Steel Kit Homes Make Housing Dreams Real

A family run, Queensland business is tackling the housing affordability challenge head on with a range of inexpensive kit homes made from COLORBOND® steel, ZINCALUME® steel and TRUECORE® steel.

Queensland Shed Markets says its homes offer a permanent housing solution for people otherwise contemplating living in garages and sheds especially on rural blocks.

The company is a member of the Australian Steel Institute's Steel Shed Group and introduced Dutch gable style kit homes in June 2005 to address demand for cost effective housing.

The company built four kit homes in the past year but is now receiving more than 15 buyer inquiries a week. It is currently working on another four houses in south east Queensland.

Business partner John Umstad says the steel kit homes have been rated as Class One buildings according to the Building Code of Australia.

Two bedroom kit homes cost from A$23,800 and include framing made from TRUECORE® steel and wall cladding and roofing made from COLORBOND® steel and/or ZINCALUME® steel. The homes come with windows, insulation, glass sliding doors and rainwater goods which are made using BlueScope Steel materials.

"The kit homes feature Australian made products throughout, and are designed for the Queensland climate with an energy efficiency rating of between three and five stars," John says.

"We clad the walls of the homes in COLORBOND® Metallic steel in the colour of Skybridge® to give them a metallic lustre and depth."

John says the kit homes' roofing is made from either COLORBOND® steel or ZINCALUME® steel in LYSAGHT CUSTOM ORB® profile.

"It generally takes about 300 work hours to ready a kit home for council approval. As part of our service, we carry out soil testing with engineers and design checks with builders."

Once approvals are in place, Queensland Shed Markets orders pre cut products from BlueScope Lysaght and arranges delivery to the building site.

The products are usually delivered within four weeks, and come shrink wrapped so components don't get lost in transit.

"We've adapted our kit home designs to fit the standard BlueScope Lysaght product range, so we can save clients' time and money," John says.

Queensland Shed Markets' main business still comes from the sale of garages, industrial sheds and rural sheds.

The company's job portfolio includes aircraft hangars for farmers and small plane enthusiasts, elaborate horse stables, and a 60 metre long cargo building in the Solomon Islands.

"We have even had our engineers design a steel building to stand in the middle of a river," John says.

A former roll former, he started Queensland Shed Markets in 1999 with A$3,000 and the vital support of his wife and daughter.

The business now encompasses three sales offices in Brisbane and distributors in Cairns, Townsville, Stanthorpe and on the Sunshine Coast.

Queensland Steel Markets joined the STEEL BY™ Brand Partnership Program to align itself with the strength of the BlueScope Steel brand.

"We rely on the BlueScope Steel brand heavily in our advertising," John says. "We use STEEL BY™ stickers on all of our mail, the STEEL BY™ logo on our website, and STEEL BY™ signage on our front fence and are proud to be associated with Australia's largest steel manufacturer."

For more information contact:
John Umstad
Queensland Shed Markets
Phone: 1800 200 780
www.qldshedmarkets.com