Is 2026 going to be a good year?

Allan Bellve – Director – Bellve Construction

Staff: 1

Location: Auckland

To be honest, anything will be an improvement on 2025! Based on what I’ve experienced so far, I think I’ll be alright this year. I’m closing a little job now, and my pipeline of work is looking fairly busy. There’s a lot of little jobs in Auckland – stuff like small house upgrades or new fences. From what I’ve experienced this year, I think there’s a bit more disposable income around and people are looking to spend on home improvements, which is good.

Something that’s helped me is my big contact book of old clients – that’s the good thing about building for so long. I’ve been working with some people for 30 or 40 years, so I’ve always got a steady pipeline of return clients or word of mouth referrals. The clients I’m working for now know me from when I built their house 35 years ago!

I used to build houses, but that doesn’t suit where I’m at in my career. I’ve been building for over 50 years and I think this year will be my last as an LBP.

 

Julius Keepa – Director – Keepa Construction

Staff: 3

Location: Dunedin

Business is going pretty well at the moment! I’m starting work on a couple of new builds, although I am nervously looking at the situation in the Middle East and how that’s affecting the price of goods here. Our usual work is house renovations and projects like decking, so obviously if increased prices stick around then potential clients will have less money to spend, which could impact our project pipeline. Thankfully, I also get a bit of work installing Solatube skylights, so that helps to supplement my other stuff.

I’ve also had two enquiries for granny flats, which I’m happy to build. One of them is probably going to go through – I’m not 100% sure on the other. That’s probably two months of work for us, because you still need to allow time to get sub-contractors on site.

With high consent numbers, demand for work had picked up in Otago – which is why I’d forecast 2026 to be a good year. I’ve actually just recruited another LBP to work for us. We’d been in the market for another staff member for three months, so I’m pretty pleased to find the right person. Recruitment can be challenging in Otago.

 

Matt Coffey – Director – Matt Coffey Builders

Staff: 1

Location: Christchurch

I am not confident that 2026 is going to be a good year. All of my work is renovations and extensions, so that is so tied up in the state of the economy and how much extra spending money people have. At one point, I thought the industry was tracking back to 2019 levels and on the right track, but now people are so worried about fuel prices that they’re tightening the belts in anticipation of the economy worsening.

The building industry is very reactionary like that, and it’s frustrating because there’s not much you can do – and from a clients’ point of view, a renovation is a nice to have. It’s not a must have.

We’re still trying to drum up work. We go to the Christchurch Home Show every year and we normally pick up a few things off the back of that, plus I’m putting a bit more effort into SEO (search engine optimisation) marketing. But, to be honest, I’m looking to get out of the trade. It’s a physically demanding job, and the last few years have been demoralising, so I’d like a new challenge.

I’m not sure if I’m going to sell the business or just wind it down – the next few months will decide that for me.