Mr Thom believes there are a lot of skilled builders in New Zealand, and the high quality of entries made it all the more special to win.
“So many quality homes were entered in the competition, and I was honoured to win. As a builder, you never know where you sit in the marketplace in terms of quality, so winning was definitely a surprise too,” Mr Thom says.
This is the second year Colin Thom Builder Ltd has entered House of the Year, and Mr Thom believes the experience and learning opportunities encountered in the competition are invaluable.
“Taking part and succeeding in House of the Year has been great for business. It has definitely lifted our business profile and created opportunities for us — we’ve seen a noticeable increase in enquiries from architects since the competition,” he says.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it. Above anything, it has been an excellent learning experience for the entire team, and I would really encourage anyone thinking about entering to take part.”
Mr Thom says not a lot of homes are meticulous in their detail, and he believes it was this that made his Dunedin home stand out.
“The design and the site are pretty special, but I think it was the workmanship that ultimately won the award for us. There is a lot of attention to detail, a huge amount of timber work and an incredibly small margin of error. We worked very hard,” he says.
“Winning the Builder’s Own Home Award was special because we had really tailored the house to our lifestyle. There is a lot of outdoor living and a lot of indoor-outdoor flow — we built it with a ‘come home to be on holiday’ mentality.
“Because I still had my other projects to keep on top of, entering the Builder’s Own Home category was a lot of work and very challenging. Winning was a fantastic feeling — it was acknowledgement that our hard work had paid off.”
House of the Year judges agreed that the workmanship and attention to detail played a large part in the Dunedin home winning the award.
“Produced to an exacting measure, the home flows down the hillside, stepping down four levels with rooms off both sides, but maintains a single pitched roof,” they said.
“It is an amazing feat of design, construction and engineering — a stunning home, on a stunning existing landscaped site, stunningly designed and crafted.”
Mr Thom says the business advantages of being involved with House of the Year and with Registered Master Builders in general are countless, and he will continue to enter the House of the Year competition.
“After what I have gained from entering House of the Year I will absolutely enter the competition again.”
“It’s fantastic to be involved with a brand that promotes quality — Registered Master Builders has a good reputation, and in winning a House of the Year category, that reputation is projected onto my business.”
The Awards are made possible through the support of PlaceMakers, James Hardie, Gib, Nulook, MBIE – Building and Housing, Future-Proof Building, Carters, ITM, Plumbing World, Resene and Westpac.
For more information about the competition, visit the Registered Master Builders web site at www.masterbuilder.org.nz.
