommodation. This project helps challenge that.
The Waiuku home shows that modular construction can be used to create a proper family home on its own piece of land, with the same focus on quality, consent, compliance and long-term value.
For HouseMe, this is an exciting step into a broader part of the housing market.
View the listing here: Click Here to View
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⚡Toyota Corolla Car Giveaway
Last year, HouseMe ran a promotion giving one lucky customer the chance to win a brand-new Toyota Corolla Hybrid.
This year, we had the pleasure of handing over the keys to one very happy winner.
It was a great moment for the team and a nice way to celebrate the customers who continue to support HouseMe and choose us to be part of their housing journey.
Buying a home is a major decision, and we never take that trust lightly. Whether someone is buying their first tiny home, adding accommodation for family, creating a rental, setting up staff housing or investing in a lifestyle property, we know there is a lot involved.
The Toyota Corolla giveaway added a bit of fun to the process, and it was fantastic to see the prize go to a HouseMe customer.
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⚡Looking Ahead
As I look ahead to the rest of the year, I’m genuinely excited about what’s to come. We are continuing to invest in new products, better finance options, more show homes, and smarter ways to make quality housing more accessible for New Zealanders.
The demand for factory-built homes continues to grow, and HouseMe is well positioned to help lead that growth.
What stands out most is how practical the conversations have become. Customers are not just asking, “Can I live in a tiny home?” They are asking how they can use transportable and modular homes to solve real problems.
They are looking at family accommodation, worker housing, rentals, retirement options, holiday park units, lifestyle properties, first homes, house-and-land opportunities, and ways to make better use of the land they already have.
That is where HouseMe fits. We are not trying to make building more complicated. We are trying to make it more practical, more affordable, and more accessible.
Whether you have been following us for years or have only recently discovered HouseMe, thank you for your interest and support. We do not take it for granted.
If you are considering a transportable, modular, tiny, relocatable, rental, worker accommodation or holiday park unit, now is a good time to talk.
Visit our website, explore the range, or get in touch with the HouseMe team today.
Thank you for being part of the HouseMe journey.
Bryce Glover
General Manager – Sales & Marketing
HouseMe