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BUILDING » Totara Parklands - Classic Builders Whangarei
Volume 15 | Issue 6
Business North
Busy times for Classic Builders Sue Russell Scott Coutts and Ken Vinson have been at the helm of Classic Builders Whangarei for six busy years. As managers for the thriving residential construction company they both work in closely with a team of five including sales personnel, project managers, building coordinators and quality assurance staff. “We’ve been flat out in the last two years expanding the business to be three times busier than previously so it has been an exciting and challenging time. “Our building systems and approach have, however proven effective in handling this increase,” Scott says. With demand for residential housing from the market continuing to increase in the region, he says one of the key responsibilities he has is to develop and maintain quality relationships with subcontractors to sustain this build growth and maintain reasonable build times. “We invest a lot of time in nurturing quality relationships with subbies and endeavour to provide our core group with as much business as possible on a constant basis.” When Business North spoke with Scott they had building projects on board to carry through to mid 2017, including two house and land packages currently on offer at Totara Parkalnds in Tikipunga, Whangarei, priced at $550,000 and $540,000 respectively. Each home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms and the price includes a turn key package ready for the clients to move in. Of the 400 lot subdivision Classic Builders has acquired a large percentage of the sites and with stage 3 currently rolling out the company has completed upward of 40 homes approximately 40% of the total homes constructed. “Totara Parklands sections range in size from 550 to 750sqm and the house and land packages have been geared toward attracting a range of clientele, from first-home buyers through to those retiring in the area. “As the subdivision is completed and evolves it promises to be a very good area to live in.” Classic Builders has acquired 15 sections in stage 3 and plans are to start building on the sites by April or May next year. The company has just opened its new second show-home in the subdivision.
Each home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms and the price includes a turn key package ready for the clients to move in.
“We’ve made this home a little bit different. “It has four bedrooms and is clad in a combination of brick and vertical cedar shiplap.” Scott says he is satisfied with the size of the company, including the core team. “Currently we’re building 40 plus homes a year. We actually started up here in the recession but I always had confidence that with the right team, sharing the same core values and professionalism to their work, that we would be able to build the company into a successful business. Reflecting on this journey Scott says the whole operation runs more smoothly given being busier particularly when it comes to securing long-term work from subcontractors.
With demand for more land to build housing subdivisions at a premium Scott says that he hopes local Council will continue to react by enabling changes to land zoning in its district plan. One strength of the company is its approach to using IT in its project management systems. “We use a bespoke project management programme designed specially for us which goes
a long way to helping us manage such a high workload. “This is supported by 5 full time IT specialists constantly developing and improving capability.” The systems give Classic Builders and their clients an extremely efficient building process to work with, with exceptionally clear communication and information throughout a build.
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Jon Gill −
“We’ve made this home a little bit different. It has four bedrooms and is clad in a combination of brick and vertical cedar shiplap.”
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