Fighting the pests of compost
Customkit Buildings launches two classical portfolios based on timeless designs that are right at home in the New Zealand landscape.
When Ben first started growing crops in his 45m² tunnel house, he put in a patch of corn. But just as it got to the perfect picking stage, a mysterious thief stole it.
“All that was left were the cobs. All the corn and leaves had gone, there was the bare cob, and I thought ' what has done this?'”
Ben began asking his gardener friends for their thoughts.
“They said it must be birds, and I thought ' what kind of birds have we got?' I couldn't work it out.”
Then one day the thieves left a calling card.
“I saw a rat dropping and that's when I started setting traps. I would trap two at a time in one trap.”
These days the rats target his tomatoes, gnawing holes through the thick plastic covering the tunnel house to create a direct route to the ripe fruit.
But a gardening friend had a worse experience when she kept finding her harvests eaten up in the middle of the night.
“She got a night camera and caught them at it,” says Ben. “Fifteen rats later, she was still going, still catching them. But wherever you are, you'll have to deal with rats. Humans and rats are entwined. "
Rats can be a big problem when you're composting. They like a food source, they like a hiding spot and they like the warmth so compost is a perfect place to live.
Ben runs his garden on organic principles and uses traps all around his composting areas and throughout the garden, using peanut butter as bait.
However, around the house the rat population is even more determined and he's been forced to use poison bait.
“The reason I use poison around there is otherwise they gnaw their way into our house. When we did renovations we found bits of four-by-two had been chewed out so they could get into the walls. They're horrible, and it makes me feel sick. It's bad
The reason he uses poison around the house is otherwise they gnaw their way in.
enough when the rats eat my veggies but when they're in the walls of my house and I can hear them chewing, there's nothing worse.”
OVER THE YEARS Customkit has carved out a reputation for creating quality, eco-friendly, sustainable, durable and attractive buildings made from wood.
In the process they have been recognised as leaders in creating lifestyle houses with an emphasis on wide open spaces.
Starting out with the classic American-style barn, the company’s offering has expanded to include a wide range of structures that people love to live in, work in and call home.
The Customkit building style is wide and varied. It is perhaps most recognised for the high ceilings and rustic chic features that suit individual’s lifestyles and their need for inviting living and entertainment spaces.
Based on the successes to date and built upon the reinterpretation of classical designs, Customkit has launched two new ranges, the Longhouse and Barn House Collections.
Managing director Michael Anselmi says their creation is a natural progression for a company intent on keeping up with market trends and meeting the changes in the way people live.
“Our first two Collections complement each other but are quite distinctive at the same time. They reflect the ever-changing demand in the housing market. We like to continually innovate and refresh our brand and offering.”
The Longhouse is a modern take on a building classic that dates back centuries. It provides people with both a place to live and a ‘space’ to house their lives.
The Collection offers a range of great-looking, simple, yet stunning, cost-effective home plans. All options are based on the ‘long’ design style.
Similarly, the Barn House Collection has its roots in history offering structures in different shapes and sizes. One that particularly appeals is the timeless American-style structure. Customkit introduced this classic to the New Zealand market after great interest in its barn-with-accommodation range. People were wanting to live in a classic wooden barn structure with personality and style.
The Collections promote open plan living which has become a desired design feature for communal areas. This ensures there are seamless links to bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry, garages and carports, and special feature rooms to allow for privacy, peace and quiet.
“Both Collections offer a range of great-looking, simple but still stunning, cost-effective home plans,” says Michael.
“True to the Customkit commitment, we still offer plenty of leeway to create individual buildings for people who
want their own personality and style to be incorporated in these creations.
“If you’ve never built a home, it’s not easy to spot a plan that would be straight-forward and inexpensive to construct. Many plans feature foundation ‘bump outs’, elaborate roof lines and empty hallways, to name but a few. All of which can add expense without creating much aesthetic value.
“It really boils down to the fact that simple designs, utilising space, and making the most of exterior views and indoor-outdoor flow are a positive way to proceed.
“If you still want the flexibility of being able to add to an existing dwelling, both the Longhouse and the Barn House collections offer options. We realise people’s lives change and they want their homes to allow for this.”
Michael Anselmi says new additions to the company’s Collection series are soon to come off the drawing board.
The Modern & Contemporary, and the Pavilion Collections will give people even more food for thought, and action, in terms of home building options.
“We’re particularly excited about our Pavilion Collection as this really reflects major changes on how people, particularly families, live. One where more than one family can be accommodated but allow for individual spaces and the ability to add further pods or living spaces as needed.”
A CUSTOMKIT HOME CAN TRULY REFLECT YOUR UNIQUE TASTE, PERSONALITY AND LIFESTYLE… NOT OURS.