RENOVATION WORKSHEET

HONESTY BOX

+ What areas of your renovation did you save on? Splurge on? Annelies: We saved on carpet in the bedrooms (through a friend who sourced and laid it) and splurged on the pool area, and bathroom tiles and fittings.

+ Best lessons learned? Give yourself time. Time to source alternative materials and time to plan how you would use the different spaces in the house. We were very rushed (heavily pregnant with our first child) so we didn’t spend nearly as much time as should have planning some of the spaces or sourcing cheaper/ better alternatives.

+ What would you never do again? Rush the build. On our next project we want to plan properly and spend time making sure the spaces are exactly how we want them, to ensure they work for the family.

+ What’s one thing you would change about your home if you could? I think if we could change anything, even though we absolutely love the outdoor undercover area, we would change the design slightly to ensure the area is more watertight. We always planned to put a fire and built-in barbecue in this space but we didn’t plan it in a way that everything can fit and work well together... next time!

+ Most memorable experience you’ve had in your home (good or bad)? Raising our two gorgeous children and seeing how much they love the space and layout of the house to run around and play in.

CONTACTS

Builder Nick Leitch at NJ Leitch Construction Ltd, 027 481 6041 Architect Marshall Cook from Cook Sargisson Pirie & Williams Architects Ltd, cooksargisson.co.nz

Plumber Kumeu Plumbing, kumeuplumbing.co.nz

SUPPLIERS

Citta Cushions and throws

St Clements Master bed and light fittings Freedom Leather sofa and other decor Cuchi Dining table

Artwork Lots of our art is by Ben’s brother Sam Leitch, an emerging painter who has many pieces in galleries across New Zealand and Australia.

TOTAL SPEND

$750,000 approx.