Absolute Homes

Owner and Director, Chris Cawthray, is a qualified carpenter and Licensed Building Practitioner, and Ange is the business manager and accountant. Ange and Chris met in the UK, ran their construction business and started a family, then returned to New Zealand to provide a better quality of life for their daughters.

Chris trained and worked in the New Zealand building industry before moving overseas. He worked for fifteen years in the United Kingdom, gaining valuable knowledge and experience in running his own construction business. A decisive and results-driven leader, Chris focuses on delivering quality outcomes for our clients.

Ange is a qualified Accountant. Having gained accounting experience in New Zealand and the UK, she now works full time in her crucial role supporting the sustainability of Absolute Homes and its strong work culture.

Creating an environment for success is a key priority for Absolute Homes. Having the right people in the business is vital – our skilled carpenters and support staff share our values and are our biggest assets.

Their wellbeing and helping them to feel empowered and appreciated in their roles are particularly important to us. If you are a skilled, experienced carpenter – contact us – we may have a vacancy on our build team.

25+ years’ building experience

Owner, Chris Cawthray, will personally oversee your build from start to finish. From swinging the hammer, to project management, alongside 15 years of business ownership - you're in safe hands with Chris.

Communication

The key to a strong client-builder relationship and to ensuring you enjoy the build process with Absolute Homes.

Fixed-Price Contracts

Absolute Homes will ensure your concept plan is comprehensive and every detail is explained, prior to agreeing on a fixed-price for your build.

Quality Assured Contractors

We pride ourselves on the quality of our sub-contractors. In addition to this, our specialist quality assurance construction manager, Glenn, oversees every build.

Experienced Team

We take pride in our skilled team of carpenters, each bringing expertise to every level of our organisation. Alongside our builders, our project managers' boast years of carpentry experience. With our owner/operator overseeing every build with 25+ years of experience, carpentry proficiency remains central to our operations at every level.

We believe in old fashioned values

We are a locally-owned, family-run business based out in Darfield. Kindness and trust matter to us.

Building shouldn’t be a stressful process – we’ll make sure you don’t have anything to worry about. With Absolute Homes, you’ll be working with an experienced team who take a hands-on approach at every stage of your build, from concept to completion.

Absolute Homes will be ready with solutions and answers, right when you need them. You’ll easily be able to track how your build is progressing, and be confident that everything is going to plan.

1. Build Consultation
   Building a home can seem daunting, which is why we like to begin by explaining how we can help and what’s required to get started.
2. Know Your Numbers
   You’ll need to meet with your bank or a mortgage broker to understand your budget and what you can afford.
3. Site Visit
   We will visit your section to access things such as the size, shape and orientation. If you don’t have a section, we will help you find one.
4. Concept Drawings
   Our design consultant will then produce a simple site, floor, and elevation plan for you taking into account all of your specific requirements.
5. Fixed-price quote
   You’ll meet with our design consultant to go over your plans and all inclusions before signing the build contract.
6. Client selections
   You will visit our suppliers and work alongside a qualified interior designer to finalise all build selections including colours, fixtures and fittings.
7. Final plans & consent
   Our architectural designer will draw and submit a comprehensive set of plans for council consent. Current council consent times are around 4-6 weeks.
8. Construction
   Once council have issued building consent, the exciting part happens - we begin the physical process of building your home! Your project manager will meet with you on-site throughout various stages of the construction process. Absolute Homes conducts all business using the New Zealand Certified Builders contract – so we must include progress payments in the Building Contract (paid by you in stages throughout the build). This also ensures you only pay for work that has been completed.
9. Handover
   Once your home has been signed off by council and we have received final payment - we will hand over the keys to your brand new home!
10. Guarantee
    Along with your 10-year Halo Guarantee, after 1 year of enjoying your new home we will meet with you as part of our 1-year Service Guarantee.

Site Safety on Your New Build

Absolute Homes’ health and safety systems and procedures are developed through industry best practice and are adopted on every new build and every job, with every contractor and with every project partner.

Health and safety are integral to our culture at Absolute Homes — we’re fully committed to maintaining a safe work environment for all.

We’re proud of our safety record to date and make it our number one priority to ensure anyone working with Absolute Homes onsite gets home safely at the end of the day.

Site Safe & Site Wise

Absolute Homes is a member of Site Safe* and we have a full working Health and Safety Policy, which makes health and safety systems effective in meeting Legislation and WorkSafe NZ requirements.
We maintain a strict, independently audited safety program and achieved a Site Wise Green status; we have demonstrated that we have quality health and safety systems in place on every new build.

*Site Safe provides education and resources on best practice systems and behaviours known to improve on-site Health and Safety.