Babe! Lets build a house
You're about to make the biggest investment of your life. This is the guide that makes sure you get it right, walking you through every stage of the journey, with practical checklists and free resources to help you navigate every decision from first idea to final sign off.
Available now as a digital download. Paperback coming soon.
The complete new home build guide, delivered as a downloadable EPDF you can read on any device.
Written by Architectural Designer Sharon Robinson for New Zealand homeowners, this is the plain-language guide to navigating your new build from first idea to final sign-off. No industry jargon, no guesswork, just a clear walkthrough of every stage of the architectural process and the decisions that shape your home.
What you get:
Full digital edition of Babe, Let's Build a House
Instant download after purchase
Read on phone, tablet, laptop or desktop
Yours to keep, reference at every stage of your build
Inside the book: How to start, how to choose the right architect, designer, builder and consultants, what to bring to your first meeting, the full architectural process explained, Passive House and Homestar in plain language, fees, contracts, insurances and warranties, build budget vs project budget, designing for performance, what adds resale value, financing options, and what to expect on site through to move-in.
Pair the EPDF with the companion Worksheets for a structured, step-by-step way to apply the book to your own project.
Delivered as a digital download. Paperback available for purchase separately.
The companion checklists to Babe, Let's Build a House, designed to turn the book into a working tool you actually use through your build.
Print them, tick them off, take them to meetings. Each checklist pairs with a stage of the architectural process so you can move through your project with structure instead of trying to hold every decision in your head. These are meant to be used in conjunction with the explanation in the Book (ePDF or Paperback versions) of Babe, Let’s Build a House.
What you get:
Full set of printable checklists
Instant download after purchase
Print at home or take digitally to meetings
Yours to keep, reuse for future projects
What's inside: Site assessment checklists, first meeting question lists, consultant selection checklists, Passive House and Homestar consideration checklists, contract and fee comparison checklists, on site stage checklists, and sign off and move in checklists.
Best paired with the EPDF or paperback edition of Babe, Let's Build a House, the checklists reference the book's structure and language throughout.
Delivered as a digital download. Paperback and eBook edition of the book available for purchase separately.
Why This Book Exists
This isn't the book I chose to write. It's the book my clients needed to read.
For too long, architects and architectural designers have been great at explaining what we do — but terrible at explaining what that means for you. This book flips that. It's written for the homeowner, not the industry.
It started as a marketing exercise. Halfway through, I realised it was something bigger. Building or renovating a home is one of the largest financial investments most of us will make in our lifetime, yet many people are expected to make decisions without fully understanding how the system works. This book breaks that cycle. It walks you through the entire journey in plain language — from early design thinking and consultant roles through to costs, contracts, construction, completion and certification — and what building better actually means in practice.
Because the home you build today isn't just yours. It's a future home for people you may never meet. Building better, with a good process, is how we plant trees whose shade we share with generations to come.
What's Inside
Where to start — and how your decision-making style shapes your first steps
Understanding your site and what it means for your design
How to choose the right architect, designer, builder, engineer and consultants
What to bring to your first meeting — and what questions to ask
The full architectural process from consultation through to completion
Passive House and Homestar explained in plain language — and how to make informed choices around both
Types of fees, contracts, guarantees, insurances and warranties
The difference between your build budget and your project budget
Designing for performance, not just looks
What adds real value to your home for resale
Financing your build — loan and finance options explained
What to expect on site, at sign-off, and after you move in
About the Author
Sharon Robinson is an Architectural Designer based in Hamilton, New Zealand, and the founder of Smart Living Spaces — an architectural practice with people and planet in mind. Sharon has spent her career making healthy, comfortable, high-performing homes accessible to everyday New Zealanders.
"Architecture is the process of social change. Our built environment shapes our experience and supports our opportunities. We all deserve a healthy, affordable place to call home."
Get Started Today
Babe, Let's Build a House is written for people who want to approach architectural design with clarity, confidence, and a real understanding of the process, not guesswork. The ebook and checklists are available now as instant digital downloads, so you can start applying them to your project today.
The complete new home build guide, delivered as a downloadable EPDF you can read on any device.
Written by Architectural Designer Sharon Robinson for New Zealand homeowners, this is the plain-language guide to navigating your new build from first idea to final sign-off. No industry jargon, no guesswork, just a clear walkthrough of every stage of the architectural process and the decisions that shape your home.
What you get:
Full digital edition of Babe, Let's Build a House
Instant download after purchase
Read on phone, tablet, laptop or desktop
Yours to keep, reference at every stage of your build
Inside the book: How to start, how to choose the right architect, designer, builder and consultants, what to bring to your first meeting, the full architectural process explained, Passive House and Homestar in plain language, fees, contracts, insurances and warranties, build budget vs project budget, designing for performance, what adds resale value, financing options, and what to expect on site through to move-in.
Pair the EPDF with the companion Worksheets for a structured, step-by-step way to apply the book to your own project.
Delivered as a digital download. Paperback available for purchase separately.
The companion checklists to Babe, Let's Build a House, designed to turn the book into a working tool you actually use through your build.
Print them, tick them off, take them to meetings. Each checklist pairs with a stage of the architectural process so you can move through your project with structure instead of trying to hold every decision in your head. These are meant to be used in conjunction with the explanation in the Book (ePDF or Paperback versions) of Babe, Let’s Build a House.
What you get:
Full set of printable checklists
Instant download after purchase
Print at home or take digitally to meetings
Yours to keep, reuse for future projects
What's inside: Site assessment checklists, first meeting question lists, consultant selection checklists, Passive House and Homestar consideration checklists, contract and fee comparison checklists, on site stage checklists, and sign off and move in checklists.
Best paired with the EPDF or paperback edition of Babe, Let's Build a House, the checklists reference the book's structure and language throughout.
Delivered as a digital download. Paperback and eBook edition of the book available for purchase separately.
