Niche housebuilder relies on quality product for steady growth
A Derby niche housebuilder says it is weathering the coronavirus storm by offering bespoke homes and resisting the temptation to get caught up in a price war.
Chevin Homes, which is based on Friar Gate in the city, says it will build between 40 or 50 bespoke homes this year at sites across the East Midlands.
The firm, which is run by directors Dan Stack, James Cokayne and John Fearhnough, was set up in 2002. It is currently on site at schemes in Ambergate, Ashbourne, Marchington and Wyaston.
Chevin is on site in Ambergate
Dan Stack told TheBusinessDesk.com that the coronavirus pandemic has brough some disruption to his company, but it is a mixed picture.
“A lot of contractors want to go back to work now – and we have some sites open and some closed. We’re probably a month or two behind where we should be as the supply chain has been hit by coronavirus. Our sites are much smaller than the volume builders, though, and so we’ve been able to continue in some cases while working safely.”
Stack doesn’t think that the current crisis will lower the price of Chevin’s new housing stock, and the company doesn’t need to sell quick.
“We’re not going to get caught up in a price war,” he said. “Our homes are bespoke properties that people will really want to move into. We’re under no pressure to drop prices for what are quality homes.”
Stack says that Chevin will look to continue developing niche sites across the region.
He added: “We’re looking towards steady growth in the near future. We’ll probably grow some sites towards 20 plots, but the reason people want our homes is because they’re bespoke, so we’ll never become a volume developer. We’ll continue to concentrate on bespoke schemes.”
