After more than 40 years experience in the building industry, John Jensen believes the Smith & Sons’ three-step build process – design, plan and construct – is the best concept he has seen.
John, who is the new owner of the Hibiscus Coast franchise of Smith & Sons, says he spent more than six months researching the company, its reputation and processes before deciding to join it.
“The building industry is pretty buoyant at the moment and most sub-contractors are busy,” he says. “This is good for the industry, but it means that anyone thinking of building a home or renovating needs to be careful.
“Unfortunately, in NZ, price dictates everything.
“You may pay a little more for reputation and experience, but what you get in return – at least from us – is a budget that you can rely on with no surprises.”
The Hibiscus franchise covers from Albany to Warkworth and west to Helensville, and has a pool of 30 staff.
John says he started his first company when he was 25 and then took a few years off in his mid-30s to gain a diploma in quantity surveying.
“I love the building game – I was never going to be a person who could sit at a desk all day.”
He says his experience has taught him that understanding the future homeowner’s lifestyle is an important step in the pre-design process.
“Setting a realistic budget is important, but understanding how the people living in the house will use their home helps us get the design right, right from the beginning.”
