Restored to perfection
Breathing new life into this character home has taken time and dedication, writes Louise Richardson
Nicola Beauchamp, who works as a business analyst, and helps out as a volunteer at Auckland Zoo, just adores bringing old, tired houses back to life. “I love everything about the process,” she says. “From project- managing the job to doing the donkey work — I’m just in my element the whole time.”
She’s owned her transitional villa since 2011 and in that time has transformed it into an attractive and functional two- unit dwelling — completely restored and renewed. It’s been re- piled, re- wired, re- plumbed, re- lined and redecorated throughout.
Set on a neat 556sq m corner site right in the heart of Grey Lynn, the weatherboard house was in a very rough state when Nicola first saw it but she immediately recognised its potential.
“It had been in two flats since the 1960s and was basically a total do- up,” she says.
Starting work in the larger — by far — unit with its generous front veranda, she set out as she meant to go on, with meticulous attention to detail.
A good- sized master bedroom had a wardrobe and en suite added and a further two bedrooms and home office ( or potentially, perhaps a nursery) were updated completely.
The new kitchen, combined with dining and living space, is bright and airy and gets plenty of sun. It opens on to a big timber deck with access to a grassy area beyond.
When she was finally satisfied with the results of her labours here, Nicola turned her attention to the back of the house, where she had been living herself.
“I had to remove a lean- to at the rear and basically rebuild that part of the property completely.
“I put in new windows and had it completely relined and insulated, with heat pumps to keep it cosy in winter.”
The rear unit is neat and nifty, covering just 25 per cent of the house and land, but Nicola has made sure every single centimetre works as hard as possible.
“Yes, it’s small but it has great character and I felt compelled to do it well,” she says.
The new kitchen is surprisingly spacious with plenty of bench space and the compact bathroom is equally cleverly designed. There are two bedrooms, one of which she has been using as a study, and a pleasant, sunny, living and dining space.
Despite all the time and work that’s gone into the project, Nicola only moved out once, very briefly, during the whole process; when her floors were being polished.
She’s enjoyed the local neighbourhood very much.
Grey Lynn Park is 100 metres’ walk away and Crumb cafe has become her local coffee spot of choice. Ponsonby Rd with its ever- growing parade of shops, bars, restaurants — and a new supermarket — is practically on the doorstep, too.
Above all though, this is a property that offers many choices. For a start, it could easily be converted back to one large villa if that’s what a future family requires — Nicola has a concept plan available for this.
Thinking laterally though, it’s also ideal for having elderly parents or semi- independent teens living in the smaller unit.
Being so central it would be in hot demand as Airbnb accommodation and if you wanted to work from home in a separate space from the rest of the house, this would be possible too.
As a bonus, Nicola has added a double garage at the rear of the property.
Unable to resist temptation, she’s moving on to another similar house in Mt Eden.
“I’m already planning the next project. It’s going to be fun.”