Amber and Ron were our typical clients. They loved their house, but over time, the limitations had started to wear on them. There was no master suite, the kitchen was closed off from the rest of the living area with minimal storage, and they had more kids than bedrooms. It just wasn’t going to work for them long term as their children grew into teenagers and needed space of their own. They dreamed of a home with more room, where they could retreat to a luxurious master suite, cook in a spacious kitchen, and enjoy open-plan living areas that flowed effortlessly from inside to out. Like many of our clients with kids, they also wanted a space where their children could entertain friends safely and have a place to hang out independently.
They first came in touch with us at the Greenlane Homeshow, where although they had thought maybe a home extension was the answer, no definitive decision had been made. After our initial consultation, they decided to look around to see if they could get what they wanted in a new property so that they wouldn’t have the expense or disruption of a construction project. This is something that a lot of our clients consider. One of the biggest misconceptions about our process is that homeowners need to be ready to start immediately, but that is often not the case.
After exploring houses in the wider West Auckland area for about two years, Amber and Ron came back to us. It was very clear to them after doing some extensive house hunting that nothing on the market offered the section space, location, and features they loved about their current home, while also giving them everything they could gain through a well-planned renovation. The reality is that selling and buying a new home often comes with compromises. To gain an extra bedroom, you might lose the backyard you adore, the kitchen that allows you to hang out with your kids while cooking, or a family bathroom that accommodates a bath. Amber and Ron experienced this firsthand, which helped solidify their decision to renovate.
This is a process that many of our clients go through, especially when they are considering a significant investment of $300,000 to $500,000 or more. We even encourage it because it gives homeowners certainty and confidence in their decision. Taking the time to explore all options ensures the final choice truly fits their lifestyle, location, and long-term plans.
Once the decision had been made to extend and renovate, the planning process to create Amber & Ron’s forever home moved quickly. The plan was to add a large extension that included a luxurious master suite with ensuite, an internal access garage that Ron could use for poker night with the boys, and a separate laundry area with an extra toilet so all of the washing could be hidden away. Inside, we transformed the layout, removing the lean-to laundry that had been tacked on to the side of the house, swapping the kitchen from one side of the room to the other so we could open up the back wall of the house to the new pool area, and removing some internal load-bearing walls that had been a massive frustration for Amber and Ron. We also moved the family bathroom and added a linen cupboard and a study nook in the hallway so Amber could work from home.
It was a big project, and if you’ve read this far, you’re probably wondering what Amber and Ron might have spent to make it a reality. Well, it might not be as much as you think. We are not like other builders, particularly large group housing companies or renovation franchises that insist on doing all of the work themselves. Amber and Ron were handy people and wanted to do their own interior painting, which we were more than okay with. Ron also worked for a kitchen bench-top manufacturer, so he could source their new kitchen at mates rates, and they had a friend who was a drain layer, which was incredibly handy as there was some extensive drainage work required. This saved them $70,000 to $100,000. However, as they learned and as we caution, if you’re using friends, you have to be 100% confident that they know what they are doing and will follow due process. While there were no issues with the work of their drain layer, he did not take sufficient photos for council of the work completed, and this combined with a council engineer leaving before documenting decisions led to some lengthy delays with the processing of their code of compliance certificate and a lot of unnecessary stress. We did our best to help, but not having a pre-existing relationship with the drain layer meant our authority was limited. When we use our own trades, the conditions of engagement they sign before coming on site clearly state that everything should be documented in writing, per plans, and that they are liable for any consequences if they do not comply. Knowing that future work depends on their reliability also gives us additional assurance.
Code of compliance delays aside, when all was said and done, Amber and Ron had a home that exceeded every expectation they had at the beginning of the process. From the feature tile on the bathroom wall, to the master bedroom that flowed out onto the deck, to the kitchen that Amber could cook in while watching the kids in the pool, it was a home that truly worked for their family. It was no longer limited by space, but designed to grow with their children, entertain friends, and offer them the comfort and functionality they had been dreaming about.
If your home is doing more groaning than growing with your family, selling might not be the right answer. Get in touch with our team today and let’s chat about how we can help you turn it into a forever home that can be loved for generations.
