Auckland builder Sean Kemble from Lifestyle Building and Landscapes has assembled all sorts of Outpost Buildings over the years from garden sheds through to larger horse stable designs.
Outpost kitsets are designed to be a straightforward and cost-effective solution for a variety of needs and the small, family-based business has focused on making the process as simple as possible, with detailed instructions and all the necessary components included.
However, there are times when a builder can add a lot of value to the process especially for bigger, more complex projects and that’s when Sean comes in.
He says he finds the Outpost kitsets to be very complete and easy to work with.
For the DIYers, all of the harder thinking has already been done for you and then it’s just a case of piecing it together, he says.
“The plans are very detailed and everything is labelled. You know exactly where everything is going. As long as you stick to the plans and don’t try and make things up, they go together very well.”
One of his best tips for putting them together is making sure the skid mounts are level and square to ensure that the rest just slots together.
For some of the larger Outpost builds such as horse stables and cabins, Sean will get contacted by Outpost as a recommendation through to customers when they require more than just the Outpost kitset itself.
That can include things like earthworks, foundations, concrete washdown areas, building loose boxes and holding pens.
With the manpower, diggers and lifting equipment, he can help make the process easier and faster for the customer by taking control of the whole process from start to finish.
“Seeing the client who has come out in the morning when there’s nothing there to then all of a sudden in the afternoon, all the frames are up and they can start to see what they’ve paid for.”
Sean says one of the key benefits of an Outpost Buildings kitset is that you know what the cost of the building itself is right up front, right from the word go. What you pay Outpost is what you pay Outpost.
“Outpost kitsets are very economical. If you were to go and buy all the timbers yourself you would have a lot of wastage because of the different angles that they use and we have seen some that are similar that people have tried to make and the angles don’t work, nothing quite lines up. You can spot a fraud straight away.”
Sean says working with Outpost is very easy. “Of all of the kitset companies, they are one of the best and very easy to deal with. As a qualified builder- 100% love these kitsets.”
Watch Sean's video testimonial here. https://youtu.be/L9qvU4ofTiU?si=OLreRrqAMvtAl7vY
Can anyone assemble Outpost kitset buildings?
We’ve made our kitsets really easy to assemble so that almost anyone can build themselves a small hen house, shed or livestock shelter. Many of our customers have little or no experience with building – all you need is a “can-do attitude,” be able to use a hammer and an electric drill and then just follow the instructions. But for some of our larger builds, we would recommend calling in some help from friends, a local handyman or builder.
Outpost kitsets are grouped into 3 building skill levels so you know what to expect
DIY Basic: Basic building skill required, low building height & step-by-step instructions. Only basic building tools are required for assembly (hammer, driver drill, tape measure, ladder, tin snips). How long it takes to assemble these depends on your building skill level but it is usually doable for most from a few hours to within the day. Example: small hen house or small calf shelter
Advanced: Larger, heavier kitset components that usually take a bit longer to assemble than our DIY kitsets. They are bigger buildings with heavier parts so you’ll need 2 people to position and fix the parts in place and do some of the jobs. We still supply step by step kitset instructions for these buildings so you don’t need to be a pro. How long these buildings take to assemble really depends on your skill level. For example, our builders that have assembled kitsets before can have them finished in 2 days, however if it’s your first time building then it’ll probably take you longer. We still supply step by step kitset instructions for these buildings so you don’t need to be a pro. Example: horse shelters and garden sheds.
Professional: Builder Assembly is required for some of our larger buildings. These kitsets come with comprehensive building plans that make it quick and easy for a professional builder to assemble. Example: larger stables or cabins.
What are the instructions like?
The easy to follow step by step instructions that come with Outpost kitsets have diagrams and pictures to help you understand what to do with each part.
Along with the kitset itself, you will be sent a hardware kit with all the fixings (like screws and nails) and fittings (like hinges and pad bolts for doors). All the fittings & fixings are well labelled so you know what to use for what part of the assembly.
We also supply a list of all the parts that are included in the kitset so you can check that you have everything before you start and lay the parts out for easy access during construction.
You can call the team at Outpost if you have any questions on 0800 688 767 or email sales@outpostbuildings.co.nz
One of the Outpost horse stables Sean has assembled for a customer. Photo: Sean Kemble
To contact Sean for more information or quotes please contact:
Lifestyle Building and Landscapes
Ph 02102662709
Email info@build4u.co.nz
