Author: Swati Tiwary

Looking for custom builders in Auckland? Read this checklist first

Building a new home is one the most substantial investments Aucklanders will ever make. So it’s crucial to get it right the first time.

Needless to say, hiring the best North Shore builders is essential to your project’s success. Depending on your renovation needs, you will be working together for an extended period of time. And it’s vital that there are trust and clear communications.

You may have heard horror stories about problems with builders, budgets spiraling out of control and sites left half-finished. But the reality is that the vast majority of builders are both professional and capable, and you can do a great deal to avoid bad experiences simply through the way you choose, manage and communicate with them.

So, what are the things you should be looking for when hiring the right North Shore builders? Here is our ultimate guide to working with a custom home builder.

1. What is the role of a custom home builder in Auckland?

A good custom home builder is an integral member to the construction project. They act as advocates for the homeowners and help establish realistic budgets, costs and the project timelines. They also monitor the progress of the design and construction process by serving as liaisons between the homeowners and the contractors.

Here at Superior Renovations, we have our own tried-and-true systems in place when it comes to renovating your home and we expect the same for construction/building companies. From the initial design consultation to the final handover, our team will be there to make sure you’re getting the most out of your home renovation. We pride ourselves in dedication to quality while working within your budget. As a guarantee of our quality, we promise to cover all costs associated with any faults in materials or structures upon the completion of the project.

2. When should I hire custom home builders?

We recommend hiring your North Shore builders early in the design and planning process. Doing so will guarantee that your project’s scope and costs are in line with your expectations. Because custom home remodeling is one of a kind, it is crucial to have the builder and the designer working together as a team. This way they will be able to leverage each other’s collective knowledge and expertise.

We understand the benefits of collaboration, and that is why we offer in-house design and planning services. Our experienced interior designers have knowledge and skills necessary to bring your dream designs to life. You can always make changes to the design drafts until you’re 100% happy with the final results.

3. What should I look for when hiring a building company?

Well qualified North Shore builders do not need to be flashy. The right custom home builder only needs to have experience, resources, organisational skills and a genuine interest in helping you build your dream home, see below on what you should look for.

Here are the top 5 things Aucklanders should be looking for in a potential builder:

1. An impressive portfolio of past projects (check their website)
2. A proven track record with projects of similar scale and detail
3. Great communication (look at their online reviews)
4. Excellent organisational skills (check for systems)
5. Great real customer testimonials (Google them, and check out their facebook reviews)

Here are our top 6 home builders in Auckland based on their reviews on Google

(As at 01-12-2019)

• Ashcroft Homes (4.7 Rating, 25 Reviews)
• Your Builder (4.7 Rating, 17 Reviews)
• QPC Builders (4.5 Rating, 8 Reviews)
• Universal Homes (4 Rating, 10 Reviews)
• Dan Joint Builders Limited (5 Rating, 13 Reviews)
• G.J. Gardner Homes (4.3 Rating, 10 Reviews)

What is the difference between renovation and construction?

Renovation means “restore to a good state of repair.” In other words, dilapidated buildings or poorly maintained houses are sometimes considered to be in a state of disrepair. To renovate a house or building means to resurrect that structure from a state of disrepair.

Residential construction is the business of building and selling individual and multi-family dewelling, or building new from scratch.

Finding the right builder for your project might be a daunting task. However, doing your homework and settling on the right candidate will help you make a better decision and reap the rewards of having a beautiful home.

Need more information?

Take advantage of our FREE Complete Home Renovation Guide (48 pages), whether you’re already renovating or in the process of deciding to renovate, it’s not an easy process, this guide which includes a free 100+ point check list – will help you avoid costly mistakes.

Download Free Renovation Guide (PDF)

Still have questions unanswered? schedule a no-obligation consultation with the team at Superior Renovations

WRITTEN BY SUPERIOR RENOVATIONS

Superior Renovations is quickly becoming one of the most recommended Kitchen Renovation & Bathroom Renovation company in Auckland and it all comes down to our friendly approach, straightforward pricing, and transparency. When your Auckland home needs renovation/ remodeling services – Superior Renovation is the team you can count on for high-quality workmanship, efficient progress, and cost-effective solutions.

Get started now by booking a free in-home consultation.

Request Your In-home Consultation

Or call us on 0800 199 888

www.superiorrenovations.co.nz

Have you been putting off getting renovations done?

We have partnered with Q Mastercard ® to provide you an 18 Month Interest-Free Payment Option, you can enjoy your new home now and stress less.

Learn More about Interest-Free Payment Options*

*Lending criteria, fees, terms and conditions apply. Mastercard is a registered trademark and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

Check out these home improvement tips every homeowner should know

Whether you’ve just bought a new house in Auckland or considering renovating your existing home, owning your place brings out a home improvement itch in all of us.

Trust us; we were there too! Even if you’re not planning on major renovation projects, it’s wise to set aside some money for repairs and small home improvement tasks each year. It will help you keep your home in top-notch shape for many years to come.

Here are our top 3 tips for getting the best out of your home improvement NZ:

1. Concentrate on what adds the most value to your home

If you had all the money in the world, what home improvements would you do? Many Aucklanders think of renovating a bathroom or changing the hardwood floors. However, some home improvements are more likely to increase your home value than the others. For example, adding an attic bedroom or installing a brand new deck would result in a higher return on investment. As a rule of thumb, any addition to your existing home lay- out is considered to be a worthy investment in your Auckland home. Keep these things in mind, when planning your next home improvement project.

2. Find the best contractors

Choosing the right contractor for the job is about as important as finding a good family doctor. There are plenty of horror stories about disaster home renovations and DIY projects gone awry. If done wrong, your home improvement may cost you thousands of dol- lars to re-do, not to mention the money you’ve already spent. That is why it’s vital to hire the best home renovations company that will do the job right the first time. Here are some practical tips to vet possible contractors:

• Get recommendations from friends and family
• Inquire about licenses your contractor needs
• Ask if they have an insurance
• Ask for references and previous projects

We are happy to say that we offer premium home renovation services, and take enormous pride in what we do. We work closely with each of our clients to ensure that we meet your goals on time, without compromising quality. You can check out our client testimonials here.

3. Have a good plan

When it comes to home improvement NZ, the worst thing you can do is to start without having a solid plan in place. Cost, timing, design and materials are all essential elements of your home improvement project. All of those elements should be as realistic as possible to avoid any major surprises down the road. Nothing costs more than making changes to your plan midway, so make sure you are committed to your final plan.

Here at Superior Renovations, we believe that having a home improvement blueprint is a crucial step in tackling your renovation project. Our dedicated project manager will work with you to come up with the home improvement plan that is right for you. Besides, each of our contractors will be supported by a diligent team of client services, here to assist your every need — this way we make sure that your home improvement NZ is a stress-free success.

Whether you’re planning on turning your entire home upside down or making small changes, it’s important to be fully ready when it comes to home improvement NZ. I hope you found our tips useful and are ready to build your dream home! Feel free to contact us here to get a free consultation.

Need more information?

Take advantage of our FREE Complete Home Renovation Guide (48 pages), whether you’re already renovating or in the process of deciding to renovate, it’s not an easy process, this guide which includes a free 100+ point check list – will help you avoid costly mistakes.

Download Free Renovation Guide (PDF)

Still have questions unanswered? schedule a no-obligation consultation with the team at Superior Renovations

WRITTEN BY SUPERIOR RENOVATIONS

Superior Renovations is quickly becoming one of the most recommended Kitchen Renovation & Bathroom Renovation company in Auckland and it all comes down to our friendly approach, straightforward pricing, and transparency. When your Auckland home needs renovation/ remodeling services – Superior Renovation is the team you can count on for high-quality workmanship, efficient progress, and cost-effective solutions.

Get started now by booking a free in-home consultation.

Request Your In-home Consultation

Or call us on 0800 199 888

www.superiorrenovations.co.nz

Have you been putting off getting renovations done?

We have partnered with Q Mastercard ® to provide you an 18 Month Interest-Free Payment Option, you can enjoy your new home now and stress less.

Learn More about Interest-Free Payment Options*

*Lending criteria, fees, terms and conditions apply. Mastercard is a registered trademark and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

Donny Phillips

Full House Renovation

“I think it’s to his nature, he takes everything on-board and fixes it, and thats what you want to see; you don’t want to be mucked around with just being told what you wanted to hear, you want action and he was pretty good at it…”

Glenfield, Auckland

Donny’s Full House Renovation Project included: New Floors, Kitchen Renovation, Bathroom Renovation, Full Interior Painting, Remove in Bathroom Wall to Open Up Space, Carpet Flooring, New LED Lights throughout the house, Custom Bathroom Design and Custom Kitchen Design.

Still have questions unanswered? schedule a no-obligation consultation with the team at Superior Renovations

Stephanie & Kieran Eades

Bathroom Renovation + Kitchen Renovation

“To me it just seems like he just slotted in like he’s always known us, there was no awkward moments…he was just a part of the family…very personable, easy to talk to and always calm all the time and thats what we really liked..”

Wattle Downs, Auckland

Stephanie and Kieran Eades have a young family and basically needed to upgrade their bathroom and kitchen. See kitchen designs from recent projects for ideas. They had heard a lot of horror stories about companies that blew their budget or did not finish within the timeline. They decided to test the waters of the renovation industry and decided to renovate their bathroom first. See more finished bathrooms in our recent bathroom designs.

The talking point of this case study is not a bathroom or kitchen renovation but the relationship that our project manager Jimmy forged with the family. “He slotted right in and it was like he had always known us. There was no awkwardness at all” explains Kieran. Jimmy is one of our main project managers who specialises in managing kitchen + Bathroom renovations and Full home renovations.

His sunny disposition, ability to talk frankly, and more importantly his calm demeaner gets our clients through even the most stressful of situations. Stephanie felt that his calm attitude made her feel calm throughout the renovation process which can become overwhelming.

Budget was another aspect of the renovation that the client was worried about as they were weary of renovations costs blowing up during the process. She was happy to know that we give our clients a fixed contract which means that the quote that you have accepted is what you will be paying. You will only find discrepancies in what you pay if we find something like a leakage or rotting floor bases during the renovation.

In Stephanie’s words “because of the bathroom we have come to trust him and are confident that we will have the same calm experience. And that we will remain within the budget”.

We completed Stephanie’s kitchen renovation after the bathroom renovation was completed.

“it is much better than we thought” – Stephanie

Bathroom renovation

Stephanie’s aim was to make her bathroom look bigger so she went for white tiles and white walls to give an illusion of space.

• Custom made shower box and glass door
• Custom white tiles in shower

Kitchen renovation

• Blum soft close door hinges – very popular in contemporary and modern kitchens
• Maier slim fit soft closing drawers
• Top mount Blanco Black Silgranit sink
• 30mm engineered stone benchtop with waterfall end – Marble look
• Melteca cupboards – popular for easy maintenance and textures
• Custom made wine rack

Transcription
I just wanted to give a lift to this house, renovated and make it look nicer and to use it we always had old vanities and everything, so I just wanted something new and something modern. We were just looking for someone that does everything – that’s what we needed.
When I called Superior Renovations, the lady said Jimmy will come and see you. So they gave us a time and a date. When he came, we told him what we wanted and he took it down on his paper and it was easy peesy – he made everything look easy.
The project was done quickly too, so Jimmy was very easy to talk to too and to understand. I wanted a bit like pale colors to make it look spacey – like I think dark colors make it look smaller and thats the idea we had so Jimmy allowed us to pick the tiles and fittings and everything – so that was quite nice, he didn’t just put what he wanted to put.
He asked us to come to the showroom and pick the tiles, the vanities, the fittings which was really good thing to do. So we picked all the pale/whiter tiles – it looks smaller before and now it looks a little bit bigger now I think because of the tiles and the white paint Jimmy and the team has put.

Yes I have already spoke to Jimmy and Kevin about Superior Renovations to do the kitchen. What you guys did with the bathroom – was so impressed, so so impressed. I think the kitchen, once we’re ready, we’ll have Superior Renovations, Jimmy and his team to come and do it. Because of the bathrooms, we’ve come to trust him, we’ve come to like his work and the trust is a big thing. And to keep everything in the budget was very important to us, and Jimmy/Kevin and with all the renovation team I think, with the kitchen we won’t be going over budget, I think it will be the same experience we had with the bathroom.

Thats the reason why I even told Kevin and Jimmy I won’t go looking for any other renovation company for the kitchen, because I like you guys. I wasn’t here during when he was doing it so, I just saw the end result which was really good. I mean we told him what we wanted and he just put it in and he did it, and the end result was what we wanted. It just looks nice and better then we thought, it was really nice dealing with Jimmy.
To me it’s just like he just slotted in like he’s always known us, there was no sort of awkward moments or any thing like that, just a part of the family – part of the family almost He was very personable, easy to talk to, and was calm all the time, that’s what The way they were calm about everything, I think is also important, it helps keep us calm, because doing a renovation can always be scary but with you guys, working with you guys it’s been very peaceful, it was fantastic.

Stephanie & Kieran Eades, Bathroom & Kitchen Renovation in Wattle Downs, Auckland

Still have questions unanswered? schedule a no-obligation consultation with the team at Superior Renovations

Still have questions unanswered? schedule a no-obligation consultation with the team at Superior Renovations