CHARACTER HOMES

The origin of CHARACTER HOMES ltd

In the late 90s, with just a seed of an idea, based on his passion for old NZ homes, and the skill to see it through, Guy Gillespie started a building and restoration business that is today, a home-grown, Canterbury icon.

Guy and his wife Jo, recall, “we wanted a name that captured, not only our passion for work with early NZ architecture, but also alluded to age-old business traditions of, integrity, relationship, and...well, character”.

“On this particular day...” beams Guy. “I recall driving through an old Christchurch suburb, trying to form a short-list of potential names in my head...Old House Builders, Early Homes, Buildings with Character, Character... Builders”.

“Character Builders” - it says so little, yet says it all. Then, by carefully selecting a simple logo, depicting the front of an old house, Character Builders began, just like that.

Sensing the need for a greater platform of experience, Guy gradually formed a strong working relationship with another small Canterbury based company - Lewthwaite & Son Ltd. The involvement of this 3rd generation of builders greatly increased Character Builders’ basis of expertise for this kind of work.

They like to use the term “Sympathetic Restoration by Design” - that is, to combine the skill of workmanship, with an understanding of the original design to achieve a seamless outcome for every client they work with.

With the combining of resources and their considerable experience in building new homes, a further opportunity soon became clear - “Could there be a market for an authentic, old-style homes, but built with state-of-the-art products and materials and designed to meet the needs of the modern family?"

“It was no longer just a specialist building service, we now had a product to demonstrate and market,” explains Guy.

And so in February 2002, whilst still incorporating “Character Builders Restorations”, and an additional Home Inspection service “Character Home Check”, Guy & Jo formed the company - Character Homes Limited.

Character Homes appeals to the person wanting more than just a house. “Our clients...”, Guy explains, “...are a niche market, often from rural Canterbury…people wanting a home they can fall in love with. They dream of an old home, with elegance and charm, but with modern design; with state-of-the-art technology, insulation, and minimal maintenance.

In 2002, Character Homes produced it’s first two Christchurch homes, in Chilvers Way, Harewood. Demonstrating both design excellence and quality of workmanship with a 1st place award in the ‘Builders own home’ category of Master Builders, House of the year for Canterbury, 2003.

Since that year their homes have featured regularly and their entries are generally always among the leading contenders for the Registered Master Builders House of the Year awards.

Today, having survived a building recession which has crippled many, Character Homes Ltd gives credit to the importance of a strong reputation of reliability and integrity.

Demand for their service in Sympathetic Renovation continues to grow, as does their long-term relationships with staff and customers.