It takes two

This enterprising couple spent two years transforming their run-down South Auckland cottage into a warm, light, modern home

A two-year renovation transformed this South Auckland cottage from gross to gorgeous

Afew weeks after Kate Webby and her partner, Jordan Metcalfe, moved into their home in Otahuhu, Auckland, they experienced serious buyers’ remorse. What was meant to be an exciting time became a few weeks of panic as they realised just what they’d taken on. “We spent the first weekend stripping the wallpaper off all the walls because it was so thickly covered in grime that no amount of scrubbing was getting it off, and then the house turned out to be infested with fleas, which took us over three months to get rid of,” laughs Kate.

They’d always known it would be hard work turning their run-down cottage into a lovely family home, but the reality of actually living in it was much, much worse. Kate describes the home at that time as being a “pretty sorry sight – totally overgrown and uncared for, with a garage that was covered in graffiti and falling down”. But it had so many positives, too. It was a short drive from the city, the suburb was filled with young families doing the DIY thing and, most of all, they could afford it. So the couple gritted their teeth and got stuck in, spending every weekend over the next two years demolishing, prepping, building, painting and overhauling their three-bedroom, two-bathroom 1930s weatherboard house.

1 | THE RENO

Fleas and years of caked-on grime aside, the house faced north, had good bones, a great 117-square-metre layout and two bathrooms. Without needing to knock down walls or do any major structural changes, the couple were confident it was a reasonable renovation they could tackle themselves. First, they sat down and strategised which order to do it in. Because they knew they were playing the long game and they’d be living on site throughout, the couple reasoned they should first work on the rooms that added to their quality of life. This would give them areas to retreat to when the going got tough.

“I think you can probably cope with anything if you have somewhere nice to sleep or escape from the chaos, and somewhere nice to prepare meals and eat, so we started with a bedroom and the kitchen,” explains Kate. And because

78yhg PIECES RESTORED Kate and Jordan found old matai floors under the carpet, which they had repaired and polished, adding nice warmth to the house. Kate bought the bentwood chairs (right) for a bargain on Trade Me and repainted them herself.