106 | BUILDING New Style Homes Love the flooring featured in this project? Our flooring specialists will help you find the perfect flooring for your space, lifestyle and budget, with expert advice, quality products and professional installation. New Plymouth | Stratford www.rjeagar.co.nz Inspiring Interiors Grande Ultimo Vinyl Plank - GODFREY HIRST T T Sue Russell In-house capability adds value and efficiency Today, the company has a team of five staff, including two apprentices. Largely servicing the residential market with new builds, alterations and renovations, Taranaki building company, New Style Homes, is run by Nick and Paige Childs, who took over the business originally established in 1990 by Nick’s parents, Mike and Lynette. Today, the company has a team of five staff, including two apprentices. “We’re pretty pleased with the size and scale of the business at this stage,” says Nick. “It’s good to be involved in training apprentices, and the types of projects we take on provide lots of opportunities to gain important skills.” Work on two major residences on a farm just east of Stratford recently came to an end, and the pipeline ahead is looking solid with a further three on the books, including a goodsized renovation, Nick says. “I’ve stepped back a little off the tools in order to concentrate on new work, overseeing projects and ensuring the team on the ground have what they need to work effectively on-site. I must admit I found it a bit of a shift when I stopped swinging the hammer so much, but it’s the best way to operate this business and to secure its future, which is looking very bright.” In fact, the business is almost self-contained in terms of the work it undertakes within a project – from building their own frames, to constructing insulation and boxing the flooring system, which Nick says adds real value and efficiencies for clients. “It’s good to be able to do most parts of the build ourselves. It gives us far more control and security over time frames and scheduling work and it delivers a high level of efficiency to the build process.” The rural homes just completed were for two generations within a farming family, and Nick says he enjoyed the fact that the builds each had their individual personality. “They run a dairy farm together, and the two homes, at 340sqm and 370sqm, were designed to meet very different needs. “I was approached to do the build by the family right at the start, and worked on the plans with Scott from Void Architecture.” The homes were built in a staged process, and all up took 18 months to complete with four full-time builders. “We also did other work on the farm for the family including a new shed.” Looking ahead, Nick says there’s plenty of work on. The large renovation coming up will occupy about eight months, and a further three houses are currently in the design phase. And while Nick and Paige are very much at the helm of the company, Mike still helps out where and when called on, Nick says. “We also have Carl, who has been with us for at least 25 years so there isn’t too much that he hasn’t built. He takes on a lot of responsibility and I’m pleased to say we have evolved a very good work/life balance, which I think is important for the long-term sustainability of the business.” Along with their residential work, Nick and Paige have worked extensively in the rural sector, undertaking new builds, renovations, constructing farm buildings of all shapes and sizes, and generally putting their hand to just about everything.
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