That Home Loan Hub

Big ideas thrive in small footprints. We dive into seven practical design moves that make compact homes feel generous, functional, and bright—without bloating your budget or your cleaning list. Guided by Micah’s real‑world build, we explore how to define what you actually need, then shape rooms that serve multiple roles throughout the day. A downstairs space that shifts from salon to yoga studio to guest room shows how flexible planning can replace rarely used dedicated rooms, cutting square metres while adding daily value.

We get hands‑on with the details that matter. Built‑in furniture, especially a wall‑hugging day bed with storage, replaces bulky sofas and spare dining chairs. Millimetre‑level thinking unlocks clear walkways and calmer sightlines. Doors make or break flow, so we swap swing leaves for pocket sliders or full‑height curtains that create privacy when needed and openness when not. For small, low‑stud rooms, widening the opening and borrowing light turns “pokey” into peaceful.

Light and utility do the heavy lifting. A full‑height mirror at a tight entry doubles perceived space, while a ceiling‑height window expands a room without turning it into a glass box. We weigh privacy, heat gain, and climate so the design suits a Wellington street as well as a beach escape. Then we fix the tiny‑bathroom trap by separating functions: keep a proper shower and toilet together and place a generous basin on the landing. Two people can use the setup at once, and the basin becomes a crafted feature, not a compromise.

To finish, we “mine” the plan for hidden wins: shoe drawers set into the floor at the door, a pantry tucked above the stair with deep, waist‑high drawers, a small laundry chute beside a tight spiral stair, and a carved‑out lightwell that sacrifices four square metres to unlock twenty below. These are simple, proven moves that make a home live larger every day. Enjoy the episode, then share your favourite small‑space hack, subscribe for more smart design chats, and leave a review to help others find the show.
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Ever wondered why some backyard builds feel generous and private while others look jammed in and awkward? We dive into the art of infill done right, breaking down how to shape space, sunlight, and privacy so compact sites live large and lift the whole street.

We start by demystifying infill vs greenfield and then flip the usual process on its head: design the space between homes first, then fit the building to it. You’ll hear clear examples of what goes wrong when this is ignored—bathrooms staring into lounges, driveways skimming past living rooms, and new bulk that steals a neighbour’s sun. From there we map the key moves that make density feel calm: orienting for light, placing windows for outlook without overlooking, and turning side yards into useful courtyards instead of leftover strips for bins.

We also get practical about context and value. Covenants in new areas may guide materials, but older suburbs rely on judgment; a cheap relocated house can cost more in lost value if it clashes with scale and character. We share a smarter path: build smaller now, protect positive outdoor space, and plan for a clean future addition so services, structure, and sun still work. Finally, we ground every choice in purpose—whether you plan to sell, rent, or enable intergenerational living—so each dwelling supports real lives over decades, not just a consent. 

If you care about liveable density, neighbourly streets, and property value that grows with time, this conversation is your blueprint. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s eyeing a backyard build, and leave a review telling us the one design rule you’d never break.
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Ever looked at a front yard or an old garage and thought, could that be a home? We take you inside the high-stakes, small-space world of infill subdivision, where smart design meets strict planning rules and real lending constraints. With Micah at the table, we trace a bold Wellington project that turned a 100 m² slice of land into a liveable 62 m², three-storey home while protecting neighbours’ views and the value of the original house.

We start by making infill clear and practical: what it is, why policy shifts matter, and where “no consent needed” for minor dwellings collides with real-world site conditions. From there, we get tactical. Micah explains how early design decisions—roof heights below neighbours’ floors, careful window placement, and a slim footprint—won over council on a site they first doubted could ever be compliant. That planning fluency solved a critical finance riddle: subdivide-first rather than build-first, so banks could lend against land in the right name.

Along the way, we expose the hidden costs and common traps: underestimating subdivision fees, ignoring sunlight planes and setbacks, and maxing out bulk in ways that create long-term regrets. Instead, we show how constraints can drive better architecture and better outcomes—homes that fit, streets that breathe, and communities that grow closer, not cramped. We also explore intergenerational living and rental strategies that keep options open: build now, hold or subdivide later, and adapt as family needs change.

If you are weighing an infill move—unlocking a corner of your section, protecting your main home’s amenity, and navigating New Zealand’s district plans—this conversation gives you a clear path. Subscribe, share with a neighbour who’s eyeing their front yard, and leave a review telling us your biggest infill question so we can tackle it next.
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Your offer just got accepted and the clock is ticking. Before you race to go unconditional, we slow things down and show you how to turn a builder’s report and LIM into your strongest tools for safety, savings, and peace of mind. With Jordan in the chair, we unpack real first‑home buyer stories where a quick skim missed unconsented work, a storage cut through a structural beam, and moisture hints that could snowball into expensive repairs.

We break down how to read beyond the coloured flags and interpret the story in the details: what a small bathroom leak suggests about ventilation, why a “recent alteration” line should trigger a consent cross‑check, and how to match photos and past listings with council records. You’ll learn the difference between manageable maintenance and red‑flag risk, when to bring in a builder or engineer, and how banks view reports versus what you actually need to verify yourself. We also share practical ways to use homes.co.nz history and council files to spot inconsistencies early.

Most importantly, we show you how to use findings to negotiate. From gathering quotes to structuring a calm, evidence‑based request, this walkthrough reveals how a modest repair estimate can support a meaningful price drop. We revisit a real case where roof work shaved $10k off the purchase, and we’re clear about the step that locks you in: once you confirm you’re happy with the builder’s report and go unconditional, the house is yours and backing out isn’t an option. If the facts don’t stack up, step away; if they do, use the report as a maintenance roadmap for the next five years.

If you’re a first‑home buyer in New Zealand navigating LIM reports, consents, and builder inspections, this is your field guide. Hit follow, share this with a friend who’s house hunting, and leave a quick review to help others find practical, no‑nonsense advice for smarter property decisions.
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The property looks perfect, the photos glow, and the price seems doable—until the bank says no. We take you behind the curtain on what lenders really want to see from first-home buyers and why certain properties make approvals harder than they need to be. If you’ve been torn between a tidy suburban house, a shiny apartment, or a dreamy lifestyle block, this conversation will help you choose a target that banks actually fund.

We start with the bank-friendly basics: standard freehold or cross-lease homes that are simple to value and easy to sell. Then we get honest about lifestyle blocks, where bigger land, outbuildings, and hobby-farm features often trigger a 30% deposit requirement and slow resale risk. Even marketing cues—paddocks, cows, multiple sheds—can push lenders to reclassify a deal as higher risk. From there, we dig into apartments: minimum size rules that often sit around 45 square metres including balconies, Kainga Ora concentration limits, body corporate fees, and the red flags buried in meeting minutes. If you’re counting on a low deposit, these details can make or break the numbers.

We also call out the structures most likely to derail a first purchase: company share titles and commercial or mixed-use properties that lenders view as poor security for owner-occupiers. And for the “buy it cheap and fix it” crowd, we explain why monolithic cladding and leaky-home risk can trap you. Banks anchor to purchase price, not future value, and they don’t like active issues at settlement—so the bargain can shrink your usable equity and complicate approvals.

By the end, you’ll know how to pre-vet a listing, what documents to pull for apartments, when to walk from a risky title, and how to align your deposit with the property types banks prefer. Ready to buy smarter and avoid avoidable noes? Follow the show, share this episode with a friend who’s house-hunting, and leave a quick review with your biggest first-home question.
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