Sponsored: 60 years of building houses

...and Universal Homes is still innovating.

Building great places to live for 60 years is being celebrated this year by Universal Homes.

The company was founded by kiwi lawyer Wilfred “Bill” Subritzky in 1959 to meet the needs of first-time home buyers; he helped establish Avondale as a residential area when it was still green fields. Some of the firm’s first houses still stand there today – each one a monument to its solid building techniques.

Subritzky went on to be awarded the Queen's Service Medal for Community Services. By the time he stepped aside in the mid-1980s, Universal had built more than 14,000 homes.

Mike Pearce, the firm’s sales manager, says that Universal’s longevity comes down to its original values of solid financial management (having survived many recessions), staying ahead of house-building trends and working closely with customers.

“Some of our senior managers have been with the firm for 28 years. Our CEO Graham Street has been with the company for over 40 years.

“That knowledge provides us with a solid foundation. Whatever is happening in the market, we have seen it before. That’s what makes us strong, but also innovative where it counts.”

“Another of our strengths is that we stick with tried and tested building methods and don't just adopt new fads as they pop up. We wait and evaluate instead of rushing in.”

Unlike many building firms, Universal Homes will typically buy land and, using in-house or contract architects, design homes to suit the location and the needs of today’s buyers.

“We do a lot of research before we start building,” says Pearce. “We draw on all available data to build the best homes in the right places and at the right price. Unlike most residential builders, we build and then we sell.”

“It means buyers know exactly what they are getting and exactly how much it will cost. We don’t ask for progress payments as we have the reserves to see developments all the way through to completion. This makes it very bank friendly.”

A company such as Universal Homes can't be in business for so long without making its own contribution to the building process.

“We are implementing a flooring system called the cassette system,” says Pearce. “Flooring is craned into position and this saves days on a home's construction. When the system is used with new scheduling timelines we have adopted, it can save several months' construction time.”

He recollects how Universal Homes was one of the early members of the Master Builders Association, the organisation that offers the Master Builders’ Guarantee.

Over the years the firm has been recognised for its work by the association. It was a triple winner at the Auckland Regional Master Builder awards in August for its homes in Hobsonville Point (gold), Pukekohe (silver) and Long Bay on Auckland's North Shore (bronze).

Right now, the company is building 302 homes in 10 locations across Auckland. Half the company's customers are first-time buyers – an important focus since the firm first started trading – however today’s homes are far removed from those of 60 years ago.

“When we started, we’d built single-level homes on large plots,” says Pearce. “But now it is mostly two-storey and terraced homes. Warm, dry, insulated and double glazed – a huge difference.”

“We’ve come a long way in 60 years, yet at the end of the day we just enjoy building good quality homes for modern kiwi lifestyles” Pearce says.