66 | Waikato Build BUILDING Kelly Deeks Putting the fun back into building The award-winning home is clad in aged red brick contrasted with band sawn macrocarpa. 2ering TXalit\ worN at reasonable Srices )Xll\ e[Serienced in all asSects oI residential and coPPercial worN PAINTING | WALLPAPERING | ROOVES | WATERBLASTING QUALITY FINISH | INTERIOR & EXTERIOR We are happy to oer free quotes for your proMect and to suit your budget. No Mob is too big or too small. Academy Painters & Decorators )or Pore inIorPation or to discXss aboXt \oXr ne[t SroMect call 0att toda\ Primary 0 3 _ Mobile 0 _ (mail matt#apainters.co.nz Award winning construction company Waikato Build delivers its exceptional results by taking an extremely bespoke and focused approach, says company director Gavin Brown. “The feedback we get from clients is that they like the fact our approach is all about them. They are welcomed onto site, can make changes if they need to and everything is transparent and honest. It creates an environment of security and trust, which means ultimately they can really enjoy their build,” he says. Gavin started his apprenticeship in Christchurch working on multimillion-dollar houses. Four years later he moved to Waikato and, after working for a building company for a year, he and a colleague started their own building firm. Predominantly focusing on renovations, their reputation grew until they secured the main contractor role for Burger King completing fit-outs around New Zealand. Wanting to return to his roots and focus more on residential homes, Gavin and wife Emma, who does the company admin, started Waikato Build in 2017. Building Waikato wide, Gavin and his small team of four to five sta, work on proMects throughout the region. Their reputation for quality and problem solving has seen them in demand on mid to high-end projects where clients expect and demand only the very best. ProMects span new builds, renovations, extensions and reclads. Clients can come with plans or Waikato Build can help with design process oering a turnkey solution. Gavin says he often hears people say they dislike the process of building; something that irks him, as he believes should be enjoyable for the client. That’s why Waikato Build’s process is hugely focused on achieving just that from an initial site meet to ensure both parties can work together successfully. Gavin then helps his clients define exactly what they want in their build. “Generally clients come with a whole bunch of ideas so we help them to narrow it down to what’s the most important by asking them what are the top four things they want to focus on in their home. We then take that to an architect to start the design process. This means the project stays within their budget and makes a good starting point so it’s not too overwhelming. We can then go from there including other things depending on their budget and goals. Building should be a fun process and that’s the way it is on our builds. It boils down to our build process including how we run the site and how the crew interact with clients.” Gavin credits his highly skilled team with playing a big part in client satisfaction and delivering results such as the award winning home that won gold in the Builder’s Own Home category for the Waikato in the 2021 Registered Master Builders House of the Year competition. The design for the distinctive brick u-shaped house started with the outdoor lounge. Once this space was given centre stage Gavin says that the big open-plan kitchen/dining/living zone was designed to connect with it. He says this resulted in exceptional ȵow with people stepping out of the house proper, into the outdoor lounge with louvered roof and inbuilt barbecue, and onto an extensive front lawn. Inside the 350sqm, four-bedroom house are many upmarket features including macrocarpa walls and ceilings in the outdoor lounge and ply ceilings with a 4mm negative detail in the kitchen living area, second lounge and hallways. A living wall in one of two bathrooms ensures nature also has a presence inside the home reȵecting the focus on use of natural materials. Outside, aged red brick is oset with band sawn macrocarpa, allowing the house to sit naturally in its rural landscape. What’s more surprising is that Gavin says this large impressive home was built in just four months. “We typically do one job at a time and really focus on it. Our process is quite quick and eɝcient, which is also a big part of why clients enjoy building with us,” he says. At present Waikato Build is working on a $1.2m reclad/renovation project. This will involve taking the house back to its bones, removing half of the top storey and building a new extension upstairs then fully recladding the house. Ζnside the home will be reconfigured and completely renovated including steel beams to enable a more open plan design and extending it. Gavin says his deep connections in the region mean he can help clients source land, sometimes o market. Waikato Build also undertakes spec home projects. “For those looking to build it’s a great time with more modest land prices and without the pressures of a frantic market.”
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