The New Zealand government is rolling out a fresh initiative allowing trusted builders, plumbers, and drainlayers to self-certify their own low-risk work—marking a shift toward faster, more efficient construction. With this change, qualified tradespeople can bypass some council inspections, reducing costs and delays for homeowners. This “opt-in” scheme aims to free up resources for more complex projects while boosting accountability, as builders will be fully responsible for their certified work. For those looking to build or renovate, this could mean quicker timelines and lower costs, all while maintaining quality through stringent standards and professional oversight.

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Co-Ownership in New Zealand: A Path to Affordable Homeownership

With rising property prices, co-ownership is becoming a popular way for individuals to share the costs and responsibilities of owning a home. Friends, family, or partners can make homeownership more achievable through this flexible arrangement.

At Goodwill Law, we provide expert guidance to ensure your co-ownership is legally sound, protecting your interests and helping you avoid disputes. Let us make the legal process simple and stress-free for you.

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When a retaining wall on the boundary between two properties starts to deteriorate, figuring out who pays for the repairs can be tricky. Legally, each landowner must ensure their actions don’t harm their neighbor’s land. While you don’t have to actively provide support to a neighboring property, you can’t remove existing support without replacing it and undermining the neighbor’s “right of support for land in its natural state.”

Liability can be complicated, read on for our recommendations.

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A Separation agreement is a legally binding document negotiated between two parties who have decided to end their marriage or relationship. Under section 21A of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976, spouses or partners can settle their differences concerning property owned during the relationship in this way.

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Perhaps you’ve been hearing the term “refinance” a bit more in light of the current interest rate discussions.

The term “refinance” refers to the process of replacing your existing loan with one bank to a new loan with another.

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Have you recently entered into a relationship with someone? Or, do you have assets you want to protect? Perhaps you simply want to know more about ways you can protect your assets when entering into a relationship.

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Purchasing a home is a significant investment, and with a housing market on the continued rise (dips aside), it is often not something that can be done alone.

In our latest blog we explore the risks and benefits for each party considering undertaking a joint purchase.

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Moving into your new home and discover the vendor has left some unexpected items behind? Within this blog we explore some of the remedies that are likely available to you.

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Trustees, if you’re still coming to terms with the Trusts Act 2019, the new Tax Administration (Financial Statements – Domestic Trusts) Order 2022 (the Order) is set to further increase compliance obligations. The Order sets out minimum standards and new disclosure rules for financial statements prepared by trusts.

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Attention: First home buyers/borrowers, turns out you might be able to continue to pay for your Netflix account after all!

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