A Toast to the Coast: Gold and a Category Win for Versatile Tauranga

A forever home where the family bach once stood - and an award-winning one at that.

We're thrilled to share that Versatile Tauranga has been named Regional Category Winner at the 2026 Registered Master Builders House of the Year, in the Bay of Plenty & Central Plateau competition. Built at Waihī Beach, this coastal home also took home a Regional Gold Award - and topped the Altus Window Systems New Home $750,000-$1 million category. Gold is awarded to entries scoring at least 1,800 points, and the category win goes to the highest-scoring Gold entry. That's a serious result.

From Family Bach to Forever Home

If you've got a favourite beach, why not live there for good? That was the thinking behind this build. The owners had long enjoyed a family bach on this spot, just a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean - and they decided it was time to build the forever home they'd always pictured.

The result is a 240m², four-bedroom, two-bathroom home with a relaxed, light-filled coastal feel that suits its white-sand surf beach setting perfectly. Double barn-style sliding doors, pitched sarked ceilings and a sheltered loggia give it plenty of character - and plenty of reasons to head outside for a drink or a barbecue.

Two Pavilions, One Easy Lifestyle

The home is split into two pavilions - a clever layout that gives everyone their own space without losing that sense of togetherness.

• The living pavilion - the main bedroom suite, complete with walk-in wardrobe and ensuite, sits alongside the shared living spaces. Kitchen, dining and living flow straight out to the deck. Open the sliders and you can hear the surf rolling in.
• The family and guest pavilion - three more bedrooms, a bathroom, powder room, separate laundry, media room and a double garage with loft storage.

Thoughtful planning keeps the main suite private and separate from the rest of the house - perfect when the kids, grandkids or holiday guests come to stay.

Built for Beach Life

It's the little extras that make a home a pleasure to live in. A kitchen scullery keeps the mess out of sight when entertaining. Generous stretches of open decking connect the house to the outdoors, so summer days spill easily from inside to out.

And because no one wants to spend their weekends on maintenance, the home is finished in durable, low-maintenance cladding - built to handle the coastal conditions while the owners get on with enjoying the beach.

A Beach Home That Ticks Every Box

Stylish, generous and made for the long haul, this home delivers everything the owners hoped for - and the judges agreed. It's a fantastic result for our Tauranga team and a home the family can enjoy for generations.

A big thank you to our clients for trusting us to bring their beach dream to life, and to the trades and suppliers who helped along the way, including The Drawing Room.

Ready to Build Your Forever Home?

For more than 40 years, Versatile has been helping New Zealanders build homes they love - from the city to the coast. Whether you're replacing a much-loved bach or starting fresh, our local teams know the conditions, the councils and what it takes to get it right.

Find Your Local Versatile Team | View Our Home Designs

Photography: Brodie Geerlings