Throughout my career in joinery and kitchen sales and design, I have dealt with many people with varying experiences while building new homes. I have some absolute horror stories and some incredible and overwhelmingly happy endings. For the less nomadic types like myself anticipating my first build, all these stories were certainly heeded in our decision to “take the building leap”, fortunately for us; we met with Simon Russell and the latter of these experiences of my clients, was met by us. Such an approachable presence, genuine and sincere from our initial contact, incredibly open, honest and transparent in answering all our questions to follow-ups and check-ins further through the process. Simon removed all the self-doubt, stress and concerns we had; his relaxed, un-pushy approach has allowed us to enjoy the entire experience from discussions thoroughly and designing to planning and detailing. With his extensive trade background, we fully trusted in his recommendations for many products and accepted advice for less practical options. Simon has taken the guesswork out of everything, has been a huge support, kept in touch and on a personal note…offered us some surplus materials from his build for our own. I consider Simon a friend, I trust him and respect his knowledge, which for me, was so important in undertaking such this large financial commitment. There is nothing I can fault or suggest to Simon for him to improve in his role as (award-winning) New Home Consultant, I cannot speak highly enough of everything he has done for us, and when we build, again we will, without a doubt, be seeking his help, experience, dedication, advice, and skills. I would not hesitate in recommending Simon to anyone considering building a new home.

So I had plans to move back home to Motueka to be nearer to my mother and had always wanted to build my own house. But I didn’t know where to start. Stories of leaky homes, dodgy builders and delayed finish dates came to mind, and so I went online to do some research. I found I liked the idea of a trusted, reliable, local company that could help me to buy the section, arrange plans, through to having a weatherproof, cosy home that I could live in and enjoy life. And of course, entertain family and friends... And that’s where Simon Russell and Signature Homes and I started my modern-day adventure! Simon was genuinely interested in making my dream home come true right from my first email enquiry to him a few months ago. He replied to every question promptly, he clearly took me through the process we were about to follow and he had the patience of a Saint with all of my questions and plan changes along the way. Genuinely a professional operator and his advice on door and window locations to catch the sun, room sizes, design, building materials etc, was invaluable. His National awards in his office certainly gave me confidence going forward as well. Then Simon introduced me to the rest of his Signature Homes team. Right from the boss, to Project manager, to the positive receptionist and they all had a fantastic smile and a ‘can-do attitude ‘ and nothing was a problem. Sounds too good to be true? Then I recommend you contact Simon and the team and give them a go - you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. No bull shit just bloody fantastic teamwork and the desire and ability to help you achieve your dream home without the worries and hassles. Finally, a 10-year weathertight guarantee, 2 year workmanship guarantee and a guaranteed finish date make me very comfortable on my decision to use Simon Russell and the Richmond Signature team to make my dream come true. Many thanks

"From my first introduction in February 15 to date Simon has been nothing but professional. That is not to say we have not had some lively debates about my intended house, some of which Simon has won and some myself! However I have enjoy the process up to date and know if I have any problems I can call on Simon any time. His knowledge around the building industry has been invaluable and got me up to date with present times."

From the beginning where Simon clearly and confidently talked us through the good and bad (costly) aspects of our house design that we had been working with another builder, he has given us 100% confidence about our first-time build project with Signature Homes. After that first meeting, we worked closely with Simon, and with his building background changed our plans to fit exactly what we wanted and within our budget. He was never pushy and always came up with solutions to all the tricky aspects of our build design. We always knew where we were from foundations up & would highly recommend Simon and would use him for our next home build project.

We have just moved into our beautiful new Signature Smart Home, and we are absolutely thrilled with it! After struggling to find a house to convert to suit ourselves and our adult daughter in a wheelchair we cautiously explored the building option. Two firms told us we could not build on our limited budget, and another did not even follow up with us. A work colleague recommended Simon Russell at Signature Homes so we tracked him down to have a chat. Not only was Simon confident we could build to our budget, but he also had a suitable section for us to view and a was really interested in helping us modify an existing plan to suit our family’s needs. Simon went above and beyond a salespersons role at no expense to us to design an open plan home with cavity sliders and a wet floor bathroom that met NZ Health and Disability Access Standards. This valuable information combined with Simons building knowledge, focus on doing the best job for us and the clarity of build costs that he presented to us, gave us the reassurance to go ahead with a new build. Few nervous moments but BEST decision ever!! Then the whole team at Signature worked with us to make our dream come true, the build process was so exciting, and heaps of fun, watching our home grow from dirt to complete was awesome, and Simon was right there with us every step of the way… we can honestly say that if we had not met Simon, we would not have built and would not be the very very happy campers we are today!! We have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Simon Russell and the team at Signature Homes Nelson!!!

Simon Russell has been our New Home Consultant for our new house being built in Richmond. Part of the reason we chose Signature Homes was because of the positive initial contact with the team at Signature, Simon was our main contact. We have found Simon to be very attentive and courteous. He has followed up things in a timely fashion. We have appreciated his frequent emails keeping us up to date. He is a good listener with a friendly and approachable manner. He has connected us up with others when it is appropriate. Simon has excellent technical knowledge which has helped with the planning of the position of the house on the section, as well as making any individual changes easy we wanted to make to the house layout. He has had some good ideas. We would have no hesitation in recommending Simon to others (in fact we already have). Designed by Dominic Mold

If you have any concerns around the aspects of a new build, don’t! Contact Signature Homes Nelson and ask for Simon Russell. Simon is a New Home Consultant and Design & Build Specialist at Signature Homes. His confidence and knowledge of the building industry leave you feeling secure. He quietly steers the ship in the design process, not letting you get away on yourself and spend beyond your means, and let me tell you it’s not hard to do in today’s environment. He is always positive and works well with his team, who are all on the same page. I honestly don’t recall to date having any issues, whether we were working with Chris Pyemont, the architect who had so many great ideas, or Simon Bixley, the owner of the Nelson office. He took us through the final contract and worked with us with our concerns, which we had none of at the end of it. Simon Russell is very dedicated to his position, and it’s not hard to see why. Every query is followed up on, and the process is always moving forward. This business is quite simply streamlined to ensure customer satisfaction, and they should be proud of the way they conduct themselves. Jannine and I are looking forward to the completion of our new home sometime in 2020. We are extremely happy with Simon and the team at Signature Homes.

My brother and I decided to buy and build our home through Signature Homes. Simon Russell has been our Consultant throughout this process. Simon has been more than accommodating from day one, helping us to custom design our new home to meet our needs and exceed our expectations. His friendly and personable attitude put us at ease during what could have been a stressful process. Not only was Simon flexible to fit in with our busy schedules but he also helped us to achieve our goals as a team. To anyone looking for a professional, hardworking and enthusiastic consultant to start their new build, we would thoroughly recommend Simon.

When we built with Signature Homes, it was the first time that we had built a house, and we were thrilled to have worked with Simon throughout the process. We found Simon to be extremely professional and accommodating to our requirements and busy schedules. Simon has immense building knowledge and was understanding of our requests throughout the process, along with working within our budget restrictions. I have no hesitation in recommending Simon for further projects.

We would like to acknowledge the excellent relationship we have had with Simon Russell from the beginning sale and consequent development of the designs for our home presently being built at 14 Karamu Lane Appleby Hills. Simon is unfailingly helpful, listens through our discussions and endless concerns and questions. He is always available through many changes. He obviously enjoys his work and gives the impression that we are valued customers and is willing to engage well past his direct involvement with us as we negotiated through the requirements of the Tasman Council and the development covenants. We have, and still do, value his opinions and recommendations and have respecteted the fact that he is able to think outside the box in order to improve on our initial ideas and designs. He has a good sense of humour and represents your company well. We would be happy to speak with any prospective clients who would like a direct reference, but do not wish for our identities to be used for advertising.