Next Kit Home, a two-year-old local company, is striving to make building homes simpler and more affordable in the Cook Islands.

Motivated by the struggles of locals facing high costs and unreliable services, founder Jason Pierre, who is also the owner of Next Shipment, says his mission stems from wanting to give people a trustworthy and cost-effective option.

“I think there’s been lots of horror stories about people getting ripped off,” Pierre explains. “When I was in New Zealand, it’s really difficult to try and build here, because you don’t know who you can trust, and there’s lots of people that don’t get back to you.”

“I know a lot of our customers have had that experience, so we’re just trying to make it easier for them.”

Pierre’s journey to offering kit homes or prefab homes locally began two years ago, but it wasn’t an easy start.

The initial hurdle was convincing suppliers in New Zealand and Australia to work with a Cook Islands-based business.

“When I first started the business, I wanted to do homes, but we couldn’t because suppliers wouldn’t deal with us in Cook Islands. They’d had bad experiences with businesses over here not paying or whatever it might be,” he shares.

To build credibility, Pierre took a “scenic route,” focusing first on smaller projects and building strong relationships with suppliers.

Next Kit Homes and Next Shipment owner Jason Pierre. 24111907, 24111908

After two years of proving reliability, his company secured agreements with key manufacturers, allowing him to source materials at competitive prices. This has enabled Next Kit Homes to offer high-quality builds at a fraction of the local cost, says Pierre.

Next Kit Homes offers a range of customisable options, including steel frames, timber, and brick structures, tailored to customers’ budgets and preferences.

Pierre also emphasises sustainability by incorporating off-grid solar solutions in builds, addressing the high cost of electricity in the Cook Islands.

“We do full solar off-grid builds now because electricity is quite expensive,” Pierre adds. “We’re just trying to make our builds as cool as possible.”

Despite keeping prices competitive, the company includes premium features at no extra cost.

“The last build we did we put in lots of extras, but it’s the same price,” he says. “We ended up putting LED lighting around the stairs, upgrading the shower to tiled instead of cubicle, and a whole raft of things that make the house look cool and feel really nice.”

While Pierre’s efforts are making a significant impact, challenges remain, especially for outer island projects.

Freight costs and logistical hurdles drive up prices, making it difficult to offer the same affordability in these regions.

“It doesn’t resemble anywhere near the price that we’re advertising,” Pierre says. “But we’d absolutely do it if there’s a build slot available.”

The company’s success has led to expansion, with multiple build crews now operating across Rarotonga and a dedicated team in Aitutaki.

“We’re fully booked through to April next year,” Pierre says. “I think we’ve got one build slot left in April, which will probably fill up, and then the next build slot is not open till August.”

Looking ahead, Pierre plans to introduce more innovative building materials and features, such as fiberglass pools, to further enhance the quality and appeal of his projects.

Pierre’s venture is about creating trust and delivering value. By leveraging relationships with overseas suppliers and introducing modern building solutions, he hopes to raise standards and offer locals the opportunity to build homes that are both beautiful and affordable.

“We just want to make it really easy for a customer,” he says. “They don’t have to do anything – they just choose what they want, and we handle the rest.”

Pierre also highlighted the lack of a centralised system for builders’ accountability in the Cook Islands, making it harder for locals to know who to trust. He advises customers to refer to the Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI) accredited list of builders for safer choices.