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BUILDING - TE ANAU » Tony Brand Building
Business South
Quiet lifestyle put on backburner Russell Fredric When builder Tony Brand moved from Invercargill to Te Anau 11 years ago he was anticipating a quite family lifestyle, running a business with two or three staff. Over time, word spread around the local grapevine about the standard of his work and Tony Brand Building has now built more than more than 30 houses in and around the town. The houses cover the full spectrum of design and function, from modest family and holiday homes to high-end architecturally designed projects costing in excess of $1 million. Light commercial work is also a specialty. The company employs six staff, including one apprentice. “I’ve had to grow the business just to cope with our workload,” Tony Brand says. As it transpires, Tony’s timing was good, as 11 years ago two large subdivisions, Heritage and Delta had recently opened, approximately doubling the town’s available properties. “We are flat-out. We have probably built 15 houses in the Heritage and Delta. We have also
completed a number of homes with beautiful views out side of the township.” Tony Brand Builders typically builds five or six houses a year, and 2017 will be no exception. The demand for new homes is driven by Te Anau residents building, people wanting holiday homes, younger families or retirees moving to the area, and accommodation for workers supporting the tourism and hospitality sectors, Tony says. “We have started one which is a lovely home down at the lake front for people from Auckland who just want to get out of the rat-race and come down and live by the lake. [The demand] is quite diverse.” Others are seeing Te Anau as a much more economical alternative than building in other Southern Lakes towns where section and build costs can be considerably higher. “It’s still affordable, it still a laid-back lifestyle people like. Te Anau’s still got the Kiwi feel.” Prices for sections in Te Anau range from about $80,000 to in excess of $250,000 for some lake view properties, but these still compare favourably with similar sections in the likes of Queenstown and Wanaka.
“We are flat-out. We have probably built 15 houses in the Heritage and Delta. We have also completed a number of homes with beautiful views out side of the township.”
Despite the number houses Tony Brand Builders completes, each is a bespoke build, designed to meet individual client’s needs. Tony is happy to create an initial design covering a floor plan and elevations, from a client’s wish- list, which is then given to a draughtsman to finalise. “We work it through with them until there’s a package and a full price contract that they are happy with.” Te Anau’s satellite town, Manapouri, is the location of one of the company’s premier builds, a two story house with million dollar views to Lake Manapouri and its mountain backdrop, designed by Dunedin architect Mason and Wales. The top level is cantilevered over the ground floor and includes the main living areas, kitchen, master bedroom, office and garage, while panoramic windows allow the home’s owners and guests to revel in the stunning vista.
The ground floor includes a bunk room, lounge, kitchenette, a second guest bedroom, a deck and glass balustrades, which also allow lake views. Interior features include stonework, American white oak flooring, high quality fixtures and fittings, while the exterior of the pitched roof house is a combination of cedar weatherboard on the upper level and painted plaster below. Site preparation included excavation, block work and placement of water membrane to create a building platform. Insulation was boosted due to the cold winter climate, and diesel fuelled radiator heating ensures an even distribution of warmth throughout the house. The German manufactured boiler system installed captures and recycles it own exhaust heat, which means the whole house can be heated for about $3 a day, Tony says.
Feeling the cold, need to insulate? Give us a call for a free measure and quote for a drier, warmer home. Open 8am – 5pm Mon - Thur 8am – 4.30 Fri Ph 0800 768 848
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44 Breaksea Street, Te Anau 9600 Phone. 027 435 2237 | 03 249 4094 Email. j.shayler@xtra.co.nz