Manor Build knowledge base

We regularly share industry news, new prefab home designs and product updates in our knowledge base.

If you’re keen to keep across building code updates or the latest product finishes we can provide for your next home build, check this page regularly or subscribe to our newsletter below.

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Manor Build Modern design — clean lines, dark vertical cladding and a covered outdoor living space.
Granny Flats
Transportable / Prefab home
03 Sep 26
A Granny Flat Needs to Suit Your Site

A granny flat under 70m² still has to work for the site it's going on and the people living in it. And while qualifying granny flats can now be built without a building consent, that does not mean every site or every design automatically qualifies.

Villa Plan Granny Flat Transportable Home Manor Build
Transportable / Prefab home
Granny Flats
26 Aug 26
Tiny Home or Transportable Home? 2026 Rules

If you are looking at adding a smaller home to your property, you may be comparing a tiny home with a transportable home. At first glance, they can look like similar products. Both can be built off-site. Both can be transported to a property. Both can provide an alternative to building a conventional home from scratch on site. But they are designed around very different constraints.

Light, bright, spacious interior of a Manor Build transportable home
Pricing and Finance
17 Jul 26
Transportable Home Costs in a Rising Market

Transportable home costs can be more predictable than site-built — if the site-specific 25% (foundations, services, consents) is priced before you sign, not during the build.

Manor Build Transportable Home
Transportable / Prefab home
26 Jun 26
Subdividing vs Adding a Minor Dwelling in 2026

For many homeowners, subdivision may no longer be the only path to adding a second home on their land.

The Okato 3 Max at Manor Build new Plymouth
Transportable / Prefab home
27 May 26
Don't Rule Out a Transportable Home Too Soon

Transportable homes usually feel far more spacious in person than they do on paper. If you’re unsure, the quickest way to know is to walk through a show home.

Manor Build 53 sqm Single With Alfresco
Granny Flats
Transportable / Prefab home
11 May 26
Building a Consent-Exempt Granny Flat: Lessons

Manor Build shares what we learned completing a consent‑exempt granny flat under NZ’s new 70m² rules (from 15 Jan 2026) — including real-world time/cost savings, the design details that make or break compliance, and our inspection process and client report for confidence.

Under 70sqm Granny Flat
Granny Flats
Transportable / Prefab home
27 Jan 26
New Zealand's 2026 Granny Flat Rules

Learn how New Zealand’s new 2026 granny flat rules let you build a 70m² minor dwelling without building or resource consent, and where limits apply.

3D render of different roof styles on Manor Build homes
Transportable / Prefab home
High performance homes
Design Options
01 Jan 26
Different roof style options explained

Explore the most popular roof styles for New Zealand homes and learn which is right for you.

Design Options
High performance homes
Transportable / Prefab home
Pricing and Finance
Farm home
12 Dec 25
Transportable homes: Understanding the basics

We are going to walk you through the basics of transportable homes to help you understand why they’re not all created equal

Manor Build home in Bulls
Farm home
Granny Flats
High performance homes
Transportable / Prefab home
Investment / Rental homes
12 Dec 25
Some of our favourite prefab home builds

Take a look back at some of Manor Build’s favourite prefab home builds—rural retreats, family homes and custom touches delivered across NZ.

Modern single-story dark gray house with a yellow door overlooking the ocean and surrounded by green shrubbery and grass.Modern open-plan living area with a white kitchen island, dining table with green apples centerpiece, and seating area with sofa and armchairs near large sliding glass doors.
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