Business North October 2021

90 | A passion for building quality Karen Phelps 1920’s restoration delight BUILDING Keith Hunter Builders Sue Russell Golden Homes Auckland & Northshore A uckland building company Keith Hunter Builders concentrates of high-end renovations and alterations, seismic strengthening, installation of swimming pools and general landscaping. For Keith, who has been building ever since he left school and carries a diverse set of building experiences in his history, undertak- ing substantial improvements to a property brings a great deal of satisfaction. “I found a very good niche in high-end reno- vations and today about 70% of my work is of this nature,” says Keith. He’s surrounded himself with a team of builders all carrying a high level of skills and who very much enjoy the challenges that come with undertaking substantial upgrades to a home. “My guys are very well-rounded and I usual- ly have between 10 and 15 staff with 3 or 4 on any one job. It means we can take on several projects at any time ranging in size and com- plexity. They enjoy the problem-solving and interesting nature of renovation work.” Keith currently has four apprentices employed ranging from first year to almost through their qualifications. A s Auckland grows Golden Homes has been playing a key part in helping the region to meet its need for high quality homes. The company has been assisting by building both homes for the general public and inves- tors along with more intensive housing such as units and townhouses. Golden Homes CEO (Zano Ltd) Glen Cooke says that it is the experience of Golden Homes, its longevity in the market place and its versatility that enables it to deliver the homes that customers require. Spreading on the outskirts of Auckland is the new norm where land is available and the city is still a short commute. The company has been working in the Parkview development in Helensville, where it is a build partner. It has now completed over 30 homes in Parkview and has a popular show home in the develop- ment. Located at 8 Urumaraki Drive, the show home is based on the popular Golden Homes Barclay concept. The four bedroom home boasts two bathrooms and a double garage and is clad in Linea weatherboard and brick giving it a sleek modern look. Since Golden Homes opened its doors in 1990 the company has focused on being cutting edge, offering clients the latest trends to hit the market. This extends from design through to the lat- est materials and building methods resulting in homes built to the highest specifications available in the market, says Glen. A good example is that for over a decade Golden Homes has used steel framing in all its builds after recognising the clear benefits including durability, strength, earthquake performance and environmental sustainabil- ity. Golden Homes uses New Zealand-made ZOG® steel framing and Glen says that every home built by Golden Homes comes with a 50 year durability statement on the framing issued by New Zealand Steel. It’s also a big advantage with supply chain issues caused by Covid-19 impacting the sup- ply and cost of timber. It is just one factor in Golden Homes’ Gold Standard Building System, which also includes RibRaft concrete floors, a method where the foundation is specifically engi - neered to suit the site. The flooring system provides insulation due to the pods used and performs well in earthquakes too. Golden Homes® use metal tile or long run roofs because they are ideally suited to New Zealand weather conditions being light - weight and easy to maintain, and All Seasons thermally broken double glazed windows and doors. Homes are well insulated and energy efficient with LED lighting throughout. Glen says the fact that Golden Homes has licensees throughout New Zealand means buying power and build efficiencies – par - ticularly vital when operating in a Covid-19 environment. Its experience in building from entry level up to high-end homes has seen it continue to deliver cost effective options to cli - ents. Its connections mean it has been able to obtain a steady stream of sections and Golden Homes in Auckland currently has house and land packages available in Warkworth, Mas - sey, Helensville and Long Bay. When the next stage of Parkview is released it will also offer more house and land pack - ages in the popular subdivision. In Auckland Golden Homes is also busy working with de- velopers and is currently building around 50 townhouses in a project called Kumeu Central. A substantial and complex major altera- tion to a delightful circa 1927 three-storey home at Arney Road, Remuera is consuming three-quarters of the team. The home is covered under Auckland City Council’s heritage rules. The project involves suspending the top two floors of the home while digging out the base - ment area, to replace with new rooms. When the floors above are settled back, the ground floor will have an increased stud height of 2.7 metres. The larger basement area will link up through a central staircase to the floors above while the ground and first floors will receive a sympathetically designed face-lift to bring the home into this century while honouring its long history. “There’s been an enormous amount of engi- neering work involved in planning this build. “The whole house has been stripped. “We are also building a nice new water feature and while the scale of this project is on the larger end, we are used to doing work of this nature.” With a time-frame of completion for the owners to move back in for Christmas, Keith says the project is going well and to time. “While the scale of this project is on the larger end, we are used to doing work of this nature.”