About Homestar

Homestar is an independent tool that rates and communicates the sustainability and performance of New Zealand homes.

Homestar was developed from successful international rating tools and adapted for New Zealand’s specific conditions. It can be used on any residential building, from stand-alone homes to multi-unit dwellings. A home is rated on a scale from 1 to 10: 1 means it needs significant work, and 10 indicates international best practice. Most new homes built to Building Code achieve a 3-4 Homestar rating, and most existing New Zealand homes only achieve a 2-3 Homestar rating.

This interactive guide gives an initial indication of what a home needs to get a great Homestar rating. (Please note: this is based on a simplified adaptation of Homestar v2, and is not suitable for industry professionals – if you work in the industry, please refer to the Homestar v3 technical manual.)

The earlier a project starts using the Homestar framework, the easier (and more cost-effective) it is to make new and existing New Zealand homes warm, healthy and desirable places to live. A Homestar assessment can occur at three stages of a project.

Appraisal – based on an indicative design, this is useful for developers who wish to market and sell off the plans.

Design – this rating assesses the full and final plans.

Built – this rating occurs after a project is constructed. It certifies that the features in the Design rating have been fully implemented.

What does Homestar take into account?

To rate a home’s performance and environmental impact, Homestar awards points across seven categories: energy, health and comfort; water; waste; materials; site; home management; and an optional innovation category.

Homestar v3

To ensure Homestar is current and up to date with the latest thinking and technologies, the tool is regularly reviewed and updated.

The latest version of Homestar was launched on November 12. It's been refreshed to better reflect the requirements and efficiencies of apartments and multi-unit residential buildings. Documentation and calculators have been streamlined to make submissions easier, and to make the tool more flexible and robust.

Homestar 2013

The previous version of Homestar (2013) is still in use, and projects may continue to register under this tool until June 30, 2016.

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