From the editor

This is the confession of a bad self-builder. Not technically. Dad and I used my great-grandad’s plumb line, hammer and skillsaw to create straight walls and passed every council building inspection with flying colours.

The result is the home I love and – zombie apocalypse notwithstanding – where I intend to stay forever.

Some of the things I got right were accidental. I didn’t have a lot of money and that meant I had to build a small house. The simpler the design, the easier it is to build so out went the dormer windows. I once lived in a home with no insulation and knew I wanted to go way over the base specifications. That cost just $300 extra (10 years ago) and the difference in temperature is always palpable. I can also easily list my regrets:

• always hire a plasterer (discovered about a minute after we started);

• read the boring instructions that come with things like septic tanks and then make sure the installer follows them (discovered 10 years later);

• put in big drains on the uphill side of your house (discovered three years later). Then there were the things I didn’t know I didn’t know. Things like insulated panels to sit in the concrete floor. That the high peaked roof I love means I need to heat a lot of air before I heat myself (and that cleaning and re-painting it are a nightmare). That light fittings sold on ‘special’ will need replacing with new light fittings (not bought on special). That even the poor light fittings will show up your bad plastering...

This month we start a new series on building smarter. The homes we will feature over the next few months are amazing and also small. The largest is a mere 140m ² , a third less than the average Auckland home (214m ² ). However, as you’ll see, everyone who visits thinks the owner lives in a big house because its clever design features make it FEEL big. It’s also warm in winter, cool in summer and has the tiniest power bill. It’s definitely one I could live in.