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Love it or List It NZ: How to make $50k stretch to a new kitchen, bathroom and deck
TV series Love it or List it tackles a tiny home unit at the Mount
REVIEW: “We had a list we started with and became less and less fussy.” That pretty much sums us most of us looking to buy a house in the past few years.
For the couple featured on this week’s Love it or List it NZ show, Tom and Lani Hardy, they didn’t do too badly buying a 1960s a two-bedroom brick-and-tile unit in sought-after Mount Maunganui. In fact, they couldn’t believe their luck at the time.
Tom loves the home and the location near the family and beach. He couldn’t hope for anything better. Lani also loves the location, but “everything else needs to change”. The unit, at 75m², is just too small now they have their daughter Della, who arrived after many years of waiting.
Meet Lani and Tom Hardy who live in this 75m² brick-and-tile unit at Mount Maunganui with daughter Della. But it’s not working for them.
These two, who are both teachers, are funny. She says the bathroom is dated; he calls it “a classic”. And because they struggle to find the space to entertain, Tom says, “We invite ourselves round to other people’s homes a lot.”
Another issue is the lack of a front gate and the entry off a busy road. It doesn’t feel safe for children.
Before: The open-plan living area looked very cramped, and the kitchen overhead cupboards opened into the lounge.
Lani and Tom are pictured on the new deck with agent Paul Glover (left) and designer Alex Walls (right).
Designer Alex Walls is at a loss - the house is so small, the “nightmare” kitchen is not functional, and the bathroom needs updating. All the cupboards are stuffed to overflowing, but the main bedroom is a good size.
Here are the numbers
The renovation budget is a mere $50,000. Even with free stuff from suppliers, that’s not going to go far.
And the budget for real estate agent Paul Glover to buy a new three-bedroom whare is $790,000, which also is not going to anywhere in Mount Maunganui where Cotality lists the current median value at $1,162,022.
After: The carpet has been replaced with a hardwood laminate floor; the hall door has been moved out of the kitchen, and the space looks a lot bigger.
And this is the real magic - a window seat that doubles as dining seating and storage.
Walls plans to lay a much larger deck over the existing concrete one, and add a gate for security. There will be a whole new kitchen - the peninsula with its back-to-front cupboards will go, and there will be floor-to-ceiling units along the wall. Moving the hall door to the side will also allow more bench space and storage in the kitchen.
The bathroom will also be replaced and the cinder block walls in the bedrooms will go.
First house, Matua, $800,000
Right from the start the Mount is ruled out by Glover as too expensive. So he takes them to Tauranga, starting with pretty Matua. The median house price here is $1.1m.
And this is the first house they are shown, in Matua, Tauranga. It was listed for $800,000 and looks like it could be a winner.
The 1960s weatherboard house has been recently renovated with a new kitchen and bathroom. Despite having three bedrooms, it’s just 13m² larger than where they are, but there is a “designer” sleepout (“great for the grandparents”).
They love the wooden floors and the fireplace, and the extra bedroom. This is a good family home and something they will no doubt look at seriously. And Tom is impressed.
A huge new deck is laid over the original concrete patio.
Second house, Greerton, $715,000
This suburb has a median house price of $710,000, which seems like good value. Glover takes them to a much more modern house with a sunny, enclosed yard.
There are a couple of cosmetic things we would change because they date the house too much, notably the archway in the living area, and the black, grey and red splashback. Ideally, that wall between the dining and living rooms could go.
But this is a much larger house that could work really well for them. The main bedroom opens to the outdoors, which is another plus. Tom admits the space and storage are enviable.
The second house, in Greerton, is a lot more modern, but somewhat dated inside.
There is plenty to like about the first Greerton house.
The $715,000 price tag seems remarkable.
Meanwhile, back home, the deck is looking huge and Alex is raising the value of the unit massively. But will it still be big enough?
Third house, Greerton, $765,000
The third house they see has just two bedrooms, but it does have two bathrooms. It’s a conventional 1950s weatherboard house, so there shouldn’t be any structural issues. And it’s a (comparatively) massive 133m², which means the living areas are very spacious.
It’s a solid 1950s bungalow they are shown next. It’s great inside, but the outdoor living area is too enclosed and surrounded by neighbours.
Lani and Tom love the fact it’s fully fenced. And it’s quite a charmer inside, with wooden floors and a fireplace, dark-stained timber joinery around doors and windows, and a great flow between the living areas.
They are wowed by the space, and how good it would be for entertaining. “I’m really, really excited about this one,” Glover says.
They are not so sure about the chequerboard floor in a sunroom and bathrooms. But those things are easily fixed. They are not fussed on the deck, which seems a little claustrophobic. It appears the makeover hasn’t extended outside. The fence is so see-through, we see a neighbour right beside them bringing in the washing (blink and you would miss her).
The big reveal
Back home, all is revealed. Walls has nailed it. Glover simply cannot compete with that beach at the Mount. It’s fabulous. And the value of their property can only increase.
Lani and Tom are bowled over. Their deck is like a whole extra room. And there’s a gate to keep the space safe.
The new galley-style kitchen will be a lot more functional. A full set of Bosch appliances was included in the upgrade.
Inside, Walls has totally maximised the space. It helps that she created a window seat that doubles as seating for the dining table and has storage inside. And an L-shaped sofa always works in their favour (do they get to keep that?) It’s all about removing the clutter. They may have to adjust the seating to view the TV, however.
There’s a new hardwood floor from Flooring Extra and a new kitchen with Laminex product and all new Bosch appliances. There’s more wall space now, so there’s more storage. And the bathroom is beautifully done.
And this is where you really start wondering about that $50k budget. The deck and gate alone would have gobbled up a large chunk of that, and then there’s the whole new kitchen, appliances, tradies, new floor, tiled bathroom and new wall treatments and paint in the bedrooms. The difference is the free stuff.
The original block wall was covered over for a much more modern look.
The bathroom upgrade included tumbled tiles around the bath and in the shower.
Without getting quotes, it’s not possible to know exactly what that would cost you and I, but we’re guessing far more than double their budget. And the answer to the headline above is, of course, go on Love it or List it.
Glover says the value of the unit is now $850,000, up from $750,000, but he cannot say they “grew” $50k into $100k. The suppliers did most of that. But they now they know they can afford a better house.
The outcome: “We’re going to list all the things we love about it.” They’re staying, for now. And that does seem to be the best option. They can always move if they need more space later. Sometimes, it really is all about location.
A final note: We have to say it has been a treat to see the team move out of Auckland for once. Understandably the logistics of a renovation elsewhere are more problematic for the designer and film crew, but we’re glad they did it.
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