What a year 2020 has been, with huge ups and downs across the board. For Sentinel Homes, it has been a productive year with our franchisees busier than ever. Some of those homes have been recognised at the Registered Master Builder House of the Year 2020 awards – showing it’s not just quantity, but quality.
Sentinel Homes Waikato and Auckland North/West have raked in Regional Category Winners and Gold Awards in their respective regions. What an achievement in a year of lockdowns where work had to cease – a true testament to the effort and commitment from these teams.
Maree van de Water heads up the Auckland North/West team, and what a year they have had, with noteworthy achievements adding strength and value to their brand. Their awards from House of the Year include two regional category wins, two golds, a silver, and a bronze.
Maree says that their successes in 2020 have come from many things across the business. These include building partnerships and trustworthy relationships between clients, designers and the builder.
“We partner with our clients for a long time. We’re on a journey together, and working as a team is what produces those exceptional outcomes,” she says.
For the first time, the homes were pitted against the big budgets in the New Home category. Even so, they still managed to take out the top positions of regional category winner and gold awards.
Maree says that as volume builders, they work under a lot more restrictions and these awards prove that volume builders can create homes with beautiful, bespoke designs.
"These homes have some seriously cool, bespoke design features. It’s about understanding how to work with materials to make it look ‘wow’ without blowing the budget,” she says.
One of the team's stand-out design features from the award-winning homes is a two-way fireplace that separates the dining from the living room. Magnificent skylights brighten up a hallway that would otherwise be a second-thought –details that caught the judges’ eyes.
Maree is set on making 2021 an even bigger year for her team and can’t wait to partner with more clients in the new year.
Managing Director of Sentinel Homes Waikato Nate Alley and his team have taken out two gold awards and regional category winner.
A Matamata home won a gold and the regional category gong. Made from Rockcote and cedar in a generous 287sqm, the home includes a cedar fireplace, tall vertical windows, entertainer’s kitchen with scullery and a bonus workshop in the garage. A large outdoor area adds more value to the entertaining space, a real score for a New Zealand summer.
The second gold was awarded to a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home. With a valet-style driveway, Linea weatherboards and black brick, the home stands out for all the right reasons. A large open-plan living space with an indoor fireplace is expanded by a Kwila deck, delivering ample entertaining space year-round. A butler’s pantry with sink and an ensuite bathroom with a free-standing tub add those extra layers of luxury.
The awards collected by these two Sentinel Homes teams make this year something to look back on. Despite being dominated by a global pandemic, and economic uncertainty, they still delivered exceptional homes and have left their clients with smiles for years to come.
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