Monni Fraemohs arrived in New Zealand from Denmark with a passion for Danish design and quality. He was inspired by New Zealand’s natural environment and plentiful exotic timber, and in 1968 he started Fraemohs Homes with a vision to share his passions, and to create homes Kiwis would love.
More than five decades, and thousands of houses both locally and internationally later, we still operate from the same Christchurch site and while Monni has moved on, Fraemohs Homes remains locally owned and true to Monni’s founding principles; Excellence in design, quality, and most importantly helping our customers to love where they live.
Fraemohs Homes is a registered Master Builder, and offers a Master Build Guarantee with every home we build.
Monni Fraemohs drew on both his Danish heritage and his engineering background to develop a business designing and building kitset homes out of solid timber. Monni was perplexed by the practice of New Zealand-grown timber being sold overseas as mere pulp, and was ahead of his time in understanding the importance to New Zealand’s economy of value-added products in that respect. He was also an ’employer of choice’, treating his staff as dignified individuals and offering them generous benefits.
For Monni, Fraemohs Homes was a passion project. Being a successful engineer with a deep interest in the natural environment, he was incessantly bothered by the shipping offshore of New Zealand’s raw timber where more value was added, which he viewed as both as lazy and wasteful.
Known for his abundant energy, Monni was actually nearing his retirement when he created what would become Fraemohs Homes. A project which kept him busy for decades to come. But as an aging man, you might imagine how the role meant more to him than just designing and manufacturing kitset homes. It was his way of imbibing on New Zealand some of the values he held most dear, foremost among which are what we now refer to as sustainability, and innovation. Unfortunately Monni is no longer around to share with us in his own words his thoughts on the state of the environment; we expect he would be deeply upset to see how serious the situation has become. And disappointed to observe the flourishing trade in ‘greenwashing’ products and services. When everything is labelled as ‘eco’ or ‘green’, the words lose their meaning. But his own philosophy of human’s interconnectedness with nature have very much been borne out, and his contribution to the culture of working with nature should not be underestimated in the context of New Zealand’s building industry.
With his engineering background, Monni applied his knowledge of Scandinavian and European log home kitset systems, to suit New Zealand’s timber supply and conditions.
The first homes he made were simple by today’s standards; cabins really. But over time the designs got more sophisticated and more New Zealanders caught on to the idea of building their own home. Early accounts from his customers convey the sense of adventure in building their own home, the unity and camaraderie it spurred among family units and friends who completed projects together.
It is our stated purpose to provide sustainable timber building to protect the New Zealand environment and way of life, so that future generations of New Zealanders can enjoy life as we do.
Our vision is to transition the New Zealand construction industry to a sustainable timber future.
Building with Fraemohs Homes gives you peace of mind. Being around for over 55 years is by no means cause to be complacent, but that longevity does mean we have experienced the highs and lows of New Zealand’s often turbulent building industry. Which gives our customers assurance that we aren’t fly-by-nighters. We’re in it for the long haul with sound management, systems and personnel. A responsible building company.
We don’t take unnecessary risks, preferring instead to work with proven technologies, quality materials and reliable people.
Fraemohs believes in building homes, not just houses. A home is much more than four walls and a roof. It is where your child learns to crawl, then walk, then throw a rugby ball. Home is where family and friends get together to celebrate milestones. Home is where the memories of your life are made.
Over the past 55 years we have welcomed thousands of homeowners into our family and have been privileged to be part of many heartfelt memories. We understand how important a home is and that building a new home is a big investment. We use premium quality materials, local expertise and experienced tradespeople to create sustainable, solid homes that stand the test of time.
Solid timber construction is backed by over 55 years of proven performance in New Zealand and a wealth of research to make it better than ever. Our interlocking timber system was proven to be among the very best performers in both the Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes, saving both lives and livelihoods.
Each Fraemohs location is staffed by locals with exhaustive home building experience specific to their area. Our team’s expertise will ensure that you get the best home for you and your family.
Solid timber is natural, biodegradable and locks up large amounts of CO2 indefinitely. When it’s locally grown (like ours) it negates carbon miles required by importers of foreign timber. On completion, a Solid Timber home by Fraemohs is actually carbon-negative.
Home building is a serious, high stakes business. We’ve experienced numerous boom and bust building cycles over our five decades, and seen many fly-by-nighters come and go. Our longevity is testament to our conservative, level-headed approach to business. Innovation is in our DNA, but our core values remain at the heart of everything we do.
In 2021 we invested heavily in our ability to deliver architectural homes of the highest order, by creating our own in-house architectural unit. Having architectural resources dedicated to innovating our unique product gives our customers even more discretion when it comes to the design of their home.
Solid timber naturally breathes, regulating both the temperature and humidity levels within the home. This has been scientifically proven to create an environment of heightened relaxation and air quality.
