Ecotectural help people moving to Nelson or Tasman design and build their forever home, running the whole process by video call across time zones, with Built in the Open pricing and regular updates, since 2006.
The feeling you are building for
Some homes you feel the moment you step inside.
Calm. Full of light. Effortless in every season. That is the home waiting for you in Nelson or Tasman, and it is the reason people move here to build rather than buy.
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Morning light across the water, room to breathe, a pace of life people cross the country, or the world, to find.
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A home shaped around the way you actually want to live here, not a plan pulled from a book.
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And it can be designed and built while you are still packing up your life somewhere else.
Nelson and Tasman, the whole of it
Two places, one life worth moving for.
Nelson city gives you the galleries, the cafes, the airport and the hospital. Just around the coast, Tasman opens up: Richmond and Stoke close to town, then Mapua and its wharf, Motueka, the golden sand at Kaiteriteri, the Abel Tasman National Park, and Golden Bay over the hill.
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High sunshine hours, sheltered water and real seasons, on the doorstep of a national park.
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We build across the whole region, from a town section in Richmond to a lifestyle block near the coast.
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Part of the work we do early with you is helping you find the pocket of Nelson or Tasman that actually suits the life you are picturing.
Areas we serve across Nelson and Tasman: Nelson, Tasman, Richmond, Mapua, Motueka, Kaiteriteri, Abel Tasman and Golden Bay, Upper Moutere and beyond.
The whole point of this page
Building from a distance, made calm.
Most builds are a scramble of separate trades with no one person holding the whole thing together, and pricing is often a black box. Take those two problems away and a remote build stops feeling risky.
One accountable team
From first sketch to the day you get the keys, one team is accountable for your build, not a scramble of subcontractors you have never met.
Built in the Open pricing
You see every real cost, even from the other side of the world. Weekly budget discipline means no surprises waiting for you at handover.
Regular updates, wherever you are
Photo and video updates on a steady rhythm, so you watch your home take shape without needing to stand next to it.
Video calls, on your time zone
We run the whole process by video call across time zones. Decisions happen on screen just as well as they do in person.
We guide the New Zealand side
Land, consent and timelines are ours to steer, so you do not have to become an expert in the New Zealand building system from a distance.
We build Passive Homes
Warm, dry, quiet and cheap to run. Building it properly once matters even more when the home is the one part of moving here you get to set and forget.
People who have done this
Rated 5.0, and building in Nelson and Tasman since 2006.
We have supported clients who ran their build from another city and from overseas, using video calls for the decisions and photo updates for the progress, with one local team handling everything on the ground.
- Building since
- 2006
- Designed to last
- 50+ years
- 10-year guarantees
- Master Build + Halo
- Registered
- Master Builder + Certified Builder
"I wanted the best in the business and I got it. I would recommend and use this company for any and all of my building, remodelling and repairs. You'll not find a better company."
M Hane, Kaiteriteri
Free guide
Start with the guide to building here from anywhere.
Everything you need to plan a build in Nelson or Tasman while you are still living somewhere else: the journey step by step, buying land from a distance, staying in control of the budget, and what a high performance home really costs. Straight to your inbox.
We will only use your email to send the guide and occasional updates. See our Privacy Policy.
Selected work across Nelson and Tasman.
Many of our homes are completed under confidentiality, so this is only a selection. To see more, simply ask and we will arrange a private viewing or reference project.
Good questions
Building from a distance, answered.
Can you build for me if I live overseas or in another city?
Yes. We have supported clients who ran their build from another city and from overseas. Video calls for the decisions, photo and video updates for the progress, and one local team handling everything on the ground in Nelson and Tasman.
How do I stay in control from a distance?
One person owns your project and answers your questions, costs are visible in the open as the build moves, and we hold a weekly budget meeting so nothing drifts. You get regular photo and video updates, plus calls whenever you want them.
How does buying land and getting consent work here?
If you do not have a section yet, we help you find and assess one, looking at sun, slope and services before you commit, since those are what quietly make or break a build. Once you have land, we handle the New Zealand building consent process for you.
How long does it take?
It depends on the site, the design and consent timelines, which vary home to home. We will give you an honest programme for your project once we understand your land and brief, and keep you updated against it as the build progresses.
How do we handle pricing and payments?
Built in the Open pricing means you see the real cost of every trade and material as the build goes, not a lump sum you have to take on trust. See how we run a build in the open.
Do I need to visit, and when?
It helps to come once or twice at the right moments, and we will tell you honestly when those moments are worth the trip. Day to day, plenty of the important decisions happen just as well over a video call with the drawings and the numbers on screen.
What does a high performance or Passive home cost to build?
Every site and every home is different, so we will not quote a figure before seeing your land and brief. As a general rule, a genuine custom, turnkey home costs more than the cheap figures you will find online, and a high performance or Passive home costs more again, because it is built better. Book a free video consultation for a figure grounded in your actual site and home, not a guess.
Ready to picture your forever home in Nelson or Tasman?
Book a free one-hour video consultation with founder Daryl Combes, on your time zone. No obligation, just an honest conversation about your move, your site and your brief.
Book a free video consultation →
