Homeowner Frequently Asked Questions
HOMEOWNERS GUIDE
Read the Homeowners Guide to the House of the Year competition here.
It contains some great information about why you should support your builder in applying for House of the Year.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Some frequently asked questions about the competition are outlined below. They are also available as a PDF here.
The Registered Master Builders House of the Year is the building industry’s most prestigious competition. As your Registered Master Builder is considering entering your property in this competition, you may want to know what this will mean for you.
Thank you for choosing to work with a Registered Master Builder, we value your ongoing commitment to building excellence
Who can enter the House of the Year?
The competition is open to Registered Master Builders members only.
What categories are available?
There are four Renovation and seven New Home categories based on price, a Show Home and a Builder’s Own Home category and a Multi-Unit category for apartments, duplexes, and terrace housing.
There are also four national Lifestyle Awards. These are the Bathroom Excellence Award, Kitchen Excellence Award, the Outdoor Living Excellence Award, and the Environmental & Sustainable Excellence Award. Regions will also have an interior design Award and Smart Home Award which every property will automatically be entered into.
Can my property be entered both the existing new home categories and the Group/Volume Builder categories in the same year?
No, it can’t. The builder must choose which category they wish to enter but it cannot be both.
Do I need a Master Build Guarantee to enter?
Whilst it is now a requirement by law for a client to be offered a guarantee, if you didn’t accept one or were asked to complete a guarantee waiver, we will need you to provide a copy of the waiver or a signed letter, dated at the time of contract confirmation, confirming you were offered a guarantee and chose not to take one. A guarantee or waiver cannot be gained retrospectively. Alternatively, a letter from Master Build Services indicating a denial of a guarantee at the time of contract confirmation will suffice as acceptable documentation.
Please be aware that a waiver or a homeowner's letter or a Master Build Services denial letter will not be accepted if a guarantee has been procured from an alternative provider.
Note: A guarantee, a waiver or a homeowner letter as outlined above is not a requirement for the over $4 million category or for the Builder's Own Home category.
How do you protect my privacy?
The competition is designed to protect your privacy. This competition is all about profiling and promoting your Registered Master Builder. As such we do not require you or your family to participate in any form of publicity. We only require access to your home for judging and photography. The photography will be used in a range of promotional activities including the House of the Year Magazines, website, display boards and competition collateral, in media as well as potentially for use by sponsors. All photos taken will be uploaded onto the House of the Year website.
Will my house be in the media?
House of the Year celebrates and recognises the workmanship of the builders. We aim to gain some media attention for the builder, and this means homes may be featured across a variety of media channels – print, online and TV, however we never disclose the owners’ information to the media. Media are also told not to publish the address of the home, including any photos where the location can be identified. All photos taken of the home will be released to media throughout the competition.
If your home is a winner in either regional or national stages, or has unique or interesting features, broadcast media may wish to visit the home. This is entirely up to you; however, it is important to know that media opportunities are highly valuable to your builder, opening them up to more opportunities in the industry. In all media opportunities, owners are not required to be interviewed. However, if you wish to be part of any media interviews (broadcast), our media team can assist you in any preparation for this.
What are the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards?
More than one Gold, Silver or Bronze Award can be given in each category. The highest scoring entry in each category will be the Category Winner, provided the entry attains a minimum Gold Award.
A Bronze Award means that your builder achieved 75% of the points available, a Silver Award means they achieved 82.5% of the points available and a Gold Award is 90% of the points available.
How does my builder become a Top 100 Finalist?
The Top 100 Awards are given to the three highest Gold Award scores in each category with the balance of the Top 100 comprising the next highest Gold Award winning properties, irrespective of the category they are in– these are our national finalists. These recipients then proceed to the national competition with finalists being re- judged by a set of new national judges.
How are entries judged?
There are two stages to the competition. Local entries are judged by nationally appointed judging panels (a builder and an architect). The Top 100 (a maximum of 100 Regional Gold Award winners) are then re-judged by a new national panel to determine national winners.
When does the judging begin?
Judging will be undertaken from April to June/early July. National judging will be from Late August to early November.
Why do some local supreme award winners not progress to Top 100 status, when other Gold or category winners do?
Just because a property has won their local Supreme Award that does not mean that they will proceed to the Top 100. They move into the national Gold pool and must stack up against other Gold Awards in their respective category from around New Zealand.
For instance, if a local property won their House of the Year Supreme Award, they could find entrants in their branch in other categories go through – but they themselves do not. This is because the other entrants will be in the top three in their own category nationally.
Who is eligible for local Supreme Awards?
All Gold Award winners are eligible provided they meet a threshold of 1880.
How many Gold Awards are there and how can I find out how close my property was to winning a Gold Award or why it didn’t make it?
At the end of the competition (after the national gala) all entrants will be sent a feedback graph that will show their score against each criteria compared to others in their category within the same branch; and the average Top 100. This is provided via a bar graph.
When is the Regional House of the Year awards night?
Your builder will be able to provide this information for you so please feel free to ask. They take place in July and August each year.
When is the National House of the Year National Gala?
The awards are held in November each year. Please visit the House of the Year website for up to date information.
Why can’t non-Registered Master Builders enter?
This is a unique membership benefit, with marketing opportunities developed specifically by and for, Registered Master Builders.
If a builder joins Master Builders, can they enter this year?
New members may enter properties that were not completed at the time they officially became a member. Properties completed prior to membership are not eligible for entry. As such a new member will need to have completed a property as a member, in order to enter it in this competition.
Entrants
Any Registered Master Builders can enter House of the Year. A full overview of the Terms and Conditions for the competition are on the entry website.