110 | Small company wins big The dark cladding brings a real texture to the home. BUILDING Linecrest Homes T T Sue Russell Smith & Sons - South Waikato Brand appeal brings reward for builder-owner T T Sue Russell Nikki Jones says she and husband Luke knew the home they built for their clients in Cambridge was something special, but they were still pleasantly surprised when the 308sqm residence took out top spot in its category in the Waikato Master Builders House of the Year competition. Securing Gold, Regional Category winner and being named a Top 100 home, to go on to be judged against winners from other regions in Auckland, was the icing on the cake for the hard-working couple and their business partner Steve, who established Linecrest Homes almost seven years ago. “It was an awesome project to be involved in, and as a retirement home for our clients, we know how much this home means to them,” Nikki says. Built on what could be described as a challenging site (wide at the front and tapering back), Nikki says they knew they would have to be clever with the design to maximise the home’s positioning on the section. The owners, who like to entertain, were after goodsized living spaces and kitchen, along with plenty of storage. Smith & Sons Renovations and Extensions - South Waikato, based in Putaruru, is one of 26 Smith & Sons franchises around New Zealand offering customers building services ranging from residential renovations and extensions through to light commercial and nationwide solutions. Licensed building practitioner Ben Dean leads the team, and says he was drawn to the franchise because of the reputation the brand had and the type of projects they specialise in. “I’ve owned this business now for three years, operating for five years in total with the two years prior based in the labour-only construction market,” Ben says. “I wanted to move the business into delivering an end-to-end service direct to our customers. When I researched Smith & Sons Renovations and Extensions, they had great systems and processes in place and very effective marketing and I knew this would be a great brand to be a part of.” To operate a Smith & Sons franchise the owner must be a qualified builder and a member of either New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) or Master Builders NZ and a stringent selection process occurs. A building company operated by a builder is something Ben says is another strength of the brand. Working with Ben is a team of five, including two qualified builders, one senior apprentice, one junior apprentice and an office manager. The business is split into two main divisions: Ben is responsible for the DPC projects (design, plan, construct), which are the design and build, as well as general running of the business. Fellow builder Cole looks after organising bathroom renovations, kitchen renovations and general construction. Typically, with the staff and structure the business operates with, Smith & Sons South Waikato can have up to four projects on the go at any one time. “We find it works really well with a balance of large and smaller jobs on the go. We might, for instance, have a major renovation or extension taking several months, and can undertake decks, bathroom alterations and the like during this time as well,” Ben explains. If there is an abundance of work on, Ben can also engage contract builders to ensure the projects run to schedule. Looking back on his journey owning the business, Ben says it has gone better than he would have imagined. “I think the fact the brand has such appeal and has been around for so long, people know they’re dealing with someone who has a solid reputation for good, honest work. I certainly did my due diligence when I was looking at coming into the franchise network and don’t regret it for a moment.” And sometimes, he says, really interesting projects come along, such as the full rebuild of an old mechanics workshop into a fully functioning gym. “We have much better control over the quality, the timelines and ultimately the cost.” “They wanted the ability for someone to take themselves off to another living area and watch a show in peace, and they also wanted ample storage and garaging. They needed to fit their vehicles, but also bikes and gardening equipment.” Other considerations, given the owners have entered their retirement years, included wider-than-standard hallways and flush-entry showers, to avoid possible future access issues. The build took a year to complete with the keys handed over mid-2023. Nikki says she loves the dark cladding. “It’s bold, and has a real texture to it that makes a solid statement. Very suited to its situation and what the home means to the owners.” She says the kitchen is another great feature of the home, featuring tones of green in a nod to the environment. “It’s lovely to see a kitchen celebrating colour the way this one does. Our clients worked with a local interior designer to draw the blues and greens from nature into the home. These are evident in the colour of cabinetry, feature walls and in wallpapers.” Inside, light is filtered into the home through skylights, clerestory windows and sliders opening to three decks. One of the things Ben says is great about the array of services he offers is that increasingly, building has become very specialised, with tradesmen only doing one aspect of a build. “Whereas we do it all, including concreting and roofing, which is a real advantage for our customers. We have much better control over the quality, the timelines and ultimately the cost.” Asked about plans for the future Ben says he has certainly mapped out a strategic plan for the next 10 years. Over the course of that time, he hopes to grow to having three more contract managers, each heading a division of the company, enabling Ben to step back to work on the business rather than in it so much. Ideally, those contracts managers would be hired internally, creating the opportunity from within the company to grow their careers in the industry. Ben says the design, plan, construct process is a real strength of the business. “Completing an initial design with a builder who understands construction costs is a much better way for a homeowner to understand their project and ultimately the expected investment in the project. “We ensure the conversations right at the start engage the customer really well, so we get a very clear understanding of what they hope to achieve as well as understand our clients expected investment. “From there we develop concept drawings with lots of communication throughout to capture the full scope of the project. “At the end of this design stage we offer an estimate or construction proposal with all known unknowns uncovered, a full programme for completion for the project and a full specification. “Everything is known and understood and from experience we have never been more than 5% out at that stage.” Ben knows his customers appreciate the fact that they are dealing with one person from the initial communication, right throughout the project and the final delivery. This is something he knows clients value. He also enjoys the twice-yearly opportunity to engage with the other franchise owners at national meetings. He says what’s great about these encounters is that everyone is on the same page and there’s no “ego” in the room. “We all want to see each other succeed. We know that not everyone has the opportunity to buy a Smith & Sons franchise, and we also know we’re stronger together as a group. That’s a pretty good way to go about business in my view.” TAKE YOUR SECURITY TO THE NEXT LEVEL. We deliver top-tier security solutions such as gates and access control systems for commercial, industrial, and residential properties. 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