“An interest-free loan – you just can’t get better than that”

The roof on Mike and Lizzy’s New Plymouth home was around 60 years old, and had begun to leak.

“We had pots out to catch the water, it was that bad,” Mike says.

Knowing that Habitat for Humanity assists people with housing, retiree Mike reached out to see if there was a way to get assistance with a new roof.

Now their home is watertight once again, with support from Habitat’s interest-free Home Repair loan, which offers homeowners a hand up to achieve critical repairs and maintenance.

Mike and Lizzy have been in their home going on 36 years and Mike says the roof was definitely at the end of its lifespan.

“It was a timely thing to get this done. It really was in need of it.”

As a pensioner on a limited income, Mike wasn’t sure if they would qualify for a bank loan, so he’s very appreciative of Habitat’s interest-free loan, which offers affordable repayments over a period of up to five years.

Their roof was replaced by builder Tom Wythe and his team, who “worked their butts off”, according to Mike, to complete the re-roof in just a day and a half.

Other than the house staying dry in the rain, Mike says the biggest difference he’s noticed is the sound – the new roof has made things quieter.

“It’s been raining a couple of times and I haven’t really heard the rain.”

With their family all grown up and moved into homes of their own, Mike says their home is security for Lizzy and himself.

“It guarantees us a place for our old age, where we’re the sole owners. It’s something we can pass on to our children and hopefully help them in some way in the future.”

He says the repairs have made a big difference in helping preserve his home, ensuring a warm, dry, safe place to call home for years to come.