When Rob and Helana Taylor wanted a self-contained studio for their rural property, they began searching online and found Able Spaces in Trentham, Wellington. Rob compared the delivery costs with other providers of transportable homes outside Wellington and found significant savings due to Able Spaces’ reasonably close proximity to their home in Judgeford, Porirua.
Initial Contact
After an initial enquiry, the Taylors scheduled an appointment to discuss their requirements in more detail. They visited the Able Spaces site (located in Stokes Valley at the time) and met with Norma.
Rob reflects, “Norma was great. She was focused on understanding what we were after and outlining the various options. She had such an in-depth knowledge of all the products she was using and made it really easy, especially when choosing colours, the floors and everything else. She wasn’t afraid to share her knowledge and expertise on what would work and look good which we appreciated. Her flexibility on altering elements and components of the build was also great. For us, Able Spaces ticked all the boxes.”
Important Considerations
Early on, when the Taylors considered companies farther afield, they quickly realised it would be difficult to stay involved in the building process from a distance. Another major advantage was Able Spaces' convenient location in the Wellington region, allowing them to be actively involved in the process.
“Able Spaces was local and very much had an open-door policy. We didn’t really understand a lot of the process so being able to pop in, have a nosey and change our mind about parts of the build was a huge advantage to us.”
Norma’s flexibility around the layout was also a selling point. Rob continues, “We wanted to be able to customise our own design. We put doors in different places and took walls out. We also added our own macrocarpa bench which they happily accommodated – and they included a composting toilet we organised ourselves. We really appreciated their flexibility.”
“We wanted something to be built quickly that could be transported to site. That was our main criteria. They were so quick we hadn’t even had things set up at our end, while they were already a big part of the way through the build. It was so fast.”
Navigating Challenges
There was only one real challenge, outside of Able Spaces control.
During the time from the Taylors initial inquiry to the build itself (post-Covid), sourcing materials became difficult, and material costs rose dramatically. Rob recalls how Able Spaces agreed to meet them in the middle due to such an unprecedented dramatic shift in pricing, which they were very grateful for.
“The ease, speed and reliability – because they could build on their own site – was great. It was clean and quick and reliable. We could have had Able Spaces do the decking for us as well, but we needed to stick to a budget – and we appreciated their flexibility around those constraints,” Rob remarked.
How was your Experience Overall?
“We appreciated they did what they said they were going to do. We said this is how we want to do it and they got on with it and got it done. They had it covered end to end and what’s great is they design it for you the way you want it.
“We have recommended Able Spaces to several friends and family looking to do something similar to us” Both for the cost, quality and stand out customer service.
Two years on, the studio build hasn’t needed any maintenance and friends and family who have stayed in it, love it. “They think the studio is really cool – comfortable and well presented.”
“Our self-contained studio is a high-quality product and the turnaround time was outstanding. The process was easy and I would have no hesitation in recommending Able Spaces. They were easy to deal with and totally transparent. I’d give them a 10/10.”
