88 | BUILDING David Wraight Cottages All the character of a cottage David said turning his attention to transportable homes gave him the opportunity to stay local, while still benefiting people further afield. Transportable homes are becoming a popular building solution throughout New Zealand, a market David Wraight has turned his attention to. David Wraight, of David Wraight Cottages and Transportable Homes, specialises in a building solution that has attracted a range of clients, from those with a flat town section, to those who require a build for their land overlooking the Marlborough Sounds. Designed and custom built, the homes have all the character of a traditional cottage and are warm and durable, with the added benefit of being constructed with New Zealand grown pine rusticated weatherboards. The company consists of David and his wife Kirsty, in partnership with DW and AM Gee Builders and a close knit building team of six. David, who has been building character homes for more than 20 years, started building smaller cottages. As he progressed, he moved on to villas and larger character homes and homesteads. However, following the introduction of building changes and OSH requirements, along with earthquakes and engineering processes, he has returned to his roots of building smaller cottages in a yard. David said turning his attention to transportable homes gave him the opportunity to stay local, while still benefiting people further afield if required. However, building throughout the vast and beautiful Marlborough region is his “number one choice”. It takes the team about three and a half months to build a home, and they average about nine to 10 builds each year. “We could build quite a few more homes if we made them plainer and simpler, but we choose to be more of a niche product.” David said transportable homes were the way of the future, but believed it was not the only way. “It’s a good option. But, I don’t think what we are doing is the only way,” he said. “Site builds have great advantages and what we do has great advantages. It’s [about] having options,” he said. One of the advantages of David’s business is the fact building takes place in a yard, which means less travel and no disturbance of a sub division on a daily basis. David said that his team’s focus was to concentrate on a small amount of builds at a time. “If we were building straight homes we could probably pump a lot more houses out for the year, but we aren’t about that.” The homes are lined with MDF and plywood, which hold up well and have been put to the test against earthquakes in the region over recent years. While all his designs are single storey, David is in the process of developing a two-storey option. “We’re always trying to develop and we can always join homes together, that allows us to maybe meet some sub division [criteria].” The work the team does is not just about the build though. It’s also about the logistics of getting the finished product to its new location, whether that be via a truck or a barge. David said although he was still busy, growth in the market had slowed down in Marlborough. However, he said the style of home he could offer did not always meet the criteria for some sub-divisions, which meant not everyone would be signing up for a David Wraight home. “Marlborough will keep going forward. I can’t see why it wouldn’t. We’d love to be part of that if we can fit in.” Your locally owned and trusted supplier of drainage, earthworks, wastewater installations and wastewater servicing. 027-354-6869 | lloyd@lloydsdrainage.co.nz | www.lloydsdrainage.co.nz Proudly supporting David Wraight Cottages Proudly providing quality service to David Wraight Cottages T T Alexia Anderson
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