Selah homes claim gold
Whether it’s his flash houses in Auckland’s north west or small, solid homes for families, building is more than just a job for Selah Homes founder Mark Berryman.
The 29-year-old has travelled to Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Fiji and most recently Samoa helping to build houses in poor communities.
Starting the company nine years ago at the age of 20, he and an apprentice built a small business focusing on renovations and maintenance.
They now have a staff of about 50 and recently won gold at the Registered Master Builders House of Year awards for a house in Riverhead.
The gold was in the Future-Proof Building New Home $500,000 - $650,000 (building cost) category for the Auckland-Northland region.
Berryman says the house is one back from the river so was designed to maximise views relative to its position.
He recently spent two months volunteering in Samoa building 39 cyclone-proof houses with seven of his staff for families in need but he has been building homes for Habitat for Humanity since he was 15.
The families pay for materials and help with the building.
He is heading back to Samoa next week, saying the pay-off he gets is the happiness on on people’s faces when they get to move into their new house.