Home renos
How lockdown changed DIY
We tolerated it during lockdown, hiding from the kids at a makeshift desk between the freezer and the lawnmower in the garage, or working from the dining room table.
Sure, it was a bit tricky doing Zoom calls with the dog barking and the teenager listening (loudly) to a biology lesson on his iPad. But it was kind of fun, stockpiling toilet paper and flour, and we knew it was only temporary.
But long term, the much-loved open plan living hasn’t worked so well, particularly for those now working from home, even for just a couple of days a week. Kiwis want better, bigger and more comfortable spaces in which to live and work, fuelling a renovation boom and influencing designs for new builds. Tradies are flat out, with some builders booked up well into next year.
BNZ’s chief executive Angela Mentis says the bank has seen a 20 per cent increase in customers investing in renovations.
What homeowners want, say renovation experts, is a comfortable, dedicated space with good lighting and strong WiFi, away from the family living area.
Garage transformations are among the most popular renovations, particularly in older homes. The family car is left outside while builders and other tradies install insulation, windows and skylights, and lay flooring to transform garages into offices or multi-use rooms.
The lockdown/work-from-home influence has flowed through to new homes and the real estate industry. Those in the new build business say the trend is for larger bedrooms, bigger offices and more multi-use spaces. Open plan is here to stay, but Kiwis want more space, more rooms and better outdoor spaces.
In the real estate market, fourbedroom homes have become increasingly popular, particularly with buyers wanting to use a spare room as an office. Demand for fourbedroom homes increased by more than 15 per cent in the year ending March 2021, compared to less than 5 per cent in the previous two years, according to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ).
“After years of people downsizing and moving away from mowing lawns, we saw a significant uplift in people wanting homes with big backyards, swimming/spa pools and decks,” says REINZ acting chief executive Wendy Alexander.
The increased demand shows how Covid-19 has fundamentally changed the way New Zealanders live.
Stonewood Homes conducted a survey of homeowners during lockdown last year. Of the 1000 who responded, 46 per cent said they wanted to change something about their homes.
Stonewood’s franchise manager Mike Allan says people are reevaluating how they use their homes and how they work. Open living is still important, but people increasingly want separation in living areas and want more multi-use rooms.
“Now it’s bigger bedrooms and bigger kitchens, and a separate office where they can have a Zoom meeting without the kids running through looking for stuff.”
Refresh Renovation franchise holders in Auckland, Tauranga and Wellington report a similar demand for extra space and extra rooms. Gone are the days when a homeowner would put up with a desk facing the wall in the open-plan living area.
Wellington architect and franchise holder Nicholas Leko says homeowners are not prepared to work long term from the kitchen island.
“They want a dedicated work space that they can close the door on and go back into the public side of the house.”
Garage conversions for Airbnb were popular before Covid-19, he says, and now they have “exploded” as people want extra multi-use rooms.
Saleem Bhikoo, of Refresh Central Auckland, says three areas of demand have emerged since Covid: turning under-utilised spaces like garages and basements into liveable areas; fullscale extensions and alterations for people wanting to accommodate their business at home, often with a separate entrance for clients; and stand-alone sheds and buildings to store the belongings that used to be in the now-converted garage.
Kitchens and bathroom makeovers are also popular, with renovators reporting a marked increase after lockdown.
Danielle Renee, with Refresh Renovations in Tauranga, says with the “crazy” housing market, people are holding onto their homes and converting spare spaces like garages into offices, rental space, extra bedrooms and bathrooms.
“All of a sudden it’s a bigger house.”
Study nooks are also popular and she, too, has plenty of clients wanting to upgrade their existing kitchens and bathrooms after spending more time at home.
Judi Keith-Brown, of the JKBA architectural practice in Wellington, says during lockdown she pulled a desk into her hallway and sat near the coat rack by the front door.
“So I was sort of like the receptionist. I felt like if I went into the dining room it would be almost invading our private space. I wanted to keep home and work separate.”
Keith-Brown, who is president of Te Ka¯hui Whaihanga/New Zealand Institute of Architects, has noticed clients wanting a space of their own away from the household bustle.
“The open plan still holds but people realise it’s better to have a space away from the teenagers and vice versa,” she says.
“Houses are our most important buildings. People are realising that more and more. We’re all reassessing how we live in our homes because of lockdown and we’re reassessing how we work.”
Amy Hendry, co-director of Four Walls Architecture, says the family brief has not changed markedly since before Covid. “But there has been a lot more awareness that people will need a place to work from home. Even if their office is back up and running, people are working more from home.”
Four Walls tends to specialise in smaller, inner-city homes with limited room for a separate study, but clients still want a dedicated space from which to work. Demand for renovation work is at least 50 per cent higher than pre-Covid, to the point where the company is turning away work despite taking on extra staff.
The open plan still holds but people realise it’s better to have a space away from the teenagers and vice versa.
Te K¯ahui Whaihanga/NZ Institute of Architects
Fletcher Building CEO Ross Taylor Fletcher says the dedicated office “nook or cranny” is popular in new homes, as are the company’s 2.5-roomed houses, which means the smaller room can be used as a study. WiFi connectivity is increasingly important, particularly in two-storey houses.
“We’re putting a lot more emphasis on making sure there’s more connection points and the WiFi can be distributed through the house.”
The post-Covid working-fromhome phenomenon is “very real”, Taylor says. “We [Fletcher Building] are using 60 per cent less office space than we were pre-Covid.”