Meet Eco Home Program: On a mission to turn houses into homes

Q: How did you start Eco Home Program?

A: “I actually worked for an insulation company about 12 years ago and I’d seen the demand in improving the standard of New Zealand homes. So I thought I’d give it a go. To be fair, I did think I could do it a little bit better than them and it’s been challenging, but it’s worked out really well.”

Q: What’s the story behind the tagline: turning houses into homes?

A: “A house is just a structure and a home is somewhere you want to live. And to make it somewhere you want to live, it helps to be warm, dry, healthy, and have less hospital bills. Figured the tagline would be perfect for it.”

Q: What kind of work does Eco Home Program mostly get called out for?

A: “It’s insulation removal actually. That’s been the biggest one where clients just need the existing insulation removed prior to new product going in. We’ve got quite large vacuum cleaners that can actually suck out all of the insulation from the roof cavity.”

Q: How did you and Brittaney come to work together?

A: “It was about 10 years ago, I started it by myself, thinking it was something I could do without her. And I was terribly wrong. She’s helped out massively in making it what it is today. Now she runs the administration. She keeps it all running smoothly and just tells me what to do, which has made it very easy.”

Q: How has Builderscrack worked out for Eco Home Program?

A: “It’s a really efficient lead generation source that helps fill in the quiet days and the empty days. That’s the truth.”

Q: What made you stop using Google AdWords?

A: “We were getting a lot of leads, but they weren’t qualified leads. There’d be a wide range of tenants, homeowners calling just for questions, but it was still costing us money through the lead generation. We thought, we’ll just pause Google AdWords for a little while and just focus on Builderscrack. And I found that the only thing that changed was the amount of money we saved on advertising. We still had the same amount of leads coming in.”

Q: What’s your advice to a tradie thinking about joining Builderscrack?

A: “Give it a go. It hasn’t let us down

Q: What’s the most common mistake you see homeowners making when it comes to heating their home?

A: “A lot of homeowners naturally think having double-glazed windows is the key factor in making their properties warm. It does play a significant part, but I’d say insulation and draught-proofing the house tends to be more effective and have a bigger impact than most people realise.”

Q: Does ceiling insulation actually matter more than underfloor?

A: “That’s correct. We do lose about 35 per cent of heat through the ceiling.”

Q: Does that only apply to older homes?

A: “Not entirely true. They’ve just recently increased the amount of insulation you need for properties under the new regulation.”

Q: Where would you tell a homeowner to start?

A: “Walk around your house and find any gaps or draughts. It’s all going to be a bit of a waste of time if your house is full of holes.

Q: What about DIY insulation work?

A: “If you have existing underfloor insulation that’s foil, it’s definitely a no-go to try to remove that yourself.”

Q: What would you do about condensation every morning?

A: “That’s usually due to having excess moisture inside the house. The best and most common way to fix or reduce the condensation is to ensure you’ve got a ground vapour barrier in the subfloor. And then once you’ve got that, you just have to ensure you’ve got adequate ventilation inside your house.”

Q: What makes a good tradie stand out from the rest?

A: “It’s someone that can tailor a solution to the client’s problem and work within their budget to make that happen,and that takes a bit of work but that will make a tradie stand out.”

Q: How do you build trust with clients outside of recommendations?

A: “Well, I think just making sure that your vehicles are sign-written for a start. You’ve got the appropriate business cards to leave them and you’re in uniform yourself is a great place to start.

But also spending a bit of time with the client. Once you’ve done the job, just talking and having a quick conversation, just realising that you’re all human and building rapport. I think that’s what I do outside of the reviews to help build trust with clients.”

Q: What’s your approach to getting great reviews?

A: “I don’t think it’s much of a secret. All you have to do is do the best job you possibly can every time. That’s actually what my dad said to me: ‘If you’re to do a job once, you do it right’. If you’re on time, your communication is there, and you do the best job possible, I think the five stars just come naturally.”

Q: What’s been one of your proudest moments since starting Eco Home Program?

A: “We were doing a job a little while back and a lady who was just walking her dog stopped to say thank you. She said, ‘You guys did my house last year and it’s made it so much nicer to live in.’ Just hearing that, it’s like a review, but on the street. Moments like that are the best.”

Q: Do you get much repeat business through Builderscrack?

A: “Yes, we do. It wasn’t long ago that my first ever Builderscrack client came back for more work. I really made a great effort with him from the start, and he held onto my number for six years.”

Q: How has Eco Home Program evolved over the years?

A: “As soon as my wife Brittaney decided to join the company, we grew exponentially. Instead of me trying to think I can do it all myself, which is probably one of the biggest problems most small businesses have, we employed half a dozen installers. We had a couple of vans out on the road and it gave me the opportunity to be able to step back and focus more on building the business as opposed to working inside it.”

Q: What’s been the hardest part about running a trade business that no one talks about?

A: “I think finding the right staff would be the hardest thing about running a business. Ensuring you’ve got the right staff for the right job is just as important as having the right tool for the right job.”

Q: What would you say to a tradie thinking about starting their own business?

A: “Don’t give up.

You might think you can build the website yourself. I certainly thought I could. Don’t do everything yourself.”

Q: What has running a business given back to you?

A: “I thought it was going to give back a lot more time. That’s a misconception. If anything, there’s not enough hours in a day. But it has given us the opportunity to help people live in a nicer, warmer home.

And another thing to add would be you get to learn so many different aspects of life. And you become a little bit of an accountant, HR, mechanic, even sometimes a panel beater. But you get to learn so many different aspects. You’re not stuck in one line of learning so you learn a wide variety of skills.”

Q: How has your understanding of running a business grown?

A: “Being diverse has helped a lot. Every day there’s a problem to solve. Every day there’s a fire to put out. I think I’d become the best employee if I ever had to work for someone ever again.”

Q: What advice would you give to a tradie before they start their own business?

A: “Make sure you’ve got a bit of a plan. I know most might think they do, but just to ensure you’ve got a solid plan. Not all businesses started with the perfect plan. Ours certainly didn’t. I just went all in. I knew that there was a demand, but I didn’t have a business structure.”

Q: What if you’re not sure you’re ready?

A: “I don’t necessarily think you’re going to know you’re 100% ready. You’re going to doubt. You’re probably going to be a little bit scared. But if you don’t start a business, you’re back to where you started. What have you got to lose? Nothing.”

Thank you to Blair and Brittaney from Eco Home Program for sharing your story, your time, and delivering great results for Canterbury homeowners and the Builderscrack community.