116 | Horrell Construction T T Rosa Watson Making the move into transportable homes The firm also specialises in rib raft floors that give buildings an earthquake-stable foundation, and also cuts down the building timeframe. “We want to be able to stand out by being able to build custom design for clients, but also being able to offer a simple process.” BUILDING An awarding-winning Geraldine construction firm, which has made a name for building quality architecturally designed homes, is making an exciting move into the transportable homes space. For six years, the Registered Master Builder, with a team of six staff, has been building architectural homes around Geraldine and the wider South Canterbury region, with a small amount of renovations and light commercial work in the mix. Their work has been recognised at the 2021 and 2022 Mid- and South Canterbury Master Builders of the Year Awards, winning silver awards on both occasions. The firm also specialises in rib raft floors that give buildings an earthquake-stable foundation, and also cuts down the building timeframe. While new builds have been their main line of work, they have recently moved into the transportable home market. “We have been looking at starting the transportable side of the business for a few years now, and now our yard in Geraldine is ready we have got this underway,” owner Brett Horrell tells Business South. So far, they have completed three, with another two in the pipeline. There are five plans available that range from two- to three-bedroom homes and 98sqm to 120sqm. But there is flexibility around plans, Brett says. “But we also like to custom-design our house to fit our client’s needs.” Everything is built at the yard, which is situated just out of Geraldine and has plenty of room. It has been rewarding to see the homes head out of the yard, Brett says. “The first one that went out the yard was a pretty cool sight and feeling to see such a big house on the back of a truck - a 178sqm three-bedroom house with a garage attached.” The home was transported into Geraldine to replace an older house on an existing section. “Why we built it as a transportable and not on site was because the old house was tenanted and the section was very tight,” Brett explains. “So being a transportable, the on-site work was very minimal, which is why we did it this way.” Transportable homes have taken off as an industry in recent years, and Brett puts this down to convenience and reduced disturbance. “I think they have become popular because of the speed you can build them at a yard, and the minimal disturbance to the land.” With a number of players now in the transportable home space, it is important to have a point of difference, he says. “We want to be able to stand out by being able to build custom design for clients, but also being able to offer a simple process.” The only real challenge was building the house to fit on the back of a truck. “The challenge is the size of building you can put on the back of a truck, but that’s about it as you can build them just the same as a traditional house with all the fittings and features.” There are plenty of benefits to transportable homes, he says. “The benefit would be for us having everything in one spot so no down-time driving to sites making the build time quicker.” Brett believes the future looks good for these types of homes, and sees the industry growing into the future. “They can go anywhere and be used for so many different things - holiday homes, first homes, farm houses, offices ...We will continue to keep growing with these ideas and hope to have a show home in our yard in the not-too-distant future.” DESIGN + PLANNING + DRAFTING + MANAGEMENT SILVA STUDIO ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN SERVICES 03 688 7575 | info@silvastudio.nz | www.silvastudio.nz PROUDLY SUPPORTING HORRELL CONSTRUCTION • Building Products • Paint • Tools • Power Tools • Work Wear • Hardware jason@geraldineitm.co.nz www.itm.co.nz 03 693 9397 168 Talbot Street, Geraldine
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