Upgrading their Wellington villa
Tony and Tracey Vale thought long and hard before deciding to renovate their 1911 three-bedroom villa rather than move.
The Brooklyn house was poorly insulated and rooms were in the wrong spots, with a small kitchen nowhere near the dining room, and an enormous bathroom.
The kitchen and bathroom were swapped around to make a large open-plan kitchen diner opening onto a new deck.
A laundry was added, along with an ensuite and walk-in wardrobe in the main bedroom. There were also fixes to electrics, new drains and added insulation.
Old sash windows were replaced with double glazing in the same style and a floor-toceiling bookcase was installed.
A real estate agent valued the property at $900,000 before the renovation but it has since been valued at between $1.1 million and $1.2m.