Warmth, health & efficiency

From The Home Guide - your renovation and building resource

Rate the environmental performance of your home.

How well do you know your home? To check how your existing home stacks up in the warmth, health, and efficiency stakes Homestar™ provides independent advice and guidance on energy and performance improvements to the home, as well as professional design and construction services for residential new builds.

Developed by the New Zealand Green Building Council and backed by Government, the rating system aims to improve the standard of Kiwi homes by providing a comparison against a benchmark, so home owners can ensure their homes become warmer, healthier and energy efficient thus reducing their environmental impact.

Homestar™ has been developed to take into consideration the environmental building standards required regionally, by New Zealand’s unique climatic conditions. It allows for both self-assessments by the homeowner, using an online home evaluation report and specialist independent assessment by industry professionals that results in the issue of a formal Homestar™ certified rating. Homestar™ rating will become more important in adding resale value to your home as it becomes recognised as a proven sustainability audit for your home.

Step 1: Become a myHomestar member – Members can take an online test to rate their home’s health and performance. It takes just 20 minutes to complete the test and requires only a few simple measurements around the home. Sign up to myHomestar at homestar.org.nz.

myHomestar subscribers are also eligible for special discounts from Homestar™ product partners such as Resene, Pink Batts, Cavalier Bremworth, GIB, Parex, Bosch, Showerdome, Earthwool and Placemakers, meaning big savings over the course of a build or renovation.

Step 2: Plan for improvement – Once you have become a myHomestar member, and have completed the HomestarTM test, a list of actions and Partner discounts can be printed. There are lots of tips which can provide immediate and real benefits to the home in terms of health and quality of living, as well as potential reduction in running costs.

Step 3: Take Action – When you have completed your renovation you may wish to get an independently audited certification of your energy and performance improvements to your home with a Homestar™ certified assessment. You’ll be given a Homestar™ certificate which you can be used to help promote or sell your home.

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