Home renovations spark passion for new business

Raumati South couple Lauren Gibbs and Johnnie Saunders found the passion to start a new property renovation business after purchasing their first home together. Photo: Cloe Willetts

Business ownership in Kapiti is booming and, according to Kapiti Coast Chamber of Commerce's Liz Koh, young business owners are among the array of talented professionals standing out in the crowd.
In a local market set for big things as the MacKays to Peka Peka Expressway Project weaves its way through and the coast continues to expand, some of Kapiti's clever and creative young minds are already stepping in to leave their mark.
Kapiti News reporter Cloe Willetts spoke with a collection of young local business owners whose stories will be shared over the next few weeks and show that, as well as running successful businesses, they're doing it with a stroke of individuality.

Walking past boxes and gatherings of tools, new home owners Johnnie Saunders and Lauren Gibbs take in the new surroundings of their Raumati South property with gratitude, as most young first time homeowners do.

With wooden floors stripped of their well-worn carpets and vintage fixtures relieved of dust, the couple describes the house as a complete re-do, a longterm investment, which is already into the early stages of what will be a lengthy renovation process.

A month after diving into homeownership in February this year, Johnnie and Lauren had already built a new fence, pulled out an old fireplace to install a heat pump and fitted a laundry and, during the process, stumbled across more than the anticipated mortgage.

Upon taking to the tools on the weekends, accompanied by Lauren, Johnnie felt his passion for building renovation creep back in and in a year of firsts, turned his sights to business ownership.

Having originally tucked away his skills as a young qualified carpenter in 2008 when local building work dried up, Johnnie was now back in the industry as the owner of recently launched business NZ Proud Property Maintenance.

"Johnnie remembered how much he enjoyed home renovations while doing our house and thought, why not do it as a full-time business?" said Lauren, a marketing professional, who met her partner of six years when they worked together at a local bar in Raumati Beach.

"So he left his job in sales labour hire and started the business in the beginning of June."

Like many younger families starting businesses on the coast, the venture was done with limited money and a lot of initiative; seeing the pair rely heavily on late night Google research, their own skills and the support of family and friends.

"I had my first go at creating a company website and we had the helpful influence of friends who made our business cards and did the signage for the work truck.

"I think the most challenging thing was having everything we wanted to achieve set up before we started so that we went in prepared."

Johnnie, who had worked in general management for other businesses, said the experience helped when it came to his own business planning.

"I decided to juggle all home maintenance work because I have more of a passion for working on existing properties, while lots of other builders focus on new builds," he said.

"Once I get the ball rolling and meet more people and show them what I can do, hopefully business will take off."

With decks and fences already filling his fresh business portfolio, the father to eight-year-old daughter Chillie said business ownership had proven to be a lucrative step that allowed him to focus on what was important in his life.

"My daughter stays with us every second week, so the more flexible working hours means I can take her to and from her after school activities, while fitting in the rugby coaching I do at Kapiti College.

"Rugby trainings start at 3.30pm, so it allows me to pick her up and watch her swimming lessons and still get to do the coaching I love."

Appreciative of where 2016 has taken them, the couple said their step into home and business ownership was a reflection of living in a tight community.

"We were renting a house a few houses down from here when we saw this property go on the market," Lauren said.

"We got in and made an offer straight away and things just kind of quickly fell into place for us.

"We got a call to say the owner had accepted our offer, despite there apparently being other higher offers, because he'd lived in the house with his wife who had passed away and wanted the home to go to a young family.

"He was also a local at the bar Johnnie used to manage, so that may have also been a factor."

Lauren said while the Kapiti Coast was continuing to expand, Raumati still held on tightly to its hospitable small town feeling.

"Our longterm goal is to stay in Raumati and it helps that the industry's really pumping around here now."