In November of 1997, Mark and Leonie decided to start a business of their own. Mark had worked in the computer industry for the past ten years and was, at the time, off work recuperating after breaking a leg playing rugby, while Leonie was busy bringing up their two (later four) children. Initially, the business was called "The Housewash Company", focusing on the residential market with the aim of
becoming known as the house-washing specialists and conquering Auckland's exterior house-washing market. Using their last $700 to buy a rusty Datsun ute, Mark and Leonie loaned money from Mark's dad to purchase the other equipment needed for the job. While Mark hobbled around and cleaned houses, Leonie handled the paperwork and client relations. The company grew, hiring more operators and devising methods of providing consistently high-quality cleaning services (aside from hiring the best people for the job and training them in the art of housewashing). Clients were surveyed and asked to rate the job that had been completed for them, and the operators were rewarded based on the results of these surveys. Needless to say, the operators were—and still are!—very interested in leaving every client delighted with the job. The House & Building Wash Company started as a "one-man band" business out of a single, unheated garage under Mark and Leonie's family home in Massey, Auckland in 1997. As both the family and business grew, in 2009 the company moved into a rented office space, using a 12-metre shipping container for equipment maintenance. After the company's first five years, it began offering body corporate apartment exterior cleaning services, and after ten years expanded further to commercial building exterior cleaning services. In 2014, after a prolonged debate, it was decided that the company name should be changed from "The Housewash Company Ltd." to "The House & Building Wash Company Ltd.", so that prospective clients can understand at a glance that the company handles more than just residential house washing. In June 2015, the company moved into its own factory and office, finally giving it a true base of operations. A full-time mechanic and panel be**er builds and modifies the custom power-washing equipment necessary for the job along with maintaining a fleet of property-wash trucks. A large part of the company's growth has been due to referral work—clients who recommend The House & Building Wash Company to their friends, family, neighbours, and colleagues. This word-of-mouth endorsement often means that several houses on the same street are cleaned by The House & Building Wash Company! After twenty-five years and over seventy thousand properties cleaned, The House & Building Wash Company has grown into a multi-million dollar Kiwi business, with a small but efficient cadre of staff in the office and technicians all over the greater Auckland region. Our business is simple, and so are our rules:
Aim to have every client for life—repeat business is our lifeblood. Specialise in and be the best at what we do—Exterior Property Washing. Only hire employees (not contractors), train them well, and incentivise high-quality work. We are proud say that we have grown into the largest Specialist Property Wash company in Auckland!
