The new owners of the southern Signature Homes franchise and its parent franchise company have completed and signed off the contracts of 16 homes which had been briefly in limbo during the liquidation of the former franchise owner, Dunedin-based Murwil Construction Ltd, last year.
Signature Homes Southland and Otago general manager Jacinta O'Connell said that since the company took over the Otago contracts, all of the 18 affected clients' homes had been completed and had been signed off.
None of those projects was in dispute over claims.
While trading conditions in general were difficult, inquiries for new homes were rising, there were orders on the books and as the new franchise holder, the company was rebuilding relationships with tradespeople affected by the Murwil liquidation, Mrs O'Connell said.
"Inquiries levels are up in both regions, but people are being more hesitant, given the way the economy is and jobs not being as safe," Mrs O'Connell said.
She said since taking over the work of former franchise holder Murwil, Signature Homes Southland and Otago had completed and signed off seven homes, while parent company Signature Homes Ltd of Tauranga had taken over and completed nine more homes under its Home Completion Guarantee.
Mrs O'Connell said two of the total 18 home owners had opted to complete their own houses.
One was close to completion and the other was using their own builder.
Following signing off the 18 homes, Signature Homes Southland and Otago has since completed a further five new homes, have three under construction, three at the architectural stage, and an investor has signed up to build a Dunedin show home in Waverley by the end of the year, she said.
• Cunningham Building and Construction Ltd, incorporated in March 2003, operated as a construction company around Southland for several years.
It took on the Signature Homes franchise in 2009, first with the Southland franchise April and opened an Otago branch in August, now trading as Signature Homes Southland and Otago.
