BUSINESS NZ (NORTH) MAGAZINE ARTICLE

Welcome to our 26m2 "Te Arai" Tiny Home by Ecospace.

GBARR Construction Ltd undertakes all forms of residential building such as renovation projects, new home builds, decks and exterior works and light commercial. Below, building small eco homes is another angle of the business.

Building runs in the family of Gavin Barr but it wasn’t until his father passed away eight years ago that Gavin decided to head into the building trade himself.

“I’d done building with my dad throughout my youth, so even though I was in a completely different career at that time it felt right to carry on the family tradition of building,” he says.

Coming third in the Apprentice of the Year competition for the Wellington region as well as being named the top achieving student in a trade certificate programme with the NZ Institute of Building in only his second year of building gave him the confidence that he was on the right track.

After completing his apprenticeship he went contracting for three years working his way up to a project management role before starting his own company GBARR Construction Ltd in 2016. And the business has taken off quickly, he says.

Partly this was due to his savvy use of social media to kickstart the business but now it is all by word of mouth from satisfied clients. In fact he has never even had to pay for advertising. GBARR Construction Ltd works all over Auckland, with the main focus on east Auckland.

Gavin has comprised a team of trusted contractors, which includes two qualified builders and an apprentice.

The huge growth of the business means he is presently looking to add another two builders to his team, which is rounded out by his younger brother Taine who is currently completing his apprenticeship.

GBARR Construction Ltd undertakes all forms of residential building such as renovation projects, new home builds, decks and exterior works and light commercial.

Clients can come with their own plans or Gavin can pair them with the right architect to suit their project. Gavin says his key point of difference is attention to detail: “I’m very fussy about the finished product, possibly even a bit OCD at times,” he says with a laugh.

“I go the extra mile to achieve a really good result for the client.” Complemented by good communication skills GBARR Construction Ltd is in demand.

The company is presently working on a number of projects including an extension to a home with a floating deck plus internal kitchen and bathroom renovation and a full re-clad of another home including new roof, double garage and complete internal renovation.

The compnay is a member of NZ Certified Builders and can offer the association’s guarantee on new home and renovation projects.

Building small eco homes is a personal passion and another angle of the business Gavin is launching in the next few months.

He is presently putting together a series of plans for small 10 square metre rooms and a small complete dwelling under 20 square metres that will be transportable and off the grid requiring no connection to water or power sources.

Gavin, 28, has set and achieved his goal as a young apprentice to be self employed and run his own construction company by the age of 30 with a few years to spare.

While he says he still has a lot to learn, it is this youthful attitude and willingness to learn and try new things that sets his company apart.

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