A GOOD INVESTMENT

Clients and franchisees alike find Milestone is a brand to trust

The building industry is known for its ups and downs, but after 17 years in the business, the Milestone Homes franchise stands out for its consistently reliable and effective model. With the brand well established in many parts of the country, the company is now looking for business and marketing-savvy people as new franchisees.

Milestone director Nigel Smith says that residential construction has bucked the trend of the current crisis, with more and more people seeing homes as a safe investment. ‘If you talk to people repatriating back here from overseas, or those seeking long term investments, residential housing is very attractive. I looked at one of our franchisees’ new three bed homes in the Lower North Island just last week. It sold for around $516,000 and is now rented out at $560 per week – an exceptionally good return for investors.’

Whether it’s an investment property or a family home, building a home can be an overwhelming business. ‘Here at Milestone, we have become a trusted brand by taking the stress away from the client and leaving them with a home of fantastic quality at a great price,’ Nigel explains. ‘Our three-dimensional simulator gives customers the ability to flythrough their proposed home and see the impact of changing features to help them make the right choices before work starts.’

Milestone’s marketing manager, Lisa van Vuuren, explains. ‘We are process-driven so, rather than designing every new home from scratch, we have adaptive plans for every site and condition. Ten years ago, clients would come to us wanting to build a house on a section they were buying. Today we can be involved in every aspect of a new home from finding land, to finance, to assisting the sale of the old home and anything else that crops up. It means local franchisees need to have a range of management skills and know their area well.’

For business people and managers

The success of Milestone Homes means the company needs additional franchisees to make the most of the brand’s reputation. ‘Milestone is highly respected within the industry for good reasons,’ says Lisa. ‘Nigel is a Director on the board of the Registered Master Builders, and is on the board of BRANZ and Construction Health & Safety NZ. His expertise has given Milestone excellent connections within the industry, so potential franchisees will be buying into a complete brand in every sense with a wealth of knowledge and experience behind it.’

Nigel Smith, milestone Homes

Existing Milestone franchisees come from many walks of life. ‘A building background is not essential,’ says Nigel. ‘A knowledge of, or keen interest in, the building process is helpful, but business skills are the most important ones. We have husband and wife teams who have complementary skills in building and marketing; it suits a construction manager with the desire to strike out on their own; or someone from the corporate world full of enthusiasm for a new challenge backed by our proven model.

‘Franchisees are supported from a centralised business hub shared with Residential Building Services. It’s a long-standing relationship which provides the structure, systems, processes and experience to deliver consistent service nationwide.

‘Unlike a cleaning franchise or café that generates cashflow from week one, franchisees need to think long-term. Two of our franchisees who joined two years ago are seeing the real rewards coming in now – once that tap is turned on it does flow smoothly and with increasing volume.’

Family feel

One of the other benefits of Milestone’s continued improvement over the years has been what Lisa calls ‘the family feel’. ‘When you become a Milestone franchisee, you are not buying a stand-alone business,’ she emphasises. ‘New franchisees are always welcomed with open arms at their first event and everyone assists each other. It’s a huge support network with a cumulative knowledge that goes well beyond the tangible.

‘We have a common purpose and desire: to build first-class homes, improve our families’ futures to enable financial stability, and reap the rewards of success. If you share those goals and want the brand and systems to achieve them, contact us today.’

Advertiser Info

Milestone Homes

Contact: Nigel Smith

P 027 220 1377

nigel.smith@milestonehomes.co.nz

www.milestonehomes.co.nz

Become a smart business owner with Milestone Homes. This is a unique opportunity to enter the exciting and dynamic business of new home building in a market segment that is poised for significant growth in the years ahead.