Craft Homes Explain the Components & Categories that Make Up a Homestar Rating
Homestar is a comprehensive, independent national rating tool, run by the not-for-profit Green Building Council, that measures the health, warmth and efficiency of New Zealand houses. A home is rated on a scale from 6 to 10.
As Craft Homes explain, there are two stages to a Homestar rating, starting with Design. This rating assesses the full and final plans. Secondly, Built. This rating occurs after a home has been constructed. It certifies that the features in the Design rating have been fully implemented.
A home is rated on a 6-10 scale. A 6 Homestar rating or higher provides assurance that a house will be better quality - warmer, drier, healthier and cost less to run - than a typical new house built to building code. A 10 Homestar rating means you've built a world leading house. Most existing New Zealand homes would only achieve a 2-3 Homestar rating on the scale.
At 6 Homestar you’ll start to notice a real difference in terms of better warmth, dryness, health and water efficiency. That’s because it’s certified as having better levels of insulation than the Building Code requires, so your home is cheaper to heat. It also has moisture-control measures and water-efficiency measures such as dual flush toilets and low-flow showers, to save you money on water and/or hot-water bills.
Homestar awards points across six categories. Homestar 6 is the minimum warm, dry, healthy standard of home that Kiwi families deserve. A cheap home built just to the substandard Building Code will almost certainly perform poorly, and rack up higher household bills. Building to the minimum Homestar 6 standard will give you a better home and, because it rewards good, simple design choices, like placing windows to maximise sunlight, the costs are minimal, and the benefits for you and your family are extensive.
Craft Homes believe that higher quality, more energy efficient Homestar homes are the way of the future. They will be of great benefit to the environment and will improve families' quality of life by being healthier, warmer and smarter. Being Homestar practitioners and assessors allows Craft Homes to undertake the full Homestar rating process, and go above and beyond the current New Zealand Building Code to deliver a Homestar home that functions better all year round
If you have any questions about Homestar or sustainable building, and for more information on more information on green homes NZ, sustainable home renovation and new house builders please visit the website at https://www.crafthomes.co.nz .