David Shaw of Shaw Builders was taken aback when he won the Supreme Award at the Registered Master Builders 2015 House of the Year competition.
Mr Shaw says they knew their category was a tough one, and they were up against some amazing builds, so they were not expecting to win.
Despite this, the Mt Maunganui home also won the sought-after Craftsmanship Award and the Westpac New Home over $2 million category.
“There are so many homes in the over $2 million category, so to win that along with the other two major awards was just amazing. It’s truly a once in a lifetime thing — we’re over the moon.
“The win took a few days to sink in, we were just so humbled. It’s great for our company, and a fantastic way to celebrate our hard work.”
Mr Shaw said the level of detailing throughout the home was what made it really stand out in the competition, and he spent a lot of time ensuring it was perfect.
“I think with this project, I really wanted to make sure it was the best home I’d ever built. I always try to build the best, and this was a special project.
“There was a lot of negative detailing throughout the home which looked amazing — all through the skirting boards, doors and ceilings. With that level of detail, it has to be immaculate — anything out of place can look terrible.
“With these types of homes you’re working to the tolerance of zero. By the end of this project, I said to the judges that I didn’t think we could do any better than what we’d done.”
Mr Shaw says it’s a combination of builders and architects that turn out a good home.
“They need us and we need them — it’s a Catch 22 really. You also need good clients who are willing to spend money and time on the finer details — that’s where you get the results.
“The clients in the top-end categories are the toughest because they want the best — they want that high level of detail. We work to achieve what they want and it pays off.”
Mr Shaw says the company wouldn’t be where it’s at today without his wife and business partner, Carolynne.
“She puts so much into the business, does all the book work and sorts out all the messy stuff while I’m on the tools! We’re a great team, and our clients love that we work together.
“I’ve been building for 37 years, and have been a Registered Master Builder since 2007. You get a lot of work from being with Master Builders — they put the brand out there, support us and, in turn, we support them. I think they’re one of the best associations around — they’re just great to deal with.”
The Awards are made possible through the support of PlaceMakers, Master Build Services, James Hardie, GIB, Nulook, SafetyMate, Carters, ITM, Plumbing World, Resene, Westpac and Mitre 10.
