104 | Brighter times ahead The sort of houses Josh has been building are at the upper end of the market, being super eco-friendly and incorporating such features as rain-water collection and solar power. JCM Construction T T Hugh de Lacy “We’ve got two houses on the go in the Wilfield subdivision in West Melton, where I live, about 10 kilometres west of Christchurch, where there’s plenty of land, and both sections and houses are bigger than usual. BUILDING Things might have been a bit tight in the residential building industry throughout most of the country, but the Canterbury market has held up, and now faces a promising outlook, according to Josh McCrostie, founder of the West Melton-based JCM Construction. “Things have been tough for the industry over the last 24 months, but I’ve found steady demand since I started the company in late 2019, and the future is looking brighter than usual,” Josh says. “We’ve got two houses on the go in the Wilfield sub-division in West Melton, where I live, about 10 kilometres west of Christchurch, where there’s plenty of land, and both sections and houses are bigger than usual. “And just out beyond West Melton there’s Darfield, with its new Fonterra factory creating further demand for new housing. “When we finish the two houses we’re building at the moment, just a stone’s throw from my own home in Wilfield, we’ve got two more to move on to in the same subdivision.” Josh started out in the industry with a building apprenticeship with Christchurch’s Lifestyle Builders, coming out of his time in 2016 and working a further three years for that company, and for Christchurch-based Today Homes – “a great company,” he says – before setting up JCM Construction. He initially worked alone, sub-contracting for the likes of Today Homes, Benchmark Homes and Mike Greer Homes, but within a year he was able to take on his first employee, Jamin Dodge, who had completed his carpentry apprenticeship alongside Josh at Lifestyle Builders before going on to complete a law degree at the University of Canterbury. With his degree tucked under his belt, Jamin turned his back on the law to return to building, and he is one of four staff at JCM Construction, including two apprentices. Josh reckons he contacted nearly every building company in Christchurch seeking work for his new firm before teaming up with his wife and father-in-law Brad Stalker’s company, Garden City Driveways, to build the first Wilfield house, now nearing completion, on spec. It’s a typically big house, 280sqm, comprising four bedrooms, a study and a big garage, but it’s dwarfed by the second Wilfield house JCM Construction is building next door. That house has a 320sqm footprint, boasts five bedrooms and is a couple of months away from completion. With plots in Wilfield still selling steadily, Josh is confident of being able to continue to build houses within a stone’s-throw of his own, and is looking to expand his business in response. He expects to have no trouble finding staff for such an expansion because, being only in his late 20s, he knows plenty of youngsters that would love to take on a building apprenticeship. The sort of houses Josh has been building are at the upper end of the market, being super eco-friendly and incorporating such features as rain-water collection and solar power. “Such features make extra demands on staff, who need new skills, practices and techniques, things I’m very keen to train my apprentices in,” Josh says. Locally owned and operated Blackler Contracting foundation and floor slab specialists, excavations, decorative concrete, fencing, and decks Contact Zeb Blackler 027 2587 045 or email sales@blacklercontractingconz
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