94 | Offering complete service Oswald Homes recently completed this stunning architectural home for a client on the Tuapiro harbourfront. Oswald Homes T T Hugh de Lacy BUILDING Setting their new homes up, landscaping and all, ready to move into, is the attraction of Waihi Beach company Oswald Homes for the clients pouring in from the likes of Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington to establish homes and baches by the sea. Oswald Homes has a staff of seven, including owners Greg and Bethany Oswald, with Greg working on-site and Beth handling the bookwork. Primarily residential builders of a couple of houses a year, with renovations and extensions a part of the service mix, the Oswalds are not afraid to move into the commercial sector, to the degree that they are launching into building a 1200sqm tilt-slab, six-unit industrial building. Typical of the residential work that Oswald Homes delivers was a recently completed upmarket architectural home for a client on the Tuapiro harbourfront. Another recent home built in the heart of Waihi Beach village has been entered in this year’s Master Builders House of the Year competition. “Retirees are finding both Waihi Beach and Waihi township an attractive place to live,” Greg says. “But there’s a broader home-build market in the region, driven in part by more people working remotely, and the Oceana gold-mining operation, with increasing numbers of young families deciding this is a good time to build their first home. “The market was a bit slow over the final six to eight months of last year, but we still had work on, and we’re about to start a $2million-plus beach-front project, which will keep us busy for a while.” Both Greg’s father Robbie and his grandfather were builders, and Greg completed his carpentry apprenticeship under Robbie after starting it with another local builder, coming out of his time in 2013. Greg then worked for a local builder on contract before launching out on his own and forming Oswald Homes in 2015. There was initially some confusion over the company name because Greg’s father Robbie had a company of his own that he called Oswald Builders, but it didn’t take long for that to sort itself out. The early 2020s saw Greg struggling to find qualified staff to complete the work on hand. “The labour market was certainly tight for a while there, but there are plenty of people looking for work now, and we’ve been able to develop a solid workforce that’s really focused on attention to detail in everything we do,” Greg says. “And what we do isn’t just straight building work. We also do everything from rolling out lawns, to building decking, putting in drives and doing the landscaping. “That way we’re able to tell our clients, ‘All you’ve got to do is move in and enjoy it,’ something that’s pretty attractive to anyone looking to build in the area. “And of course there’s a lot to do in this area, with the historic Waihi township and its famous gold mine in the main street, and Waihi Beach just a little way down the road.” Wave Electrical Waihi Beach delivers professional electrical services in your new build & home alterations; providing solutions to big or small issues in your existing home. We specialise in all electrical repairs and emergency electrical services and this includes switchboard upgrades, LED lighting installation, house wiring and much more. We are based in Waihi Beach and serve the Bay of Plenty region. Proudly supporting Oswald Homes. 027 860 1380 waveelectricalwaihibeach@gmail.com Wave Electrical Waihi Beach Limited waveelectricalwaihibeach Providing Access To The Bay And The Coromandel www.katikatiscaffolding.co.nz | 0277300022 enquiries@katikatiscaffolding.co.nz • Full Scaffolding • Edge Protection • Temp Roofs • Propping • Platforms • Temp Stands
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