| 129 T T Rosa Watson Building own home gives needed push The firm is able to oversee the whole project, working with a draughtsman to offer design and build package. BUILDING Next Level Building and Construction The journey of building their own home gave Mosgiel couple Manu and Koren Panirau the motivation they needed to start their successful construction company. With Manu having spent many years in the building construction industry, he and Koren took the leap of faith to start Next Level Building and Construction in 2019 having completed the build of their new family home. “I had (been building) for so long and then our goal was to build our own house,” Manu told Business South. The experience of building their own home gave them invaluable insight and confidence to assist others through the entire building process, from budgeting through to handover, he said. “That was when I guess came to the realisation that our goal was being a business and being able to deliver for people was do-able.” At the time, the building and construction was booming. “People approached us because they’d heard what we’d done (with our own home). “We were straight into it.” Their punt paid off and in their first year they built four decent-sized homes and grew from one employee to five. The company has since grown into a well-established, high performing building partner in the Dunedin and wider Otago Region, travelling as far south as Milton and as far north as Karitane. The firm is able to oversee the whole project, working with a draughtsman to offer design and build packages. “That’s still where we want to be.” Widening its portfolio, the firm has recently taken on social housing projects for Kainga Ora. “So, we’ve sort of moved into a semi-commercial, semi-residential space. That’s sort of what we’ve been doing for the past year.” The team remains at five, plus Manu and Koren. He said sticking to quoted costs and avoiding budget blow-outs was important to clients. “For me the big one has been that first-hand experience. I guess for us, we understand how important it is. You don’t want to see the price changing.” To give clients more certainty, the firm offered fixed price contracts and were members of Master Builders. They also offered a 10-year Master Build Guarantee. “It’s there if people want it. It’s a bit of reassurance.” Communication was also key, he said. “It’s keeping the client well-informed with the progress.” The firm uses an app where clients can see scheduling progress and receive a daily log from the foreman that is supported with photos. “It’s really cool. It keeps them up to date with how the job is progressing.” Although there had been a downturn in the industry recently, he was confident it would soon pick back up. It was important to acclimatise to the economic environment and adapt to meet demand, he said. With the construction of the city’s new hospital underway, plus other major projects happening, Dunedin was experiencing positive growth. For now it was mostly in the commercial space but would flow on to residential growth, Manu said. He hoped to grow the business by another three employees, utilising the apprenticeship scheme. “We have been moving through our growth plan quite well. Our plan has always been to grow, and we have.” In Collaboration with Next Level Building & Construction. DREAM IT PLAN IT BUILD IT www.nextlevelbuildnz.com Our passion is building and bringing your visions to life. We pride ourselves on delivering high-quality builds and renovations that will exceed your expectations.
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