Renovation worksheet
BUDGET
> Our budget was $40,000 – we got through that pretty quickly. In total we spent about $100,000 but that included buying a garage, putting in retaining walls and adding decking. Without Sven’s skills, this figure would have been substantially higher.
CONTACTS
Plumber Paul Hatsopoulis (so easy to deal with)
Electrician Wayan Rosie
SUPPLY SHOP
> Kitchen benchtop is 36mm Meranti plywood spray-painted by Sven.
> Kitchen cabinets are original rimu ones spray-painted white, with slides added. > Sinks are from Ikea in the UK.
> Tolix stools from Madder & Rouge.
> Hexagonal tiles on breakfast bar are 1960s tiles handmade in Japan and found in a junk store years ago.
> Subway tiles in bathroom and kitchen from Tile Warehouse.
The best bang for your buck?
Jessica: Never underestimate the power of a good wall colour. Using the same colour throughout was important in such a small house.
The challenges?
Money, time, energy. Also, the fact that we discovered the house was only being held up by its weatherboards – most of the uprights were rotten.
Marmoleum floor tiles in ‘coffee’ were laid in the kitchen and bathroom. “It’s a natural and durable product we love, made from cork, clay and linseed oil.”
Worst reno moment?
There were a few! Pulling up the old cork tiles in the kitchen, expecting gorgeous matai floors, only to find there had been a slow leak (which explained the damp) and all the matai was rotten. It was really hard to find recycled matai boards to match, especially at the 38mm width – and, boy, was it expensive. We were starting to get stressed about money at that point.
In the middle of the renovation, after some heavy rain, the earth bank behind us collapsed and fell against the back of the house. It held up renovations and severely affected our budget because the insurance only covered half the price of putting retaining walls in, and our bank was putting a lot of pressure on us to get the retaining done. At this point we had borrowed as much money as we could.
Renovation tip for others?
Have the greater plan in mind: the layout, the materials, the colour palette. Be clear about what style the whole house is going to be – that way, even if your renovation takes years, it will all work in the end. Also, there is rarely a perfect time to renovate. It’s rare to have the money, energy and spare time all at once. My advice? Just get started.