58 | Success in the renovation space The firm specialises in large-scale renovations and alterations. BUILDING NZ Proud T T Rosa Watson Sticking to its knitting producing highquality renovations through an economic downturn has cemented NZ Proud as a leading home renovation firm that looks set to continue. The Kapiti and Wellington-based property improvement specialists have made a name in going above and beyond a basic renovation, and this year they are celebrating 10 years in business. The firm specialises in large-scale renovations and alterations, with locations in Wellington City, Hutt Valley, Kapiti and Porirua, and employing only the best qualified and licensed carpenters. A partnership with local architectural designers in Wellington allows NZ Proud to deliver a complete design-and-build service. Working alongside director Johnnie Saunders, the team includes a general manager, two foremen, 10 qualified carpenters, four senior apprentices, and two administration staff. Following a tough few years since the downturn, the company is focusing on improving its internal systems, administration processes and customer communication tools. “It not only lightens the workload, but it’s about improving operating infrastructure to deliver continuity through the customer journey,” Johnnie says. A new online portal is now available for clients, which allows them to see updates to their project and how it is tracking. “We have to make sure we’ve got the best possible delivery systems in place so when (the market) does grow, we’re ready to deliver a very strong value proposition with a very competitive service.” A quality large-scale upgrade can add a lot of value to a home, he says. “If we look at the current housing market, a lot of people are trying to find the most amount of value in the home that they own.” This includes spending a bit of money to improve things like ventilation and heating. “We are seeing clients are doing a lot more due diligence in identifying the real value to add to a home is more, not less.” Funding options, such as green loans from banks, were making it a more viable option, he says. “We’re seeing a lot of clients pick that up. Investing now upfront gets a better return, both for a client’s lifestyle and at resale.” He says the NZ Proud team are highly qualified and experienced, which in itself adds value. “We want to put them into projects that are going to add the most value, not only for our clients but for the team. “We want clients to think; ‘NZ Proud, big renovations’.” Johnnie says investing in extensions and larger internal alternations add more value to a home rather than just a single bathroom or kitchen upgrade, and a current trend is clients looking to complete more than less. “We’re really leaning into the large home extensions and alterations. “We are passionate about the improvement of a property.” There are projects currently underway that he believes are House of the Year Award opportunities, he says. The two main things people are looking for are low-maintenance design and a sustainable, healthy home that is going to last, Johnnie says. Current trends are low-maintenance products, such as aluminium cladding, highquality fixtures and fittings that have a long life, and design features like timber panelling. Johnnie joined the industry at the age of 16 and became qualified in the mid-2000s. He discovered a personal passion for renovations and started the business as a one-man band in 2016. By the following year it had grown to three teams of six staff. He finds renovations are more challenging than new builds, offering a variety of work across the construction process. R SE Electrical 04 905 6482 admin@roseelectricalkapiti.co.nz roseelectricalkapiti.co.nz 191 Huia Street, Waikanae 5391 Proud to support and supply NZ Proud Ltd
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=