Want to have the House of the Year?

It’s unequivocally New Zealand’s most prestigious building award, but what does it really mean for the industry and is it only for houses worthy of being on Grand Designs? It might be surprising to know that in fact any new (Master Builder’s certified) house can be a House of the Year contender.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that the awards are for the elite or for houses with a build price of at least a million plus. Often it’s during the early planning stages where the potential of a house becomes evident, which could easily be for an unassuming entry-level brick and tile house as opposed to a palatial mansion.  

What gives a house the edge is a perfect balance of layout, design, how the house fits on the property, sun facing and how the home works for the occupants lifestyle. Incorporating future-proofing into the design also ranks – how the materials will stand the ravages of time and allowances for later additions for changing lifestyle needs such as an internal lift.  

From a builders perspective there are certainly benefits such as industry recognition, but for us it’s the craftsmanship of the trade, working hard to ensure a perfect finish with no detail overlooked. This is also reflected in the scoring with a majority of 65% of the points going to workmanship. But awards aside, we build homes for people. Handing over the keys to a new house is a great feeling knowing you’ve fulfilled your clients dream to the highest standard possible, regardless if it’s the House of the Year or not.