Each week the NZ Herald and Newstalk ZB's Cooking the Books podcast tackles a different money problem. Today, it's what you need to check before signing a contract to buy a house off the plans. Hosted by Frances Cook.

Buying a new house off the plans can be so dazzling, you forget to look at the fine print.

And don't get me wrong, it's a great option for many people.

They're often saving on building costs as they're done in batches, they're built to modern expectations of insulation and heating, and the architect's images often look stunning.

But underneath all the dazzle and glamour, boy do you need to know what you're looking for.

Hidden in the contracts can be a bunch of clauses that can cause you serious problems – including the possibility of losing your dream home altogether.

For the latest Cooking the Books podcast I talked to Joanna Pidgeon from Pidgeon Law.

We discussed common pitfalls including sunset clauses, what obligations a developer has to a buyer, and what protections a buyer has.

If you have a question about this podcast, or question you'd like answered in the next one, come and talk to me about it. I'm on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/FrancesCookJournalist/ Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/francescooknz/ and Twitter here https://twitter.com/FrancesCook