Breathe easy

Thinking of a sustainable, healthy and energy-efficient home? Premium Homes has something for everybody.

Award-winning construction company Premium Homes has released an array of house plans to choose from, making it easier than ever for anyone to have a high-performance, sustainable home using a natural approach.

Grant McSherry of Premium Homes is pleased to make its specialised designs more accessible. “Traditionally, we’ve worked with architects and designers to create individual homes for people, and we’ll carry on doing that. But we’ve introduced these plans so that people can come to the website and see a home that suits them. It makes it easier and more affordable. They’re really good family-size homes, ranging from 130sqm to 255sqm, all efficiently designed with no wasted space.”

Grant says the process is simple but comprehensive.

“We can help with house and land packages, if necessary, and modify the design plans for the site. We can even talk regarding financing if need be. Pricing is easy, as the starting prices are shown on the plans, and they can be upgraded from that point in terms of fixtures and fittings. The performance aspect of the home is built into that pricing. It’s about helping people achieve what they really want, with a far superior product.”

In an industry plagued by environmental factors such as the use of toxic materials and significant volumes of plastic, Premium Homes is committed to a new standard. Grant highlights the need for the building industry to become more sustainable and offer healthier options to homeowners and that’s why Premium Homes specialises in constructing homes to Foreverbreathe specifications.

Created by Health Based Building, the Foreverbreathe specification uses high- performance, vapour-permeable building materials to effectively manage moisture while minimising energy use and harmful chemical emissions.

Plans available on the Premium Homes website include Somers, top, and Oxford, above. Below is an award-winning Foreverbreathe home built in Akaroa.

Robin Curtis of Health Based Building emphasises the importance of evolving the industry towards healthier and more sustainable practices. “Premium Homes has made that decision, and it has upped the game significantly. It’s not easy to do.”

He says there’s a growing interest in health-based approaches to construction and applauds the work of Premium Homes. “They will get high performance, they will have lower maintenance costs, and they will be living with excellent air quality.”

Grant appreciates the long-term association with Health Based Building, which also manufactures and supplies innovative materials and systems.

“It takes performance building in a different direction,” he says. “We’re using natural products to ventilate moisture as the whole system is breathable and exothermic with wool insulation. It acts just like it does when we wear a merino: if it’s hot, it will keep you cool. If it’s cold, your merino will keep you warm. It’s natural, non-toxic and great for people with asthma. And it’s fire retardant and low-maintenance. It’s a really impressive system.”

Premium Homes also makes good use of Health Based Building’s show home to demonstrate to new customers the benefits of building to these specifications.

“It’s one thing to see it all on paper, but actually bringing somebody in there, especially on a cold winter’s morning, is fantastic,” says Grant.

He’s happy the new Premium Homes plans will appeal to a broader audience. “I don’t think it’s going to take much for people to quickly come to the conclusion that this is good for them, and it’s good for the planet.”

03 365 0080 | premhomes.co.nz