Before buying a section in Christchurch, check the title, planning rules, ground conditions, flood information, service connections and the budget for the finished home. Ask your lawyer to review the purchase agreement before you sign, and involve a designer or builder early enough to test whether the home you want fits the site.
A section can look right on a listing and still leave important questions unanswered. Where will the living room get winter sun? Can the driveway reach the garage? What needs to happen underground before construction starts?
Use this checklist to turn those questions into a practical brief.
Start with these six checks
| Check | What you need to establish | Who can help |
|---|---|---|
| Title and restrictions | What you are buying and which rights or restrictions affect it | Your lawyer or conveyancer |
| Planning rules | Whether your intended home fits the zone and relevant overlays | Council planning team or a planner |
| Ground conditions | What investigation and foundation design the site needs | Geotechnical engineer and designer |
| Flooding and drainage | Relevant hazards, floor levels and drainage requirements | Council and appropriate specialists |
| Services and access | What is available, what needs connecting and who pays | Service providers, designer and builder |
| Overall budget | Whether land, construction and other project costs fit your budget | Builder, designer and lender |
1. Check the title and building restrictions
Ask for the current record of title and have your lawyer explain the documents registered against it. A property title records ownership and can include interests such as easements and covenants. LINZ: Property title
An easement can give someone rights over part of the land, such as access or a service route. A covenant can limit how the property is used or developed. Ask how these affect your intended home, driveway and outdoor spaces.
For a new subdivision, establish whether the individual title has issued and ask your lawyer to explain any purchase conditions tied to its issue.
Keep a written list of restrictions for your designer. Discovering a material or design restriction after choosing your plans can mean revisiting decisions.
2. Review council information and planning rules
Request the relevant council records. A property file can contain consent documents, drainage plans, planning reports and earlier LIMs. Review what is available with your advisers, and ask whether you also need a current Land Information Memorandum, usually called a LIM. Christchurch City Council: Property files
For Christchurch City properties, use the official District Plan Property Search to begin checking the address.
Ask your planner or designer to establish:
- The applicable zone and overlays.
- Rules affecting building position, height and site coverage.
- Whether your proposal needs resource consent.
- Whether any existing consent conditions affect the site.
Building consent and resource consent are separate checks. Confirm the requirements for your proposal with the relevant council. MBIE: Check if you need consents
Our Christchurch District Plan guide explains how to approach the zoning check.
3. Understand the ground before pricing foundations
Christchurch buyers often encounter TC1, TC2 and TC3 technical categories. These were developed following the Canterbury earthquakes to help guide investigation and foundation decisions. They are a starting point for assessing a site, rather than a complete foundation specification. MBIE: Understanding the technical categories
Request any existing geotechnical report, then ask a suitably qualified professional whether it provides enough information for your proposed build.
Useful questions include:
- Does the report cover this particular lot?
- Does it suit the home you intend to build?
- Is further investigation needed?
- What foundation assumptions should the builder use when estimating costs?
See our TC1, TC2 and TC3 guide for an introduction to the terminology.
4. Check flooding, floor levels and drainage
Review Christchurch City Council’s flood information and ask how any relevant floor-level requirements affect the design. Council publishes flood modelling and guidance on floor levels for new building work. Christchurch City Council: Flooding and floor levels
Ask your designer to consider the relationship between the house floor, driveway, outdoor areas and drainage. A raised floor can affect how you enter the home and how the garden connects to the living spaces.
Keep flood information and ground-condition information as separate items in your checklist. Neither should stand in for the other.
Our Christchurch flood guide introduces the local terminology; use the council’s current information and professional advice for the specific site.
5. Confirm service connections and construction access
Ask for written details of water, wastewater, stormwater, electricity and telecommunications connections. Establish what is already installed, what remains to be done and who is responsible for the cost.
Settled recommends checking service costs and seeking engineering advice about earthworks when considering an empty section. Settled: Buying an empty section
Give your builder a practical set of questions:
- Where are the connection points?
- What work is needed between those points and the proposed house?
- Is there shared infrastructure to understand?
- Can construction vehicles and equipment access the site?
- Does the estimate include the identified connection and access work?
Record unanswered questions alongside the budget so they remain visible.
6. Test how your home will fit
Before committing to a detailed design, ask for an initial review of how your preferred home could sit on the section.
Start with everyday use: bedrooms, living spaces, storage, parking, outdoor space and access. Then test those needs against the site’s shape, orientation and restrictions.
A useful brief might say:
“We want three bedrooms, a separate work space, living areas with afternoon sun, and a garden visible from the kitchen.”
That gives the designer something more useful to assess than floor area alone.
7. Compare the cost of the finished project
Build a budget that identifies each cost once:
- Land purchase and legal costs.
- Design, surveys and engineering.
- Council applications and applicable charges.
- Site preparation and foundations.
- House construction.
- Service connections.
- Driveway, fencing and landscaping.
- Finance and holding costs.
- An allowance for unresolved items.
For every estimate, ask what is included, what is excluded, whether GST is included and which assumptions still need checking. If a cost is already included in the construction price, do not add it again elsewhere.
Use our Christchurch new-build cost guide to explore the budget categories, then obtain figures for your own project.
Before you sign or confirm your purchase
Give your lawyer the information gathered during your checks, along with any unresolved concerns. Ask them to explain appropriate conditions and deadlines before you sign.
Settled explains that a sale and purchase agreement is legally binding and that conditions form part of the agreement. The wording and timing matter. Settled: Understanding the sale and purchase agreement
Your working file should contain:
- The title and relevant registered documents.
- Council records and planning notes.
- Available ground reports and any further advice.
- Flood and drainage findings.
- Service connection information.
- An initial assessment of the proposed home.
- A budget showing inclusions, exclusions and unresolved costs.
Common questions
Does TC1 mean there is nothing else to check?
No. Ground classification is one part of the assessment. Title restrictions, planning rules, flooding, services and the proposed design still need attention.
Do I need final house plans before buying a section?
Start by testing whether your intended home is feasible on the site. Ask your designer and lawyer what level of information is appropriate before you commit to the purchase.
Does this checklist apply outside Christchurch City?
The same questions are useful, but the relevant council, planning rules, records and service arrangements need to be checked for the property’s location.
Planning a new home in Christchurch?
Bring your section address, available documents and a short list of what you want from your home.
Discuss your new build with Tailored Homes, or explore our Christchurch custom home building service.
