| 127 BUILDING Landmark Homes – Taranaki Prides itself on customising designs Landmark Homes – Taranaki showhome. When it comes to building a house in Taranaki, Landmark new homes consultant Nikki Jones knows exactly what she’s talking about. Having worked in the finance industry prior to working for the company, Nikki was also involved in many renovations and new builds with her husband for many years, and understands what the process is all about. “It has given me a good background into what my clients are going through with their financial journey.” Born and bred in Taranaki, Nikki and her husband also spent time overseas before returning to New Plymouth to start their own building company. Four children later, Nikki said being a home consultant was always something she wanted to do. Making the right connections in the industry, she knew Landmark Homes was going to be a good fit when she joined the team five years ago. She’s seen a lot of changes over that time within the industry, and market trends were quite different than before Covid-19. “People now want their money to go a lot further, and have more things to consider when building a new family home… kids are staying at home a lot longer so people want their home to see them through.” As a result, families tend to be building bigger and with more living spaces to accomodate everyone. Multi-living with elderly parents is another common theme nowadays, with multi-use dwellings, or for home and income options. Being able to turn a lounge into a bedroom later, or adding different wings and access points were all popular. Changes to district plans had opened up a range of options for subdivisions, “because land is such a premium. It’s about maximising their asset,” she said. Landmark Homes prides itself on customising its design and specifications, which they use as a starting point for clients. Building trust and strong relationships with clients was also key, and being transparent about the whole process as well. “We have a lot of repeat business and referrals which speaks volumes,” she said. Communication was important when building a good home, and Nikki has huge patience for her clients, especially when they might not have a great understanding of the processes involved. T T Aimee Wilson “We always make sure our clients are well informed.” Her advice for anyone wanting to build a new home, is to make sure they have done their research first and the design, “and look at all of your wish list items because there are always ways and means of including things in an affordable way.” Being prepared with finance is extremely important as well, but rest assured the team can customise a home to someone’s budget, “so that they can still achieve what they want.” With her background in finance, Nikki said it was always important to work with a financial institution that understands building. “We encourage people to work with the banks rather than against them because then we know where the benchmark is.” 06 751 1509 | office@heatcooltaranaki.co.nz | www.heatcooltaranaki.co.nz ۀ CIVIL ۀ STRUCTURAL ۀ GEOTECHNICAL info@stanleygray.co.nz www.stanleygray.co.nz
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