Making homeowners happy - one house at a time
Prepare to upgrade your dream home standards with these incredible Bay of Plenty builds by Gudsell Builders.
WORDS Andy Taylor PHOTOS Amanda Aitken
With his father in the trade and having pretty much grown up on building sites, it was inevitable that Matt Gudsell would be a builder. He farmed for five years, but the tools soon called him back, and that’s a good thing, because Matt has built a solid reputation for creating beautiful homes throughout the Bay of Plenty and Waikato – and for making their owners happy indeed.
“What attracted me to building was seeing the result of all the effort and time that goes into building one of our houses,” says Matt. “I like to see the reward of a job really well done, and that comes down to attention to detail and quality of finish, making sure everything’s just right and to the very highest standard.”
To achieve those standards, at Gudsell Builders, Matt has built a team that shares his keen eye and a passion built on 30 years in the trade. “People are much more discerning now – they know what they want,” says Matt of their customers. “The industry is constantly evolving too. In addition to our team of 24, we have eight apprentices, and the old hands and new guys work hard to keep up to date with the latest technology and products to make sure we offer the very best available. I like to think that what people see in us is dependability and quality, and seeing the job well done is still what I love about what I do – I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t.”
The semi-rural resort
Wood, concrete + space
Dependability and quality is certainly what attracted the owners of one of Gudsell Builders’ latest projects in Tauranga’s Bethlehem, for a family of four who were relocating from the Mount and wanted more living space and room to entertain. “Our first experience of building had been great,” says one of the homeowners, “but we were taking our new build to the next level, so we wanted a trusted builder, someone who’d done a lot of quality homes – and Matt had a good reputation for that and for being financially secure.
“Throughout the whole process, we knew that if there was any problem, we could take it to him and he’d take it seriously and fix it. Quality’s very important to him, so if he sees something that isn’t right, he’ll get it fixed, and that’s really important. From a client’s perspective, you don’t always know what to look for, so having his attention to detail was fantastic.”
That shows through in the finished home, which Matt says was a big project with many decorative concrete finishes that took careful setting up to get just right, as well as large decks built for family and friends.
“Gudsell Builders have a great team, which means the whole process flows really well, with plenty of communication,” adds the homeowner. “You hear people saying that they’ll never build again, but we loved the whole process. When you have a partner like Matt, it makes it easy.”
The country retreat
Contemporary cedar luxe
The two-storey home the team built for George Lin and his wife in Te Puna, Tauranga was the couple’s first new build, but they’re already thinking about doing it all again – with Gudsell Builders. The contemporary dwelling with cedar timber throughout is testament to their commitment to quality and communication.
“It was our architect, Brendon Gordon, who recommended Gudsell Builders to us,” says George. “We found Matt and his team really easy to talk to. I really enjoyed the process, so much so that I started thinking that I should build another house! I’ll definitely use Matt and his team again – I wouldn’t change a thing about working with him.”
The beach breeze
A good time all round
Meanwhile, Pete McSweeney’s beachfront Mt Maunganui home merges the Kiwi coastline with thoroughly modern living spaces that champion the tone and texture of stone and timber. Thanks to its carefully crafted open plan, floor-to-ceiling glass and showcasing of materials, it was a design that demanded top-notch craftsmanship and expertise to bring it alive.
“We wanted a modern-day beach house and a builder who could deliver the dream we had and that the architect encapsulated,” says Pete. Gudsell Builders seemed the obvious choice. “I looked at some of the homes they’d built and was really impressed. Gudsell Builders have a great team of people who weren’t just top builders but top blokes as well. Having good banter on site made the process so much easier.”
The evolution build
Glass + light
David and Ainsley Ewings’ impressive property in one of Tauranga’s avenues began as a concept drawing, but in collaboration with their architect and Gudsell Builders, it evolved into something unique. The pavilion-style house features a double-storey living area, vertical shiplap cedar and unobstructed views – and the couple are quick to credit Matt with helping to make it a reality.
“He’s very collaborative, and any issue he saw was flagged well ahead of time so it could be discussed,” says David. “The build went smoothly, even though it was quite a difficult time, with problems with materials being withdrawn meaning we had to consider other options. But we worked on that with Matt and just worked our way through it. I’d recommend Gudsell Builders to anybody.”
“They were such a nice team to work with,” says Ainsley. “Matt is just delightful – and man, did he get the job done. This house is so different, it’s fantastic, so we’re really, really happy.”
