A resounding yes

The brief was for a home set up for effortless entertaining and easy family living. Sinclair Builders exceeded expectations and picked up a prized award along the way.

WORDS Kathy Catton PHOTOGRAPHY Douglas Brownlie

When it comes to housebuilding, it’s not often that the project goes seamlessly. More often than not, challenges arise, the weather doesn’t play ball, or the stress gets too much. But for homeowners Jeremy and Sarah Robb, their build with Sinclair Builders was about as plain-sailing as you can get.

The couple had been living in the Halswell area for the past four years and were looking to make the leap into building a solid family home. With young children in tow, they sought to find a builder who understood their needs and could stick to the budget.

Based on the recommendation of a friend, the couple met with Chris Sinclair from Sinclair Builders and were thoroughly impressed. “After meeting Chris, we were set that we wanted to work with him. All the team, including the subcontractors, were all great to work with, and their craftsmanship and commitment were second to none,” says Jeremy.

DUCTED COMFORT This stunning home is always at a comfortable temperature thanks to the Mitsubishi Electric Ducted System with Lossnay from Quality Heating Services.

The key to the design was the open plan living area, which flows seamlessly to the outdoor areas. The couple left most of the rest of the design to architectural designer Bud Caldwell who has partnered with Sinclair Builders for over 12 years on several projects.

“We wanted the home to be open, great for the kids and great for entertaining, and of course warm in the winter and cool in the summer,” Jeremy says. “This has been achieved by good design and also good quality mechanical heating.”

Bud Caldwell, of DesignNZ, took on the brief and worked quickly to develop a concept for the four-bedroom family home. “Our process went really smoothly,” says Bud. “It may sound strange, but we had very little communication with the client after the plans had been signed off. This is a good thing, as it shows our detailed drawings were accurate and there were no problems during construction.”

Builder, Chris was equally as happy with this build as the owners were. “Everything went really well. The clients were fantastic to work with, and because we take care of the whole design, consent and build process, it’s easy to keep everything running to schedule,” says Chris.

Work commenced on-site in late August 2020, and the owners moved in less than six months later.

The exterior of the home offers a beautiful blend of striking black tray cladding, vertical cedar and plaster, which adds a warmth and versatility to the house. The portal gables also offer a point of difference, which adds another level of sophistication to the home for a minimal extra cost.

“Tray cladding is becoming more and more popular at the moment,” says Chris. “It’s very normal for us to work with this material, and we enjoy the look that it creates on the homes we work on.”

Outside, the versatility of the home continues. There is a beautiful outdoor seating area, where friends and family can dine out. If it rains, there are louvres overhead to enjoy the alfresco dining, or if it gets too cold, the inside dining option means it’s easy to talk from the kitchen to the dining area.

“It’s a great layout,” says Jeremy. “If it’s really cold we can sit in the lounge with the gas fire on. But when it’s warm there are loads of options. The louvres also mean we can be outside with shade or in the rain!”

One of the many delights of this home is the wooden wall feature in the entranceway, with a hidden door revealing a storage room behind it. “We get so many comments from visitors, and it’s a great use of space,” says Jeremy.

So, what’s the key to this seamless success? Firstly, according to Jeremy, it was the personal recommendation. The builder was referred to Jeremy and Sarah via a trusted friend, who had already built with them. As a result, there was a sense that the builder and the homeowners were on the same wavelength right from the start.

SLEEK LINES The sleek kitchen joinery from RD Gallop Joinery Manufacture is a contemporary palette with a matt black finish and contrasting oak tones on the cabinetry.

The communication from the builder was also outstanding, and as Jeremy says, “Even when the weather slowed down the pouring of the concrete on the driveway, Chris and his team kept us informed every step of the way. Chris went to all lengths to make sure that he got the next available slot for the concrete pour, making sure timelines were still on track.”

Jeremy also thinks the fact that they made very few changes to the plans once the ground was broken was a crucial factor in the success of the delivery of this project. This meant the budget stayed in good shape, and the project manager could plan accordingly without any hiccups or changes to products and materials.

PERFECT MATCH The black steel roofing from Residential Roofing blends seamlessly with the striking black tray cladding.

And lastly, but by no means least, the internal workings of Sinclair Builders business are also key to a smooth-running project. “We work with subcontractors we’ve known for a long time,” says Chris. “And we pay our staff and our subcontractors on time, so they know they can rely on us. It’s a busy and stressful time in the construction industry at the moment, so this reliability makes a huge difference.”

The icing on the cake was the 2021 House of the Year awards where this home earned four wins, including National Category Winner, Top 100 and a Regional Gold award. And for director Chris, he’s very proud of the homes he builds, saying, “We think all our homes are gold winners.”

Certainly, homeowners Jeremy and Sarah would wholeheartedly agree, saying they have no hesitation in recommending Sinclair Builders and would definitely book them in for a future build.

CONTEMPORARY TILES The green and white Aria range tiles from Tile Warehouse, laid in both a herringbone pattern and straight lines lend a contemporary elegance to this bathroom.

INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT

BUILDER
Sinclair Builders 2010 Ltd
03 943 3979
sinclairbuilders.co.nz

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER
DesignNZ
022 043 4691

BUILDING SUPPLIES
Dyers Road ITM
03 373 6049
dyersroaditm.co.nz

HEATING AND COOLING
Quality Heating Services
027 492 1320
qhs.co.nz

TILES
Tile Warehouse
0800 289 845
tilewarehouse.co.nz

ROOF
Residential Roofing
027 553 3025
residentialroofing.co.nz

KITCHEN JOINERY
RD Gallop Joinery Manufacture
03 384 0002