A granny flat, a home studio or a retreat for multigenerational living? Whichever way you imagine a second dwelling on your property, Clever Living Co can bring it to life through smart home designs crafted for healthy, modern living. With a range of new styles and sizes to suit your needs, it’s time to dream …..small, because now you can get clever in your backyard.
From 15 January 2026, new national rules make it significantly easier to build a small standalone dwelling (granny flat) in New Zealand.
Two major changes came into effect:
If your project meets all required conditions, you do not need a building consent, and in many cases you will not need resource consent either.
This can save homeowners thousands in consent fees and reduce time delays — while still ensuring homes meet the NZ Building Code.
For official government guidance, see: Granny flats exemption: Guidance and resources | Building Performance
With the 2026 reforms:
This creates a significant opportunity for:
You do not need a building consent if your granny flat:
However, you must still:
If your site has hazards, heritage overlays, or breaches setback rules, resource consent may still be required.
To qualify under the 2026 exemption, the granny flat must:
All Clever Living Co granny flat designs are developed to align with these requirements.
A Project Information Memorandum (PIM) is a council-issued document that provides important information about your site, including:
Even though building consent may not be required, a PIM is mandatory under the exemption process. It ensures your project is suitable for the site before construction begins.
Clever Living Co guides you through this process.
Our range includes five flexible designs:
(All floor areas exclude the extended deck.)
Truss House™ is Clever Living Co’s pre-engineered structural system developed in collaboration with Pryda.
Instead of traditional floor–wall–roof construction, Truss House™ uses a repeatable engineered truss component forming the full structural system. Benefits include:
The result is a structurally robust, efficient and cost-effective modern build system.
We combine design, engineering and build practicality into one streamlined solution.
Our designs exceed New Zealand H1 energy efficiency requirements, delivering significantly improved thermal performance compared to standard code-minimum builds.
Based on energy modelling of our 50m² design:
Actual dollar savings depend on your electricity plan and heating system, but improved insulation and airtightness mean:
Each home also includes:
Yes. The Truss House™ system is engineered to meet New Zealand structural standards, including:
Your specific site wind zone is assessed during feasibility.
A PS1 (Producer Statement – Design) is a formal declaration from a qualified professional confirming the design complies with the NZ Building Code.
Your Clever Living Co granny flat includes PS1 documentation for the engineered Truss House™ system — giving councils and homeowners confidence in structural compliance.
Our prefabricated Truss House™ system enables significantly faster builds than traditional construction.
While we have demonstrated builds completed in as little as 4 weeks, total build time depends on:
We provide realistic timelines specific to your site during feasibility.