Paul Brockie of Brockie Renovations Ltd says it was surreal to win the Renovation Award up to $250,000 at the Registered Master Builders 2013 House of the Year.
He says getting up on stage and being recognised for his team’s hard work was a fantastic feeling.
“Getting to the finals is a huge achievement, and when you’re announced you do a bit of a double take — I remember thinking, was that my name they just called out?” he says.
“When I got back to my table, I realised I had completely missed what the judges had to say about the house. You just have no idea what’s happening around you.
“We’ve been renovating for a long time, and that’s the market we want to be in. The under $250,000 award is exactly where we want to be. If I had a choice of any award we could have won at House of the Year, that would be it. I couldn’t really have asked for anything more.” Mr Brockie says this was a particularly rewarding win for the team.
“The client needed better spaces to suit their family, particularly kitchen and living areas. Everyone has a wish list and a dream, but achieving those dreams on a budget is really special,” he says.
“All work is challenging in some way, so it’s fantastic to be rewarded. We like entering House of the Year and being judged. It keeps us in the renovation market and keeps us raising our standards.”
The judges said the small retreat home was a total surprise, calling it a more than deserving winner of this category.
“Originally built in the early 2000s, dramatic improvements have been undertaken to suit this home’s just retired owners,” they said.
“The builder has achieved a seamless transition between old and new with an increased floor area, new kitchen and extended decking to improve flow and offer choice of living areas.
“Modern decoration and a fantastic use of limited space mean this wonderfully blended addition has allowed the owners to remain in their preferred location, while accommodating their lifestyle needs.”
Mr Brockie says there are a number of business advantages in taking part in House of the Year and being part of Registered Master Builders.
“The Master Builder brand is very strong, and winning awards helps strengthen our brand. House of the Year is great for networking too — here in Nelson we can sometimes be a bit isolated, so meeting other builders who can share knowledge and experience is fantastic.
“I joined Registered Master Builders in 1994 to be part of a powerful brand and to give me the confidence to be successful with its support.
“We’ll absolutely continue to enter House of the Year. This year we’ve got another renovation entered — we’ll see what happens!”
The Awards are made possible through the support of PlaceMakers, James Hardie, GIB, Nulook, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Future-Proof Building, Carters, ITM, Plumbing World, Resene and Westpac.
