"I get home each night and the wallpaper glue and the paint, you get covered in it. It takes ages to get cleaned up."
But the 23-year-old and third generation family member at Dunedin painting and decorating business Sims & Blue Ltd said he would not have it any other way.
He got a year-and-a-half into a computer science, economics and marketing degree at the University of Otago when he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
"I just didn't enjoy it. I'm a very hands-on type of person ... and I don’t like sitting still.
"So, as you can probably imagine, those subjects are all things that involve probably a lot of sitting."
So he spoke with his grandfather John Sims and his uncles — client and logistics manager Nathan Sims and managing director Glenn Sims — about joining the family business.
"There's just something about it. Painting is therapeutic for me.
"It's good for my stress levels and being able to see the finished product — it's very cool."
Unfortunately, being family did not mean he got any special treatment.
So he had to start out as an apprentice tradesman, working under his uncle and grandfather.
"Being family doesn't necessarily give you a head start in the business.
"But I did prefer it that way. I wouldn’t have wanted the special treatment."
If there was sanding or painting prep work to be done, he would be doing it and it had given him a great foundation to build from.
Now, he is a fully qualified painter, wallpaper hanger, glazier and minor Gib-stopper, among other things.
The best part of working in a trade was that he was earning money, rather than adding to his student loan.
He had become more popular with friends and a couple of old university flatmates, who needed his help to repair damage at their flats.
"I've only had to do one patch on a wall for my old flatmates.
"It does make you very popular, having these skills."
He eventually hoped to go into the management of the business too.
"I'm just starting to run jobs now, which is quite exciting and I’m looking forward to taking that next step in leadership.
"That's the plan."
Glenn Sims, 56, said the company was now more than 60 years old and having Matthew join was great for the family business.
"To have someone to take the legacy through to the next stage would be great after I'm finished."
Despite being 86, founding director John Sims still worked part-time and had enjoyed sharing some of his experience with his grandson.
He said Matthew was his 97th apprentice and he hoped to clock his 100th this year.
"I've been New Zealand president and Otago president [of the Master Painters Association] and been in the painting industry for many years.
"I've been passing it on to these guys in the third generation.
"We've got a good industry here. We want to see it keep going and mature it and we're making a major contribution to that.
"With 100 apprentices over all these years, we can look back and say, ‘well, we've done that’."
He said he was proud the business was looking set to continue under family management.
