A Shed for the Whole Family

Winning one of Goldpine’s Strongbuilt Sheds for free turned into a family affair at the Houghton household, with all five family members making the most of the opportunity. Rhys, a dairy and beef grazer, and Michelle, a schoolteacher, and their children Isabella, Harry, and George, warmly welcomed us to their 61-hectare property near Gore, sharing the lucky turn of events that saw them secure a Goldpine shed for free.

Originally from Taranaki, long-time Goldpine customers Rhys and Michelle decided to purchase a Strongbuilt 3-bay Lean-to shed from Goldpine Gore in February 2023. They had seen the Win Your Shed for Free competition in Goldpine mailers, but expecting they’d win was far from their minds. “We’d seen the competition and the mailers that had come out, and thought, ‘oh, that would be ideal for us’. We then got a phone call to say someone from Goldpine Gore was coming to see us, and we found out that we won,” Michelle said. “We were really stoked, couldn’t take the grins off our faces, because you don’t think you’re going to win a shed!”

A new shed had been on the family’s wishlist for a while, and after shopping around, Michelle said the decision to go with Goldpine was an easy one.

“It met everything that we were looking for. The closed double bay, the open bay, and the price was reasonable for what we had budgeted,” she said.

It is now used as storage for their trailer and tools, a workshop for Rhys and his twin sons Harry and George, an extra garage for their ute and storage for the family bikes. “The shed’s benefited us greatly. We don’t store as much in the garage, and it’s a space that Rhys can go and sharpen his chainsaw and store the bikes. When it first went up, I would hear banging from the kitchen, and the boys would be building something in there with Rhys. They’ve really loved having their own area, rather than using our deck,” Michelle explained.

So far, the shed has been an excellent addition to the Houghton property. “It’s durable, it’s strong, and it suits the family and its purpose. We’re very happy,” Michelle said. She added that their property gets plenty of wet, cold, and windy weather, and the shed has handled it all without a hitch.

The good times didn’t end with just winning the shed from Goldpine. Michelle told us the team was awesome in helping with the process. “The team at Goldpine Gore were fabulous. They worked with Rhys to create what he wanted and followed the process right through. They’re very helpful,” she told us. “Caleb from the Gore store was with us the whole way through, and if something was delayed, he would follow it up. Rhys never had to chase anybody, because Caleb did it for us.”

The Houghtons made a few customisations, including concreting the ground, installing rodent protection along the edges which was important as they live on a farm, and choosing the colour Ironsand for the Coloursteel to match the roof of their house.

The family have also purchased two glasshouses, built a garden, and built a set of cattle yards that can hold over 300 cows through Goldpine, and nearly fenced three-quarters of the farm using Goldpine fenceposts.

“We’ve supported Goldpine for 14 years. They’re just good value for money and good quality products. I keep going back because they know who I am, and I’ll keep on dealing with them,” Rhys said.

Overall, the experience has been a great one for the Houghton family. “We would recommend a Goldpine shed. They’re affordable, the process of getting it up was easy, and they were great to deal with.”