Established in 2012, Klemm Homes is a multi-award-winning luxury and boutique custom home builder based in Adelaide. While remaining a small, family-owned business, the company has completed a diverse portfolio of homes over the past nine years, from three-storey builds, renovations and developments to energy-efficient and luxury homes throughout the region. Here’s their story.
The Journey
Troy Klemm was always keen to have his own construction business. After completing his Construction Management and Economics degree and working in the residential housing industry for several years, he saw an opportunity to do things differently when creating his own construction company.
Today, Troy and his wife Carmel lead the Klemm Homes team of six staff, who purposely restrict their number of projects each year to focus on quality and remain an exclusive, boutique builder. The company has grown significantly in the last nine years and has firmly established itself as an industry leader in its field, winning numerous MBA Excellence Awards and a Young Builder of the Year award along the way.
“I always had a vision to be the best high-end custom home builder I could, but this certainly wouldn’t be possible without an amazing team of staff, trades and suppliers,” says Troy. “My focus from the beginning was on building high-quality homes with high-end quality trades and suppliers and taking on a limited amount of work to ensure the highest quality control on all our projects. We’ve grown a lot, but our values haven’t changed.”
Building a great business
What does a great business look like to this team? Great people, great quality and great relationships.
“Building quality homes with excellence and integrity is what matters to us most,” Troy says. “We complete homes on time and on budget, and we maintain transparency with our ‘Open Book Policy’ for selections, which our clients love as it allows them to know their true costs. There are no hidden surprises.” Carmel, as one of Adelaide’s leading interior designers, holds the client’s hand from the first initial meeting at the display home and during the selections process, right through to hanging the final pendant lights on site.
Klemm Homes uses the same high-quality trades and suppliers on every project, and they make a point of getting to know clients and what’s important to them to ensure they meet expectations.
“By taking this approach, we’re able to guarantee client satisfaction and a consistent, high-quality finish to every project we undertake,” he says.
He adds that good communication with clients, trades, suppliers and neighbours is vital to their work.
“It’s all about building relationships with people and working together to produce amazing homes,” he says. “Our business is not just about building houses – it’s as much about building relationships with clients and suppliers. In the current climate, with serious material shortages and delays, the 15-plus year relationships we have with some of our key suppliers has ensured disruptions have been minimal.”
Accru Harris Orchard Director Rhys Bithell notes, “Troy and Carmel’s team is extremely talented at what they do. They’re great operators as well as genuinely nice people. They’re very loyal, honest, passionate and caring, and this comes across in all their dealings.”
Accru Harris Orchard’s role
Klemm Homes has been a client of Accru Harris Orchard since 2014.
“We engaged Accru Harris Orchard to advise us on business growth, measuring key performance indicators and setting up cash flow forecasts to ensure that we’re continually monitoring the overall position of the company,” says Troy.
“We’ve built a great relationship with Rhys Bithell and the rest of their team,” he adds. “They’re always available to discuss any matters that arise and consistently provide exceptional advice and feedback, and this has allowed us to confidently push forward, even in uncertain economic times.”
The Future
Moving into 2022, the company is exploring new methods of building using “Passive Building Techniques” to produce high energy-efficient houses and more sustainable buildings. These techniques incorporate wrapping a house with vented cavities to ensure a more constant internal temperature, with much less reliance on mechanical heating and cooling.
“It’s important to us that we continue to evolve and be a builder that cares about our environment,” says Troy. “We want to lead the way in implementing energy-efficient techniques that reduce our houses’ impact on the world’s carbon footprint.”
Learn more by visiting the Klemm Homes website.
Want to learn more about how Accru Harris Orchard can help you build a great business? Contact our team today.
