DIY guy now doing it himself
Larry Waterhouse knows pretty much everything about home improvement after decades working in the industry.
Now the Bunnings employee is making the most of his skills to forge a new business after losing his job with the company after 20 years.
The hardware chain’s branch in Rangiora has closed after a call was made to shut several outlets due to the coronavirus downturn. The final day for staff is July 31 – Waterhouse’s 60th birthday.
He and wife Liz, a legal secretary, bought a house in Rangiora after being forced to move from Christchurch following the earthquakes. Both commuted to work for a year before Bunnings announced plans to open a store in the town.
‘‘It was a huge saving in petrol, I could just walk to work, it was great,’’ Waterhouse said.
But two years into the store’s operation the coronavirus lockdown left the Rangiora store in a precarious position. Last month the company confirmed the 21-strong Rangiora team’s worst fears, that the store would close at the end of the month.
Waterhouse has wasted no time thinking about his next move. ‘‘I’ve been in DIY all my life . . . So many times when someone comes in and asks a question, I realise they really haven’t thought it through.’’
Waterhouse said this often led to customers going away to get parts or take photos, and he realised he could save a lot of time if he went to look himself.
Waterhouse posted his services as a DIY home consultant online and was amazed at the response. ‘‘It’s gone off, just snowballed.’’