At home with Ripe Delis’ Angela Redfern
Before we bought a house I had no idea how much maintaining they needed. Plumbing, wiring, landscaping, gutters, drainage, flooded basements, fencing – I could go on and on.
On top of that, our rates have gone up quite a bit in a short time and we’ve renovated a lot, albeit on a very tight budget.
Make sure you leave yourself wiggle room
Squirrel mortgage adviser Lindsay Hill specialises in first-home buyers and gave his top tips:
Be wise financially: When arranging finance a better question than ‘‘what will the bank lend me?’’ is ‘‘what can I afford?’’ – there can often be a large difference between these two figures.
Don’t overstretch: Remember your first home is not your forever home so it doesn’t have to be the best house on the best street.
Seek advice: If you haven’t purchased a home before, the more advice you can get the easier it will be for you.
Chat to friends and family who have already bought a home, get a decent mortgage adviser on board, and a decent solicitor.
Be wary of doups: Buying a property that you can add value to is a great way to increase your equity position but renovation projects can often cost more than you expect, so properties that need only cosmetic renovations compared to properties that have larger and more structural issues are a better choice.
Fix build costs: If you want to build a property for your first home make sure you have a reputable builder with full fixed-price-build contracts in place. If your build contract contains too many ‘‘provisional sums’’ – where the builder hasn’t fixed the cost – it can often result in an end build price that’s higher than expected.
Angela Redfern is the woman behind Auckland’s Ripe Delis and three recipe books. Her brand is synonymous with fresh and delicious recipes, many of which are cooked up at her home in Red Beach, Whangaparaoa.
Describe your house in two sentences . . .
Spacious, relaxed and homely with glorious light and sea views. Full of artwork mainly created by friends and family.
Describe your style in three words . . .
Modern, relaxed and eclectic.
Where is your home and who lives there with you?
My home is in Red Beach, Auckland. I live with my partner, Greg, and our two children, Sam, 6, and Jessica, 4, plus two dogs and our cat.
Your favourite room/area in the house and why?
he can say, ‘‘See, it’s just as well I kept this.’’
Title of a book, film or television show that best describes the mood in your home?
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! – for being open minded about the journey of life.
Best money you have ever spent on the house?
Solar panels, the new deck at the front of the house and our large, double-glazed big sliding windows, which provide the view. Plus the large tanks under the deck that fill with rainwater.
Worst thing that’s ever gone wrong while entertaining?
My chocolate lab has been known to grab the steaks before they hit the barbecue.
One item I wish I had kept or not gotridofis...