Our Purchase Process

Keeping it simple for you from first contact through to move in day and beyond.

 

As one of New Zealand’s largest and oldest building companies, we ensure home buying is hassle-free, whether you’re a first home buyer, upsizing with the family, after something smaller, or investing in a new home. Our simple purchase process ensures transparency and peace of mind, each step of the way. Our team is dedicated to helping you, from that first conversation all the way through to move in day and beyond.

Expert advice from our experienced team

Our experienced New Home Consultants are ready to discuss home options with you, which may include off-the-plan homes or completed houses. They’ll help you explore options to suit your budget and lifestyle needs. You’ll be able to see floor plans and architectural renders so you can visualise your new home, plus we’ll talk you through everything from flooring to shower fittings, kitchen and electrical plans, interior colours, and the Contract to Purchase agreement.

Universal Homes couple searching

Our fixed price guarantee

Pre-designed by our team of experts, from the architecture, colours, fixtures, and fittings, all Universal homes are costed by the time you purchase and are advertised with a sales price, ensuring you know where you stand when you choose to buy. This means that we don’t entertain multiple offers or negotiations by multiple parties on a property. As a volume builder, we build large numbers of homes at once so we can pass on our quality new homes at optimal value to you. Unlike many other new home builders, we do not begin selling homes until construction is underway, and we do not require a set amount of pre-sales before construction begins.

Pay a low, refundable deposit

Once you have your home loan pre-approved, simply select your new home with our expert team, and pay a low, refundable initial deposit of $3,000 to place your chosen house on hold. This removes the house from the market whilst you complete your due diligence. A Contract Information Sheet is completed by your New Home Consultant. This sheet is not a binding legal contract for either party. Once you pay this initial deposit, the home is held for you. This means that no one else can put in an offer unless your offer is unable to go unconditional within the agreed time period.

Read our First Home Buyer’s Guide to find out more about grants and assistance that you may be eligible for!

Completing your Contract to Purchase

Our team will prepare your Contract to Purchase based on the information you have provided. Generally, you will have seven working days to complete and return this. The contract will be sent directly to your lawyer, who will go through this with you. Once you complete and sign the Contract to Purchase with your lawyer, the home will be legally under contract to you, but still subject to your purchaser conditions being met.

Going Unconditional

Generally, you will have 10-15 working days to satisfy any conditions such as finance and solicitor’s approval, before going unconditional. This time period is negotiable depending on your circumstances, and both parties being in agreement. Going unconditional means your lawyer will declare that all of the conditions in the Contract to Purchase have been satisfied. At this point, the balance of your deposit is due.

Consider first home buyer grants

If you are a first home buyer, you may be eligible to use some of your KiwiSaver funds towards your new home. KiwiSaver funds can only be used towards your settlement funds, not towards any part of the deposit. Check the KiwiSaver website for eligibility and details, and contact your KiwiSaver provider for more information.

Zero progress payments

Our focus is on keeping things simple and transparent for each of our clients. Our turnkey homes mean no build progress payments are required until the house is completed and the final settlement payment is due. This means you will know exactly what the cost of your new home will be and won’t need to pay interest during the build.

Delivered on time, within budget

Our extensive track record and long-standing relationships with suppliers and contractors ensures we do our utmost to meet project construction timeframes. Your Contract to Purchase has an estimated completion date, and our project managers will be working hard to keep your build on track. However, the build timing for your new home will also depend on several external factors beyond our control, including weather events, Council consents, material supply, and when we receive the title and the Code of Compliance Certificate from the Council. Chat with your New Home Consultant about when the home you’re interested in is due for completion.

Construction progress viewing

Our team will ensure you are kept up to date on the progress of your new home build and will be in communication with you regularly throughout the construction phases. Due to the health and safety requirements of construction sites, you are unable to be on site to view each progress stage. Our team will send you email updates at regular stages of your home-building journey, so you know what’s happening on site. As your home is nearing completion, viewing by appointment can be arranged by our New Home Consultants. This includes visits by other parties such as insurers, valuers, or curtain measurers.

Pre-settlement inspection

Once your new home is completed and we have obtained Code of Compliance from the Council, we will contact your lawyer so that we can finalise arrangements to legally transfer ownership of the property to you. Your lawyer will contact you to complete the paperwork. When your settlement date is confirmed, our team will be in touch to arrange a pre-settlement inspection of your new home. This is an opportunity to walk through your new home before settlement day.

Settlement day

Settlement day is when the balance of the purchase price is required, and the property is legally yours. On settlement day, a number of things need to happen in a specific order between your lawyer, our lawyer, and your bank. Firstly, your bank will arrange for your mortgage to be made available and transferred to your lawyer’s trust account. Once everything is ready to settle, your lawyer will transfer the purchase price to our lawyer. When the funds have arrived, your lawyer will also ensure ownership of the property transfers to you and register the change of ownership on the record of title. When everything is completed, your lawyer will contact our team. As soon as this is confirmed, your New Home Consultant will be in touch to hand over the keys to your new home.

Dedicated support after settlement

Each new Universal home comes with a 10-Year Master Build Guarantee* plus our 12-month defects maintenance promise. This means that should any defects arise in the year following your settlement date, our aftercare service will get it sorted for you. Many of the products we use in our new homes have warranty periods and guarantees from the manufacturer. The details for these are contained in your handover pack which you will receive on settlement day. We advise our clients to register products and ensure that maintenance is carried out in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines. The Master Build Guarantee starts from the time construction begins. Should you decide to sell your Universal home in the future, you can organise to transfer the remaining balance of the Master Build Guarantee to the new owner.

*Please note certain types of apartments may not be covered by a Master Build Guarantee.

Universal Homes staged house

Warm, dry, light, energy efficient, and low maintenance: a Universal home is a great choice. We’re excited to help you start your new home journey. Our expert New Home Consultants can take you through the process step-by-step. You’ll be surprised just how easy it can be with our fixed-cost homes, and no progress payments during the build. Get in touch today.

In periods of high demand, we may, at our discretion, alter the sales process from a listed price to a multiple-offer process, or in some instances a ballot. The listed price may vary if more than one party makes a written offer on the property and we elect to undertake a Multiple Offer sale process. We believe the Multiple Offer process provides fairness and transparency for our buyers when there are a number of parties interested in a property. The Multiple Offer process allows interested parties to submit their best offer; and in this situation, it is not uncommon for an interested party to exceed the listed price indication. We understand that buying a property is likely to be the biggest financial decision an individual will make. We encourage buyers to seek independent legal advice before signing a Sales and Purchase agreement.

What our clients have to say

First Home Buyers: Tina and Simon

“The moment I stepped into this home, I knew it was the one!” says Tina. “It was all so easy with Universal. The purchase process was very simple, and so streamlined.

First Home Buyers: Déan and Lilla

First home buyers Déan and Lilla are thrilled to have settled into their brand new Universal KiwiBuild home.

First Home Buyers: Patricia and Mia

“My little piece of heaven,” is how proud first-time home buyers Patricia and Mia describe their brand new Universal home.

First Home Buyers: Wesley and Jenny

“Buying for the first time is a bit of a learning curve, but it’s been such a smooth process with Universal Homes.”

First Home Buyers: Sarah and Tim

“The buying process was very easy and straightforward with Universal. Adrienne and the team have been very helpful throughout with the service they have provided.”

First Home Buyer: Manisha

“As a first home buyer purchasing off the plan, I had no idea what to expect. The process with Universal Homes has been really easy,” says Manisha, proud homeowner at West Hills in Auckland’s North West.
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