I Built My Dream Home For Under $500,000 | Full Breakdown
NZ Builder // Josh Chapman
@nzbuilderAbout
I’m Josh — a builder, business owner, and Kiwi dad sharing what it actually takes to build homes in New Zealand. I dropped out of school at 16 and scrubbed toilets at Macca’s before building my way up through hard lessons, big mistakes, and a relentless drive to do things better. This channel documents the raw, real side of the construction industry. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but we don't just show the shiny finished product either. We show the mud, the dodgy sites, the budget blowouts, the team talk, and the problem-solving it takes to get it done. WHAT WE'RE BUILDING: // LESSONS FROM REAL BUILDS: The good, the bad, and the ugly of NZ construction. // TIME LAPSES & SUBDIVISIONS: Watching the hard work pay off from the ground up. // JOSH'S SITE SMARTS: Real talk, tool tips, and trade advice for builders and DIYers. Whether you’re running a trade, planning your own build, or just love seeing how things come together—you’re in the right place.
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Video Description
If you're interested in bonus building content check out the link below https://nzbuilder.co.nz//Building-Info I Built My Dream Home For Under $500,000 In this video, I'll show you the entire build from start to finish, including time-lapses and specific building detail breakdowns. I'll show you the plans, how I overcame injury, the lockdown and a never-ending list of jobs to fully complete the build. Stick around to the end of the video for my reflection on the project and what I'd do differently next time and a full cost breakdown. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:51 The Section Nobody Wanted 02:01 Design 02:57 First Day On Site 04:47 Building Consent 05:48 Site Prep 06:28 Earthworks 07:06 Set Out 08:03 Piles 09:19 Foundations 09:53 Worst Day On Site 11:06 Garage Slab 13:40 Factory Tour 14:41 First Floor Framing 15:06 Steel beam install 17:19 Subfloor 17:57 Framing 19:05 Roof Framing 20:20 Roofing 22:04 Rigid Air Barrier 22:46 Moving Sliding Door 23:26 Window Install 24:02 Lockdown 26:16 Cladding 27:56 Kitchen Planning 28:42 Pre-Wire/Pipe 29:00 Stairs Install 29:39 Insulation 30:36 Plasterboard 32:16 Paint 33:21 Drop Scaffold/ Electrical 34:11 Flooring 36:32 Kitchen Install 37:16 Driveway 38:28 Finishing Interiors 40:39 Fireplace 43:47 Study Nook 45:38 Decks 50:22 Landscaping 55:24 Skate Ramp 56:08 Finish Build 57:08 Reflection 58:54 My Skills 1:00:20 Cost Breakdown
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