Our Story

Sometimes life can throw challenges your way. My brother and best mate Dan nearly died numerous times from child arthritis, what we went through together as a family over that time taught me at a young age empathy and compassion for others along with hanging in there when times are tough. Therefore, I am also here to negate any stress from the building process so you can focus on the pure enjoyment of having your dream built!

Dan spent a lot of time in Auckland along with our Mum and our two younger brothers, receiving treatment. This meant I spent a lot of time separated from my family, staying back in Wellington for school and then staying in Auckland with my family during school holidays. 

With all the going back and forth over the years “Home” became not just a building but a special place of belonging. I learnt the value and importance of Family and the very important skill of being able to adapt to different situations and circumstances very quickly. When building there is always something that ‘pops up’ and this has honed that skill so that when something doesn’t go to plan, a solution is quickly found and sorted so the flow of the build continues. 

From the first year of Intermediate till I married the love of my life I grew up in the idyllic and tranquil bush setting of a lifestyle block in the Belmont Hills. It was there watching and helping over the years as Dad kept extending the house and landscaping that I developed the ability to look at a blank or awkward space and not only see the vision but feel the excitement of what it could become. This transferred over to now when we build and help dreams come to life on each project we work on.

In my late teens I discovered the sweaty enjoyment of Inline Hockey. My brothers and I would play hockey at the school next to our house every chance we got. I am thrilled that our children are discovering their own love for the game with the Upper Hutt team, Rimutaka Renegades. We had a fantastic family holiday when we went to Hamilton for our two oldest boys to play in the national championship. On a Friday night you will most likely find me at the Roller-skating Rink where I enjoy watching my five oldest kids learn not only the skills of the game but also how to play as part of a team. Teamwork is vital to us here at Cornerstone Homes so we can produce the very best results in crafting your Dream Home. 

Maths and woodwork were always my two favourite subjects, and these have stood me in good stead over the years as a Master Craftsman. On the lifestyle block I had the privilege of using my Dad’s workshop and all his tools in his massive standalone garage. I spent countless hours in there indulging in my love of woodworking. Working on all the different pieces over the years developed in me an appreciation for finishing to a high standard and to pay attention to the little details. It also shaped the way I put love into the things I create so that now every home I build receives the same dedication and care I put into those gifts I made for others.

I always knew growing up that Building was the career that I was going to have when I left school. I left school on the Friday, turned 16 on the Monday and that day was my very first day working for my Dads building company. Over the course of my apprenticeship I worked on it all, from landscaping and fix it jobs, to renovations, addition’s and reclads, from small simple brick houses to multi-level grand homes with long curved decks and internal glass balustrade walkways and everything in between. 

On these builds he not only taught me to how to construct a building to a high-quality finish but to have Integrity Always! To never cut corners! Ever! and if something isn’t quite right then taking the time to make it so is worth it! Every! Single! Time! I greatly value the lessons I learnt from my Dad and continue to instil them into my Team so that your home won’t just be up to industry standards, but up to My standard most importantly! This is outlined in our rock-solid quality control checklist used for your home.

As I finished up my Apprenticeship to receive my National Certificate in Carpentry, Dad went into Ministry full time. Taking up the reins onsite, the next few years found a couple of apprentices come and go till the time when my youngest brother Andy started as my latest apprentice. Down the track a couple more years found Dad came back to work and for many years the three of us worked together. Boy! what a team we made! It was three years ago with Dad contemplating retiring and Andy wanting to test his wings that we agreed it would be a great opportunity for us both to go out on our own and Cornerstone was Born.

It was during the time Dad was a full time Pastor that I really learnt how to work under pressure, how to problem solve quickly and efficiently and how to project manage multiple jobs at once. This is something I became very good at while never compromising on quality! That has always been something extremely important to me, that everything I do whether building a house, furniture, shelving or landscaping with fences, decks, built in seating, retaining walls and even sandpits too, I want to do my very best. I build and train my team with the thought “Would I be proud to live in this home and would I be happy with this quality of work in my own home if someone built it like this for me?”

I have been incredibly blessed with not only being happily married to my best friend but having 7 amazing children together. In our 16 years of marriage we have had plenty of opportunities to live in a variety of different locations and houses around Wellington. I have built countless new builds of all different styles of homes. Having built 2 new homes of our own as well as living in many different rental properties over the years has allowed my wife Paula and I to develop a fantastic understanding of what works and what doesn’t, what lasts and what doesn’t! What works if you are wanting to future proof, have a boarder, are single, a couple, have elderly family living with you, a family with one child or seven! Or any number in between. Now if you do have more than seven kids, please make contact as I would love to shake your hand and shout you a well-deserved drink! And when you sign up to build your home with me, I will take you all out for a meal to celebrate!

A home needs to be designed well, with plenty of light and a floor plan that flows well. We all know it needs to have plenty of storage but most importantly be warm, dry and well insulated with heating designed to spread throughout the whole house. With first-hand experience of having children that have allergies including hay fever and asthma in our family we know the importance of your home being one of the greatest assets in your family’s wellbeing. Not only do I expect it from my building team but the sub trades I work with must also be of the upmost quality as we partner together to make a home you not only will love and cherish but allow your family to flourish.

For many years we prided ourselves doing high quality work for other companies but with the change of season to Cornerstone Homes we look forward to building up connections with our own clients. We want to walk alongside our clients to help them in this exciting & enjoyable process because let’s admit it, it can be a bit stressful if you don’t know all the ins and outs. Leave it to us! This is what we love to do. You can be involved throughout the build as much or as little as you want, we want you to have an enjoyable experience and at the end walk into a home you are proud of. To us a home is more than just a house it is a place of belonging that connects everyone together, a place to make memories to remember forever. A place to grow old in.

What are YOU waiting for! Come and join me and let us build your dream home.