A new family bach for under $200,000

With their James Hardie-clad relocatable beach house, three generations of the Dobbie family can now gather for holidays together.

Family holiday homes are dear to the hearts of many New Zealanders. Often small and with basic amenities, they're much more than just a house where you spent your summers. They're full of cherished memories of family gatherings, long, sunny days, picnics, playing beach cricket and monopoly with your cousins, and getting bitten by mozzies and sandflies.

The Dobbie family bach at Whangamata on the Coromandel Peninsula was no exception. In the family for around 40 years, it's enjoyed by three generations, including Chris Dobbie and his two sisters, their mother and 11 teenage and young-adult grandchildren.

But due to its age and exposure to the elements, the timber-weatherboard house had fallen into a bad state of repair, and action was required.

'It used to be a single working-man's quarters at the Mangakino Dam before it was put on our section,' says Chris. 'Repairs had been carried out at various stages but now the old place was just about falling down - the outside boards were rotting and full of borer.'

Last Christmas, the family had begun to talk about replacing the house. Despite all the wonderful family memories it contained, the place had just become too small and too rundown, he says.

Searching online for relocatable homes, the Dobbies found the ideal place on the Keith Hay Homes website.

Having made the decision to replace the house, they wanted to get on with it straight away, so the family felt a relocatable home was a much better option in terms of cost and time, than building from scratch.

The Raglan home they chose is from Keith Hay Homes' Coastal Classic range - a selection of six new-generation homes designed to reflect the contemporary New Zealand lifestyle, and ideal for a beach house or lifestyle block.

With three bedrooms, and a generous living/dining/kitchen area opening onto decks, it was perfect for their needs.

The house features a stylish and durable combination of Linea™ Weatherboard and Titan® Façade Panel with Colorsteel guttering. With its beachfront location and exposure to salt and wind, a durable cladding material was a must.

'We chose this combination of James Hardie products because Dad had done a bit of research and liked that look,' says Chris. 'Plus, the weatherboard look, broken up by the smooth Titan® Façade Panel gives the house a more contemporary feel.'

The hard-wearing characteristics of the Linea™ Weatherboard and Titan® Façade Panel cladding mean maintenance will be a thing of the past, so family holidays can be spent relaxing rather than carrying out repairs, he says.

The house was recently transported during the night from Keith Hay Homes' West Auckland head office to Whangamata on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula. Chris, his wife and his two sisters were there to welcome their new home.

After delivery of the house to the site, the site services were connected, an inspection was carried out by the Local Authority, and it was all ready for occupation.

Blake Bibbie, CEO of Keith Hay Homes, says the company has a long-established relationship with James Hardie, which stretches back to the early 1960s.

'We were one of the first building companies in New Zealand to trial a lot of James Hardie's new products, and despite the large number of alternatives available today, we've chosen to continue dealing with James Hardie,' he says.

Blake says James Hardie products are a great option for transportable homes due to their quality, light weight durability and good looks.

'A light-weight cladding is preferred for transportation, and the product also needs to be durable enough to withstand the transportation and to ensure long life for the customer,' he says. 'James Hardie products are a good cost-value cladding option.'

In addition to Axon™ Panel, Titan® Façade Panel and Linea™ Weatherboard, Keith Hay Homes uses a range of James Hardie interior linings, including HardieGlaze™ Lining, Villaboard® Lining and HardieGroove™ Lining.

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