114 | Combined experience the key In May, Miller Building completed this two-level holiday/Airbnb house in Moeraki for a Cromwell client. BUILDING Miller Building T T Russell Fredric When builder brothers Josh and Mat Miller needed an employee, it seemed natural to nab their younger sibling Liam ‘fresh out of school’ and enter him in an apprenticeship. Josh says he and Mat launched Oamaru-based Miller Building last year to get ahead, and to make their mark in the industry through a passion for detail and craftsmanship. “We started the business, and within the first couple of months we got a contract to build two houses side-by-side,” he says. Liam is now in his second year as an employee in the business. “He’s happy. He’s got a career on the way and he’s nearly two years into his apprenticeship,” Josh says. The brothers had both worked for other building businesses, Josh spending seven years with David Reid Homes Oamaru and Waitaki, which exposed him to high-end, award-winning builds he sees as an ideal template for Miller Building. With their combined experience, Josh and Mat have their expertise to take on a wide variety of work including new builds, relocatable homes, home improvements, decks, fences and pole sheds. In May, Miller Building completed a two-level holiday/Airbnb house in Moeraki for a Cromwell client. The coastal location and the height of the building meant structural plywood and Gib Braceline dry wall had to be used to meet the Building Code requirements. Miller Building is currently building a 260sqm house located in Maheno, south of Oamaru. Featuring five bedrooms and a separate living and family room, the spacious family home will offer the option of spending time together for family and guests, or being able to retreat into a private space. Also accounting for this, the master bedroom is at the west end of the house, while the rest of the bedrooms, except for one that is centrally located, are at the east end, one having an ensuite with a shower making it ideal as a guest bedroom. The house is aptly clad in Oamaru stone veneer which, complemented with James Hardy weatherboard as a design feature including on the broad chimney, will set the house nicely into its rural environment. It includes an attic, and has a complex roof with five valleys based around three gable ends, and the balance comprising hips. “It makes it a challenging but interesting build,” says Josh. A skylight over the main entry area will create a welcoming ambience Josh is looking forward to the house being showcased as the business’s first major newhome build and as an example of the quality of work Miller Building is capable of. A key milestone and an endorsement of the quality focus will be the ability for the business to become a registered member of Master Builders New Zealand later this year. Due to his past experience, Josh would love to have the opportunity for Miller Building to enter the House of the Year awards. “I know we’ve got the quality. I built houses with builders that were contributing to awards. We’re quite pedantic with an eye for detail. Quality work with efficiency and good build times is what we aim for.”
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