Business North November 2021

88 | BUILDING Linecrest Homes Linecrest Homes hit the ground running T T Sue Russell Light-filled homes with a good indoor outdoor flow. A s good ideas often find form, Luke and Nikki Jones, were enjoying a quiet drink with their brother-in-law when some serious discussion began about setting up their own residential building business. Luke had been in the industry many years and was ready to make the move to doing his own thing, and it was this discussion that propelled the group to team up and make the decision to go out on their own in 2018. “We felt sure there was room in the market for someone who really cared about quality and delivering an exceptional service and so we took the leap to be masters of our own vision,” says Nikki. “Luke has worked all his career building high-end homes, so having someone with his skill set leading the team really sets the tone for how we do things.” While the majority of builds have been in Cambridge, of late Linecrest Homes has extended to take up new client projects in Te Awamutu and Morrinsville. When the first lockdown arrived, the team had a lot of work on their plate and Nikki says, it definitely was a time of uncertainty and some sleepless nights. “We were very relieved when the housing market really just took off after lockdown. We came out of it and hit the ground running.” Today, Linecrest Homes employs two build- ers, one qualified, one nearly, and are on the hunt for another apprentice. It’s been a big year for Linecrest Homes as the quality of their work was recognised at the 2021 Waikato Master Builders House of the Year Awards. The 226m2 corner section home in Cambridge received a Gold in the New Build $450,000-$600,000 category as well as Region- al Category Winner. The home has a mix of claddings – horizon- tal weatherboard in light grey, vertical golden cedar and black board creating a striking bold look. Extending the cedar feature wall in the entryway to the inside created a seamless link between inside and out. The home has four bedrooms and two bathrooms, kitchen with scullery, waterfall stone benchtop and ample storage. The main living space has a stud height higher than typical and links to an outdoor deck. Com- pleting the home is a second living space and stylish bathrooms, with underfloor heating, a large separate laundry space and a carpeted attached double-garage. “This was our first time entering the awards and we were absolutely delighted to be select- ed. When the judges came to view the home they really didn’t give anything away. We were cautiously optimistic that we might do well. Coming away with gold and winning our category was awesome. We’re so thankful to work with such great people - from our team internally to our wider subcontractors. Every- one does a great job and we’d be nothing without them.” When Business North spoke with Nikki they were excitedly awaiting the completion of their new show-home in Cambridge. The 318m2 big family home on a 2,500m2 section has been designed with a strong focus on the quality of living inside and its connection to the outdoors. “Lots of great indoor outdoor flow was im - portant to celebrate in the design. This home really displays our exceptional building stand- ards throughout and we’re looking forward to basing our business in it so clients can see just what we’re capable of.” The show-home will be open for a month once completed and then can be viewed by appointment. Nikki says one of the best parts of owning a building company is the fact that they meet ‘really cool families’. “We are building some really lovely homes. It’s such a positive experience to provide a dream-home to our clients. We make sure we communicate with them constantly right through the build process, and nothing beats how happy they are on handover day” says Nikki. Luke’s role includes both project manage- ment while also being actively engaged on the tools with his team, and Nikki takes care of the behind-the-scenes stuff to ensure the business runs smoothly. “We really enjoy running our business and look forward to what the future holds for our team”. CAMBRIDGE Proud to be associatedwith Linecrest Homes trade.cambridge@mitre10.co.nz