Top Tips & Practical Insights
Practical guidance to help you make confident decisions at every stage of your home journey. From budgets to layouts, discover expert advice that saves time, money, and stress.
Top Tips & Practical Insights
Practical guidance to help you make confident decisions at every stage of your home journey. From budgets to layouts, discover expert advice that saves time, money, and stress.
From offer to keys: the real timeline from conditional to settlement
Why going unconditional is only the beginning, and what you need to know to prepare for settlement day
Can your house handle a new roof? What to know before changing materials
Why your dream roof might need a reality check
Top tips for checking your home’s plumbing health
According to Josh Marshall from Marshall Plumbers, a simple DIY inspection can prevent major damage. Here are his five must-do checks to keep your plumbing in good shape.
Hidden genius: clever design features you didn’t know you needed
How small innovations can make a big difference in your kitchen
Data over guesswork: How a structured sales process gets results
Selling a home can feel uncertain, but the right systems bring clarity and confidence. By tracking each stage of the campaign, you know where you stand and how to improve.
From moodboard to made for you: Shelley Ferguson’s liveable luxury method
How to turn inspiration images into interiors that look beautiful and feel effortless to live in.
Top tips for spotting plumbing red flags before you buy
Plumbing can be one of the most expensive hidden problems in a home. These five checks from plumber Josh Marshall will help you spot red flags before you commit.
Keep the character, fix the draughts
Insert windows that modernise villas and bungalows without losing charm.
A century of pipes: spotting what’s in your home
From villas to new builds, plumber Josh Marshall explains what your home’s pipes reveal about its history.
Why choosing local steel supports more than just your roof
Behind the strength of Colorsteel is a story of Kiwi jobs, innovation and sustainability.
The power of pruning to transform your home’s first impression
Why a tidy garden is one of the fastest ways to boost street appeal when selling your home.
Auctions uncovered: Why the hammer is just the beginning
The hidden power of auctions before, during and after bidding.
Not just a pretty fabric: why curtain tech matters more than you think
Curtains do more than soften a room or tie a colour scheme together. In New Zealand’s harsh sun, they’re often your first line of defence against fading furniture, overheating rooms and rising power bills.
Top tips for setting your kitchen budget
Kitchen Studio’s Mark Bruce shares tips for setting a realistic kitchen budget that keeps your renovation on track.
Top tips for designing a kitchen that feels as good as it looks
Layout mistakes, clutter traps and what to consider before you fall in love with a look.
Top tips for understanding trusts in New Zealand
Trusts can protect assets and support family planning, but only if they’re set up and managed correctly. Clear structures and ongoing care are essential.
Top tips for getting a lawyer involved at the right time
Life changes bring legal obligations sooner than many people expect. The right advice at the right time can save you stress, money, and future conflict.
The three-year rule: What every couple needs to know about relationship property
How three years together can turn separate assets into shared ones.
The risks of DIY Wills and how to avoid them
Why cutting corners on your Will could leave your family with conflict, stress, and costly legal battles.
Why kitchen renovations always take longer than you think
From trade schedules to material delays, here’s why timelines blow out and how smart planning keeps your renovation moving.
Top tips for planning the perfect kitchen layout
A good kitchen layout is about more than style. It’s what makes cooking simpler, keeps movement flowing, and ensures storage is where you need it.
Top tips for choosing kitchen cabinetry that combines style and function
Cabinetry makes the biggest visual statement in a kitchen, but its performance is just as important as its design. The best choices combine durability, function, and timeless style.
Recoat or replace? The question that could save you thousands
Not every tired-looking roof needs to be ripped off and replaced. In many cases, a professional recoating can add decades of life to your roof without the hefty price tag of a full replacement. The key is knowing when a recoat is enough, and when it’s time to start fresh.
Is wallpaper finally having its moment?
Wallpaper is making a comeback. Not just as a statement feature, but as a practical and stylish choice for creating warmth, texture and flow throughout the home. With better materials, easier installation and more subtle design options, it’s now being used in spaces where paint used to be the default.
Fabric with a conscience: the rise of sustainable textiles
Sustainability isn’t just about packaging and recycling bins. In the world of interior design, it’s increasingly about the materials we choose to live with every day. That includes the fabrics we sit on, sleep under and draw across our windows. And while trends might come and go, there’s a growing shift towards textiles that last longer, work harder and tread more lightly on the planet.
Top tips for setting your bathroom renovation budget
Plan with confidence, spend smart, and avoid costly surprises.
Top tips for creating a functional bathroom layout
Get the flow, clearances, and storage right before you choose tiles or tapware.
From triangles to zones: how modern kitchens are designed for real life
The old sink–oven–fridge triangle is out. Today’s kitchens are designed around flexible zones that fit the way families cook, live, and entertain.
The truth about silica in engineered stone
What homeowners need to know about safety, risks, and the shift to low-silica benchtops
Ready, set, build: how pre-designed plans are speeding up dream homes
A faster path to a new home doesn’t have to mean cutting corners.
The secret to stress-free building? Good communication
Good communication and the right people can make building a home feel surprisingly smooth.
From Pinterest boards to polished homes: Inside the Landmark Homes design process
You don’t need a perfect plan to get started, just a few ideas and the right people to guide you.
Love your street, not your house? Is a knockdown rebuild right for you?
Love your location but not your home? Discover why a knockdown rebuild could be a smarter option than renovating or relocating.
More than just a contract: How Landmark Homes builds homes and trust
The right builder doesn’t just manage a project. They build a relationship that lasts well beyond handover.
Are you sabotaging your sale? Why buyers are looking for a reason to walk away
You’ve prepped the house. The listing is live. Open homes are underway. But the interest just isn’t translating, and you can’t quite figure out why.
Think you can sell without help? Here’s why that mindset could cost you thousands
Selling your home is a big move, financially, emotionally, and logistically. And it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you can manage most of it yourself.
The hidden emotional toll of selling, and how to cope
Selling your home isn’t just a transaction. It’s a life moment. And whether you're excited, anxious, or completely overwhelmed, it’s totally normal to feel a mix of emotions.
Selling in sync: why trust and timing matter more than tactics
What really makes a sale successful? According to agent Derek von Sturmer, it’s not flashy tricks or fast talk. It’s trust, timing, and teamwork.
The secret advantage most sellers overlook: your agent’s eye
Want to stand out in the market? Learn how a seasoned agent sees your home and why that perspective is key to a successful sale.
Balancing Local and Global Furniture Design
Why New Zealand buyers benefit from combining locally made pieces with international design
Why furniture showrooms should feel like sanctuaries
Inside Asko’s philosophy of helping New Zealanders see and feel design before they buy
Top tips: How to know if your real estate agent is the right fit
Simple signs to help you spot the right support before you sign anything
Top Tips: Why you should start preparing to sell – even if you’re not ready yet
Thinking about selling, but not quite ready to list? You’re not alone. Many homeowners wait until they’ve found the perfect place before doing anything about their current one. But by then, it’s often too late to act quickly.
Behind closed doors: the surprising comeback of the scullery
Why the messiest room in the house might just be the smartest one too.
Kitchen design regrets: what the pros wish more homeowners knew before renovating
The small mistakes that can cause big frustration, and how to avoid them.
More than a showroom: why seeing your kitchen in person changes everything
The one step that can save you from budget blowouts, design regrets and mismatched expectations.
Start with the Sofa: A Better Way to Design Your Living Room
Why zoning your space from a single piece can lead to smarter, more personal interiors
Steam, Sizzle, Air Fry: The Modern Oven That Does It All
Today’s ovens are smarter, faster, and more versatile than ever — helping Kiwi homeowners cook better, save space, and simplify everyday life.
Ensuite vs main bathroom: should you treat them differently?
How to design each space with the right level of comfort, privacy and wow
Small but mighty: why your powder room deserves attention
Design ideas to turn your smallest bathroom into a standout feature
Cold start taps: the clever tech saving you hot water money
Why that new tap could cut your power bill without you noticing
Can a rain shower be water efficient? Yes, if you know what to look for
The truth about luxury showers and water use
Shower doors, clearance and splash zones: your bathroom layout checklist
Avoid awkward layout mishaps with these simple shower planning tips
Shower pressure 101: what’s killing your water flow?
How to tell what pressure you have and what to do about it
To tub or not to tub? The bath decision every renovator faces
Whether you're keeping it, changing it or letting it go, here’s how to make the smartest bath decision for your home
Big on looks or built for life? The big basin debate
Vessel or in-built basin? Pros, cons, and what designers won’t tell you
Is your bathroom breathing? The truth about ventilation
How poor airflow can ruin your bathroom and what to do about it
Could poor ventilation be damaging your bathroom?
Not all extractor fans are created equal. Learn how to tell if yours is doing the job, and what to check before your bathroom renovation is finished.
Out in the open or tucked away? Choosing your toilet look
Wall-hung, back-to-wall, close-coupled... what’s best for your space?
Sit before you commit: yes, you should try the toilet in-store
Because toilets aren’t one-size-fits-all
The low-down on higher toilets
Making your bathroom work better for every body
Once niche, now trending: bidets in the modern home
Why more renovators are embracing comfort, hygiene and style
How design trends for toilets have shifted
How cleanliness, comfort and practicality are driving the new bathroom must-haves
How long does a bathroom renovation really take? (Spoiler: it’s longer than you think)
Why rushing your reno could cost you big time
Portfolios
View Industry Specialists
Altus Window Systems
Altus is a leading New Zealand manufacturer and exporter of innovative designs in aluminium extrusions and extrusion-based building systems.
Altus is an award winning leader of the Aluminium extrusion and rolled product market. We specialise in design, manufacture, import and export of extrusion and rolled product, and distribute to both local and International markets.
We’re experts in creating solutions to integrate and partner with our customers across a wide range of sectors; marine, transport, architectural systems, window and door fabrication, mechanical engineering and agricultural industries.
Askö
Furniture designed for life. Ethically made dining and living furniture and accessories by international and New Zealand designers where refined elegance meets sleek, contemporary form. Explore our extensive range of designer furniture via our Christchurch showroom or browse online.
Box™.
Box isn’t like other New Zealand architecture firms; we’re a building design company responsible for every part of the process, from design to construction. If you’re looking for a team of designers or builders in Auckland, we can help.
The best architects know what it means to design both beautifully and practically, ensuring the best builders can, in turn, build more efficiently and collaboratively with you and the designer or architect.
Our consistent and attentive involvement of each team throughout the entire design-build process includes our in-house cost estimation team, who value-engineer projects to ensure the highest quality and value, while respecting your vision as our client.
Frontier Pools
We specialise in bespoke concrete swimming pool design and construction.
From infinity-edge showpieces to compact plunge pools in tight city spaces, we create concrete pools in any shape, size, or finish. The possibilities are endless and the quality is uncompromising.
With an expert in-house team, we manage every step, from concept to completion, delivering high-quality pools tailored to your space, style, and lifestyle.
Kitchen Studio
At Kitchen Studio we are very proud of the fact that we are been voted the most trusted kitchen brand in New Zealand for the ninth year running, and there are good reasons why more Kiwis trust us to transform their kitchen than anyone else.
Landmark Homes
Founding directors Paul and Debbie Clarke established Landmark Homes in 1977. Their vision was to offer “something more exciting” than the average home: a home that made creative use of space but was also beautiful to live in.
Mastercraft Kitchens
Founded in 1985, we are the largest group of independently owned and operated kitchen businesses in New Zealand, operating under a national banner. Our licensees have been carefully selected and are experts in their craft. We share an absolute passion for the design, manufacture and installation of high quality, well designed kitchens and other household cabinetry provided with personalised, friendly local service. Think national - be local.
Plumbing World
Plumbing World is New Zealand’s most prominent 100% Kiwi-owned national plumbing merchant, operating over 50 branches from Kerikeri to Invercargill. Plumbing World offers a wide range of bathroom, kitchen, laundry, heating, and hot water products, catering to trade professionals and homeowners.
Poggenpohl
Poggenpohl is a premium German kitchen brand known for its innovation, timeless design, and precision craftsmanship, offering bespoke kitchen solutions that blend luxury with functionality.
Portfolios
View Industry Specialists
Askö
Furniture designed for life. Ethically made dining and living furniture and accessories by international and New Zealand designers where refined elegance meets sleek, contemporary form. Explore our extensive range of designer furniture via our Christchurch showroom or browse online.
Plumbing World
Plumbing World is New Zealand’s most prominent 100% Kiwi-owned national plumbing merchant, operating over 50 branches from Kerikeri to Invercargill. Plumbing World offers a wide range of bathroom, kitchen, laundry, heating, and hot water products, catering to trade professionals and homeowners.
Landmark Homes
Founding directors Paul and Debbie Clarke established Landmark Homes in 1977. Their vision was to offer “something more exciting” than the average home: a home that made creative use of space but was also beautiful to live in.
Poggenpohl
Poggenpohl is a premium German kitchen brand known for its innovation, timeless design, and precision craftsmanship, offering bespoke kitchen solutions that blend luxury with functionality.
Mastercraft Kitchens
Founded in 1985, we are the largest group of independently owned and operated kitchen businesses in New Zealand, operating under a national banner. Our licensees have been carefully selected and are experts in their craft. We share an absolute passion for the design, manufacture and installation of high quality, well designed kitchens and other household cabinetry provided with personalised, friendly local service. Think national - be local.
Kitchen Studio
At Kitchen Studio we are very proud of the fact that we are been voted the most trusted kitchen brand in New Zealand for the ninth year running, and there are good reasons why more Kiwis trust us to transform their kitchen than anyone else.
Box™.
Box isn’t like other New Zealand architecture firms; we’re a building design company responsible for every part of the process, from design to construction. If you’re looking for a team of designers or builders in Auckland, we can help.
The best architects know what it means to design both beautifully and practically, ensuring the best builders can, in turn, build more efficiently and collaboratively with you and the designer or architect.
Our consistent and attentive involvement of each team throughout the entire design-build process includes our in-house cost estimation team, who value-engineer projects to ensure the highest quality and value, while respecting your vision as our client.
Frontier Pools
We specialise in bespoke concrete swimming pool design and construction.
From infinity-edge showpieces to compact plunge pools in tight city spaces, we create concrete pools in any shape, size, or finish. The possibilities are endless and the quality is uncompromising.
With an expert in-house team, we manage every step, from concept to completion, delivering high-quality pools tailored to your space, style, and lifestyle.
Altus Window Systems
Altus is a leading New Zealand manufacturer and exporter of innovative designs in aluminium extrusions and extrusion-based building systems.
Altus is an award winning leader of the Aluminium extrusion and rolled product market. We specialise in design, manufacture, import and export of extrusion and rolled product, and distribute to both local and International markets.
We’re experts in creating solutions to integrate and partner with our customers across a wide range of sectors; marine, transport, architectural systems, window and door fabrication, mechanical engineering and agricultural industries.
A selection of useful links that might be helpful
Useful links that might be helpful