| 41 David Reid Homes Queenstown REGIONAL PRESTON PRE-CUT LTD MANUFACTURERS OF ROOF TRUSSES AND WALL FRAMES Ph: 03 218 3647 • Brent Cell: 0274 15 1963 30 Mersey St, Invercargill • Email: prestonprecuts@xtra.co.nz • Prenail Frames • Roof Trusses • Loose Timber NZO SG • Claw Beams • Laminated and LVL Timbers Suppliers of: Ph. 03 442 3036 info@queenstownengineering.co.nz www.queenstownengineering.co.nz 120 Glenda Drive, Frankton ‘Delivering beyond expectation’ Certified Steel Fabricators T T Kim Bowden Shaping homes from the ground up Building strong relationships is central to the business, with Jamie and Anita saying clients often return for future projects or recommend them to others. “Working with clients and our architects throughout the design process means we can meet both their lifestyle needs and budget.” Four years after buying into the David Reid Homes Queenstown franchise, husbandand-wife team Jamie Harper and Anita Johnson are helping shape homes designed from the ground up for each client and their site. Jamie first joined the business eight years ago as a project manager before moving into the managing director role, while Anita leads sales and marketing. Together, they are leading the next stage of a business focused on architecturally designed homes across the Queenstown area. The couple oversees a business delivering 12–15 homes a year from Gibbston through to Glenorchy and the Crown Range. The homes range from permanent residences to holiday homes and investment properties. While co-owners Abi and Fraser MacKenzie remain closely involved, Jamie and Anita now lead the day-to-day operation, working with clients, architects and trusted local subcontractors from the earliest concept stage to construction and completion. They say the business model differs from the more traditional group home approach, where clients may select from a range of existing plans. The team instead starts with the site, considering factors such as views, orientation and how the home will sit within its surroundings, before designing a space around the client’s lifestyle and needs. “We want our clients and customers to feel like they are building their dream home, not finding a house to fit their budget,” Anita says. “Working with clients and our architects throughout the design process means we can meet both their lifestyle needs and budget.” A fixed-price contract gives clients greater certainty around the cost of their build, while the team manages the complexities of a custom-designed home. Jamie says local knowledge is another important part of delivering homes in the region, with the business relying on a network of experienced subcontractors who understand the area’s conditions and challenges, including complex sites and the demands of building in an alpine environment. “We work with local trades and subcontractors, who we have long-standing relationships with,” he says. Building strong relationships is central to the business, with Jamie and Anita saying clients often return for future projects or recommend them to others. “It’s not so much about ticking boxes for us,” Anita says. “It’s about relationships and delivering that dream, and that starts from the moment they walk through the door to when their grandkids come to visit and the house is warm and toasty. It’s a whole package for us.” Roughly 80 percent of the business’s work comes through referrals. “I think that’s a testament to how well that process works,” Anita says. Their 307sqm Koko Ridge show home in Lower Shotover was designed to make the most of its elevated, north-facing site, with views towards Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cecil Peak and the Crown Range. Jamie says the show home gives the team an opportunity to explore new ideas and products before incorporating them into future projects. “We tend to push the boundaries a bit more. It’s a good opportunity to see what we can do with certain things,” he says.
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