Latitude Homes treat their clients as they’d like to be treated themselves.
Asking ‘what if we were the client?’ is the foundation of Latitude Homes.
It’s a philosophy that underpins everything the Dunedin building company does, managing director Kurt Laurie says.
“Building a new home requires the client to take a leap of faith, and to trust their chosen company with their budget and their dreams,” he says. “We strive to deliver a service in which they feel empowered and involved.”
While Latitude Homes was founded 18 years ago, Laurie launched the Otago/Southland business as the first South Island license a decade ago this month.
They are proud to be celebrating their 10th birthday having served hundreds of clients over that period. The company has worked with clients across the region, and as far afield as Te Anau, Stewart Island, and the Chatham Islands.
A member of the Registered Master Builders Association, they’ve been Gold Award winners in the House of the Year competition as recently as 2022.
Laurie leads a tight-knit team of four at Latitude Homes, alongside design and sales consultant Pauline Eason, construction manager Dan McCombie, and Amanda Hunt in accounts and administration.
“When we hand over the keys of a new home to the property owner, the whole team is involved,” Laurie says. “We really love to show our appreciation in person.”
Working with first home builders, empty-nesters, investors, retirees, families, and developers, Laurie says they “build relationships, not just beautiful homes.”
Relationships are forged right from the beginning. The team like to meet with their potential clients soon after the initial inquiry, and they offer free site inspections even if the land hasn’t yet been purchased.
A popular starting point is one of the more than 60 pre-designed, architecturally drawn house plans that Latitude Homes offer. These can be customised according to the client’s needs, wants, the budget, and the land, varying from one to five bedrooms, and from 60sqm to over 300sqm.
Recently they’ve been enjoying the process of creating completely custom one-off houses for clients.
“We completely manage the design and construction process from start to finish, Laurie notes. “That includes managing building and resource consents, coordinating all sub-trades and material supply, right through to handing over the keys to the proud owners upon completion.”
The company has trusted relationships with property developers that enable them to offer House and Land packages.
Latitude Homes Otago/Southland has consistently been one of the most popular new home building companies in the region.
That’s borne out not just by their success in volume, but also their ability to offer value for money in the popular ‘sqm rate’ discussion.
“It shouldn’t cost the earth to build a quality home on your slice of paradise,” Laurie says.
The company works with a trusted network of sub-trades across the region. Further peace of mind for the client comes in the form of a 10-year Master Builder Guarantee and a 25-year structural warranty.
As well as having completed hundreds of builds, Latitude Homes Otago/Southland are involved in the community, including the Taieri Rugby Club, and the I Am Hope foundation.
Reflecting on the company’s 10th birthday, Laurie gives thanks to all those they have worked with over that time – but especially their clients.
“Each client build is special in its own right,” he reflects. “We are incredibly grateful that we have been chosen to bring to fruition a client’s dream of a new home. We aim to deliver the absolute best, most efficient, and budget responsible build possible.”
