Sam Hardy (right) with his foreman Aaron Kendrick, who was his first apprentice when he started the construction company. Photo/ Bevan Conley
Sam Hardy (right) with his foreman Aaron Kendrick, who was his first apprentice when he started the construction company. Photo/ Bevan Conley
Despite a drop in residential consents, a Whanganui construction company owner says business has never been better.
Hardy Construction owner Sam Hardy said in the past seven years, the growth of his company had surpassed all his hopes.
“I never expected the business to get this big.”
The family-owned constructioncompany has expanded from three people working out of Hardy’s home to a team of 15 staff, including five qualified builders and seven apprentices.
In 2017, he identified a gap in the Whanganui market for high-quality, premium homes, he said.
“My wife Stacey and I saw an opportunity to be able to do it, and we just went with it.”
He said their business took off after the Covid-19 lockdowns, with increased demand for home renovations in the last one to two years.
“Whanganui’s definitely growing. There’s a good half a dozen inquiries we get each year from people out of town who have bought blocks of land here. A lot of professional couples and families.”
Hardy said the demand from clients wasn’t slowing down, despite the fact interest rates were high.
“There’s no better time to build than now.”
Data from Infometrics provided by Whanganui & Partners shows that in 2022, there were 111 more jobs in construction compared to 2021.
There was also a 51.4 per cent increase in non-residential consents for buildings over the past 12 months versus the previous year, but a 7.4 per cent decline in residential consents.
Hardy Construction took home two golds at this year’s Master Builders House of the Year Central North Island and East Coast/Hawke’s Bay regional competition.
A villa in Whanganui Central they worked on won the category for renovations up to $750,000.
Hardy said this was the project he was most proud of.
The villa in Whanganui Central that won the category for renovations up to $750,000.
“There was a lot involved with restoring the villa to life but keeping its charm and character.
“We ripped the whole top off the house and built an extension out the back and the side, then we re-trussed the whole place.”
To complete the renovations, the team put a tent over the entire house to protect it from the elements.
“I believe I was the first builder in Whanganui to do that; we did it to stop weather delays and to prevent any moisture problems [from affecting] the exposed materials.”
The winning new home of the up to $500,000 category.
The company also won the new home of up to $500,000 category, for a property kitted out with a bespoke bar and equestrian room as a nod to the owner’s love of horses.
“Being a builder is about trust - a home is the biggest thing a person will invest in, so it’s a massive responsibility.”
Hardy said in his 23 years working as a builder, the largest change had been the number of health and safety regulations.
“A building site is not a safe place to be, and things can happen that are pretty scary.
“The rules on site have increased but, let’s be honest, a lot of them should have always been there.”
Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.
