Page 23 - HW June-July 2021

trade focus
“We see no benefit in doing that, and we can’t do it at our scale anyway. We are just using our systems and processes to extend our lead times.
“So instead of banging our hands on the desk like a lot of builders and going, ‘I want this now!’, we’re going, ‘Hey guys, we understand the challenge you’ve got. How can we ease this pain together and make it work better?’”
If shortages impact delivery times, GJ Gardner will be up front with its customers: “We’re not going to promise the world and not deliver,” he states.
What about demand as opposed to supply?
Saying the next 12 months is going to be “an interesting time”, as potential concerns Grant Porteous cites interest rates going
up and the fragility of consumer confidence (which “tips very, very quickly”), along with “the amount of crap being built in Auckland. Shocking homes to live in, poor quality homes, homes that will leak.”
Another concern is developers leveraging builders’ margins down to as low as 8%: “When everything becomes price driven ... it’s never a good outcome,” he says.
Still, looking forward, Grant Porteous is nothing if not positive when says GJ’s has “a hell of a year” in front of them.
ARE WE THERE YET?
I turn to New Zealand’s next biggest home builder, Signature Homes and CEO, Paul Bull, who is also pleased to confirm that
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JUNE/JULY 2021 | NZHJ 21