Gold Coast business: Yatala-based Volo Homes aiming to carve out space in construction sector with modular builds

A new Yatala-based modular construction company is hoping it can build a large market. READ THE FULL REPORT

A NEW Yatala-based modular construction company is hoping it can build a large market for its residential homes similar to the US and Europe where it is much more commonplace.

Volo Homes, led by CEO and founder Garrick Bull, was born out of residential builder G Developments, which has operated in the sector for more than 15 years in southeast Queensland and NSW.

Mr Bull said the company, which has 10 staff but taps into the G Developments workforce for its projects, was created after he recognised there was an opportunity for a new modular builder to make headway in the sector.

The company has already completed numerous projects including three and four-­bedroom houses for the NSW Bushfire relief program and a 16-townhouse development in South Brisbane.

Volo Homes director Garrick Bull pictured at their Yatala factory. Picture: Richard Walker

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Mr Bull said the benefits of modular construction – 90 per cent of which takes place offsite at their Yatala factory – are numerous.

“You have all the benefits of the new build coupled with the high levels of quality and reliability you get from the factory controls,” he said.

“There is also the reduced build time and reduction in holding costs … it makes a lot of sense.”

Mr Bull said the industry standard for a new onsite build was 16 to 20 weeks.

He said they could cut that down to just five to six weeks with their modular housing.

In addition the cost is comparable to a traditionally-built home, he said.

One of the designs from Volo Modular Homes.

“You won’t be able to tell the difference between a traditionally built house and one of our modular ones,” he said.

“Many people when they think of modular homes they think of boxy, kit homes, but what we deliver is a completed building, with all the bells and whistles you would ­expect from a regular build.”

Mr Bull said they can create a house of any size using the modular process.

He said they use Hebel concrete for the floors, facades and walls and the houses are built using steel frames.

“Our conventional building methods and construction processes are different from your regular house builder. They are sturdier, as the structures need to withstand transportation and we can get them built quicker through maximising the benefits of factory manufacturing including working around the clock and minimising the constraints of weather,” Mr Bull said.

The factory is in operation 24-hours a day.

Mr Bull said many tradespeople preferred to work outside of regular working hours because it gave them more flexibility.

Mr Bull said while many people remained wary of modular construction, that was changing.

“It has been, and continues to be, a big part of the US and Europe markets. It is growing over here but it has been more in the mining sector or commercial sector. We’re trying to promote it and push it in the residential sector.”