Subdividing, renovating and extending a property in Orewa: Part Two

Gold People Choice Award BadgeSilver People Choice Award BadgeBronze People Choice Award Badge
The end result of this complex renovation project

Although Tim and Kristy's former home had 'good bones' and a classic 70s design, it was badly in need of love.

Before After
No items found.

Some people don’t do things by halves. People like Tim Walters, owner of the Rodney and North Shore Refresh Renovations branch.
In June 2013, Tim and his wife Kirsty bought their 1970s three-bedroom home in Orewa, north of Auckland, as a family home for themselves and their two daughters, Eva (8) and Isabella (6). It ticked all their boxes, being on the flat, near the beach/public amenities and with a 809sqm section. The couple planned to demolish the house and build two or three in its place. 
But when they realised that would deny them the 290sqm home their growing family needed, they launched into Plan B: subdividing the land into a 330sqm block at the rear of the section on which to relocate the existing house (which they planned to renovate and sell), as well as a larger 480sqm at the front of the section on which they could build a spacious family home.
The three-pronged project started in Jan 2015 and by July 2016 the couple were ready to renovate their former home which had been moved 40m back from its original position.
Renovated modern bathroom in Orewa

Addressing the kitchen and dining room designs

Although the 110sqm house had the proverbial ‘good bones’ and classic 70s design, it was badly in need of love. The bathroom had been updated around 10 years ago but that was the extent of it.
“Nothing had really been done to it. It was dated but had raked ceilings, angled windows and lots of potential to drag it into the 21st Century,” says Tim, who bought his two Refresh franchises four years ago.
The first step was to realign the space to make it more user-friendly. That involved swapping around the kitchen and dining rooms.
The kitchen and dining room had to be swapped
Says Tim: “The kitchen was originally in the middle of the house, with little connection to the dining and living spaces”. 
So he “bowled out everything between the kitchen and the dining room”, which opened up the space and added a classic Moda kitchen which works perfectly in the setting. 
When it came to the bench-top, the couple wanted the stone look but without the $2K price tag. Plus, they wanted something the new owners could easily change if it didn’t suit their taste. So the couple opted for a laminate top which has the same look as an engraved stone bench but at a snip of the price ($800).   
Tim’s wife Kirsty wasn’t, however, willing to compromise on the concrete-look tile splashback she had her heart set on.
“The tiles were $100 a square metre, but for only about 2sqm metres, it was well worth it and, including the tiler, it was probably still cheaper than glass. Plus it does look pretty awesome.”  
Kirsty did not want to compromise her kitchen splashback

Updating the flooring

The couple also ripped up the dated carpet which revealed original Tawa flooring underneath. Tim says Kirsty wanted to polish the floorboards but he wasn’t convinced.
“I’m not really a fan of polished floorboards, particularly in this case, because natural woods are so soft that after a while they end up getting marked and don’t look that great. Instead, I suggested we lay a laminate flooring in the open-plan living room, kitchen and dining as well as in the hallway and the laundry.”      
In the three bedrooms, the couple laid new carpet and skim-coated the walls to achieve a smoother finish. And then they painted both the inside and outside.
The bedrooms have new carpet and skim coated walls

The newly renovated house

Six months after the house was moved, the couple finished the renovation. Although it took them slightly longer than anticipated (thanks to delays in manufacturing) they are thrilled with the result.
In mid-February this year they put their former home on the market. There has been much interest in the renovated dwelling and the couple is confident of a sale which will then free them up to break ground on their dream home at the front of the section - a 290sqm two-storey contemporary designed house. Their anticipated move-in date is early July.

Interested to know how it all started? Read about the first stage here: Subdividing, renovating and extending a property: Part One.

See Our Testimonials

Get in touch with Refresh to discuss your home renovation project

If you would like a free, no obligation initial consultation to discuss options and ideas for your next home renovation, please use the enquiry form alongside to provide us with your contact details. We will get in touch with you at a time that suits you to discuss your project. If you would like to provide us with more information about your project, we have a more comprehensive enquiry form on our "Get in touch" page too.
*All information is believed to be true at time of publishing and is subject to change.

No items found.
This project was completed in
February 2017
.
No items found.
Project description
Location
North Shore
New Zealand
Client
Project duration
Cost estimate
Actual cost
Challenges
Interesting aspects
Share to

Actual costs vary by project. Plan ahead to reduce the impact of industry changes or disruptions. For more information see here.

Talk to a renovation consultant today

If you would like to find out how Refresh Renovations can support you with a high quality, efficient home renovation, get in touch today. Your local Refresh consultant will be happy to meet with you for a free, no obligations consultation.

Get in touch
No items found.