Marking the walls all in a day's work

Two men bearing clipboards secretly visited a Stratford home earlier this month, passing their critical eye over its design and build.

The men - Mark Wilson and Allan Austen - are judges for the Registered Master Builders 2014 House of the Year and the house they were visiting is the only Stratford entry this year.

Mark says homes are assessed "65 per cent on building quality and 35 per cent on design", and that he and his colleague look for things such as the clever use of materials, structural integrity and the standard of work of the sub-trades used.

"Our judging is more heavily weighted to the craft of building, but we also want to see a home that has strong design features."

The house is entered into the showhome category, and builder Mike Childs says that while the category is a new one for him, he entered it because "it is all about demonstrating the craft and showing what you can do".

He sees having a showhome as "very important" as a builder, "as it gives clients ideas as to what you can do and helps inspire them when it comes to choosing what they want in their home".

While the judges would not be drawn on specifics of their marking, Mark did say he was impressed by the standard they had seen this year. "It is getting better and better, making it harder to judge but inspiring to see what people are creating."

Mike says entering the House of the Year awards is challenging, "but they are highly recognised awards in the industry and I like to challenge myself".

Regional winners will be announced in New Plymouth on August 8.