| 101 T T Hugh de Lacy New direction working well for Doug Marshall Developments has built a lot of new homes in Selwyn. BUILDING Marshall Developments “I buy the section, he draughts the plans for the house to my liking with consideration to optimise sun exposure on the particular section, then I go on and arrange the resource consents and organise the subcontractors to build it.” He was essentially a spec-builder – one who bought the land, built the house himself and only recouped his costs when he sold it – but Doug Marshall and his company Marshall Developments have left that start-up system behind them and become house-and-land package developers. These days, Doug contracts out the physical work to trusted subbies, and concentrates on the other side of the residential construction process: acquiring the land, getting the resource consents, supervising the design and construction, and finally marketing. Doug enjoys being on the tools as much as possible, although realises he can be in only one place at a time. Based in Selwyn, Canterbury, Doug grew up on a Dunsandel dairy farm, still in the family, and to which he remains connected through both the family and having his storage yard on the farm. “I was happy to be a dairy farmer, although after working in the milking shed and rearing all the young stock from the age of 13 and younger I was happy to give something else a go, with a push from family to look at getting a trade. “As soon as I left high school I went to Christchurch and got into the re-building work as an apprentice after the (2010-2011) earthquakes,” Doug says. He found himself specialising in foundations, again initially under earthquake repair, but later mainly new homes in Kaiapoi, Rangiora, and the Christchurch suburbs of Wigram and New Brighton, Burnside, Fendalton and Ilam. The family connection brought him back to Selwyn, and his father set him on the path to business ownership by having him build a new house for him. “From there I went on to a second house after my father got me a bit of land, and then I did a couple more before bringing in subbies to do most of the work while I handled site management, boxing and landscaping,” Doug says. Marshall Developments has built a lot of new homes in Selwyn, smart-looking, medium- priced homes designed under contract by a draughtsman with whom Doug has had a long relationship. “I buy the section, he draughts the plans for the house to my liking with consideration to optimise sun exposure on the particular section, then I go on and arrange the resource consents and organise the subcontractors to build it.” From the home in Selwyn where he lives with wife Sarah and young son Koa, Doug is now expanding his offerings into the rapidly growing small towns south of Christchurch - Leeston, Southbridge and Rolleston - and he has his sights set on stretching into the Mid-Canterbury market around Ashburton. Doug’s marketing has become more sophisticated as the number of homes he builds grows, and the subbies take over the physical work he used to do on his own. “To begin with I used real estate agents to market my houses, but these days I market them myself and do regular open homes, and also occasionally do bespoke houses for individual clients,” Doug says. ELECTRICAL SERVICES We provide all your electrical services from heat-pump installation, ventilation, lighting, servicing to renovations and new builds. All quotes are free and flexible according to materials and scheduling. GET IN TOUCH 027 256 9320 alstonelectrical.aircon@gmail.com www.alstonelectrical.co.nz Alston Electrical Proudly supporting Marshall Builders
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