Taking on the challenge of reviving a rundown Thorndon villa certainly paid off for Scott Feasey of Scotty’s Construction at the Registered Master Builders 2016 House of the Year awards.

The Wellington renovation was named the national category winner for the Renovation Award $250,000-$500,000. It was also awarded a Gold and Category win at the Wellington Wairarapa Registered Master Builders 2016 House of the Year.

Mr Feasey says winning the award was a great feeling and a proud moment for his team.


“We were really rapt for the team who took on this challenge. It’s an awesome achievement and gives us recognition and kudos in the industry,” he says. 

Mr Feasey says the traditional style of craftsmanship throughout the home was a standout feature. However, he explains that aligning the client’s budget to their expectations was a challenging part of the renovation.

“The place was unbelievably crying out for a makeover. We had to strip the whole interior out, remove the rear of the house and completely redesign most of the interior,” he says.

“We wanted to bring back traditional craftsmanship and give our team the opportunity to showcase their level of skill. They definitely rose to the challenge — we are extremely happy with the end result.

“The most challenging part of the renovation was matching the client’s budget and expectations. The team did a fantastic job of exceeding the client’s high expectations.”

Judges were impressed with the home’s transformation from a “tired old villa”, and praised the builders’ ability to work within a strictly limited budget.
“The house has been completely upgraded and rewired, with new plumbing, heating, insulation to floor, walls and ceiling, and a new bathroom and guest toilet was added,” they said.

“The old additions were demolished and redesigned by the builder, giving his client a new dining, living room and kitchen with rear outdoor living space formed off a new deck.

“The new additions were styled to match the existing villa details, with the old villa stripped back and repainted. A fantastic job and a well deserving winner.”

Mr Feasey says winning the award makes his company stand out in the industry and amongst their peers.

“Master Builders has given us a platform to take our business to a really high level of recognition. Winning these awards earns us respect in the industry, and our clients certainly see the value in them,” he says.

“It also gives our team a great feeling of pride, and helps them understand they are not just builders — they are the best of builders.”

Mr Feasey praises the Registered Master Builders Association for providing members the ability to build professional networks and enter the House of the Year and Apprentice of the Year competitions.

The Awards are made possible through the support of PlaceMakers, Master Build Services, GIB, Nulook, Future-Proof Building, Carters, Plumbing World, Resene and Bunnings Trade.