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Top tips from those who know

Renovating is in the blood for these former Blockies, and they’ve learned much along the way. Colleen Hawkes looks at their latest project.

Stacy Heyman and fiance Adam Middleton are familiar faces on our TV screens – they did a fantastic job of renovating the huge, two-storey character apartment in The Block NZ: Firehouse series in 2019. But that was just the start. In the past two years they have completed two further full-house renovations and worked on lots of clients’ homes. And to make their life even busier, in the middle of all the upheaval they adopted a tiny blind puppy – there are now two samoyeds in the household.

The couple have just finished a huge renovation of their home, which included transforming all the living areas and bedrooms, and adding a new kitchen. They have opened up the interior, removing a large decorative plaster archway between the kitchen and dining area, and adding a bespoke breakfast bar.

They have also dealt with potential rot in the subfloor, stained carpets, poor lighting that made the house ‘‘incredibly dark during winter’’, and a lack of ventilation.

In the process of the three projects, the couple have learned ‘‘on the job’’ and are happy to pass on valuable tips for DIY renovators.

Realistic expectations

‘‘There’s a lot of misleading information out there about what a kitchen or bathroom renovation costs,’’ Middleton says.

‘‘But from doing most of the work ourselves, and having expanded Studio Reno to work on clients’ homes, I can say that a lot of these online ‘estimates’ leave costs out at the start, giving people false expectations. They then bump up the bill at the end of the project.

‘‘I insist on a contingency plan, and always allow for extra when it comes to estimates. A lot of people don’t realise that labour alone for a kitchen can be upwards of $15,000 to $25,000.’’

Middleton says the couple had to be very cautious and meticulous with their kitchen-living renovation budget. ‘‘With a wedding coming up in February we couldn’t afford to get the numbers wrong. Luckily Stacy does this for a living. Forecasting the products and labour gives her peace of mind from the get-go.

‘‘The kitchen came in slightly under budget, as we opted for raw board cabinetry, which Stacy then painted. This was a design choice rather than a budget decision as she had a specific colour in mind. If you have a good enough paint finish, raw board is a good way to save money.’’

Heyman says measuring the room is the best place to start kitchen planning. ‘‘Using whatever you have (pen, paper, tablet) start sketching out your new design. I think the layout should always come before colours and textures, because form should always follow function.

‘‘Once your layout is established, you also have something to visualise when you look at a new material, or when you stand in the space.

‘‘Some things require more thought than others – flooring and cabinetry colours need to be futureproofed as they are more difficult and expensive to swap out than appliances and paint, which you can switch up over the years.’’

To DIY or not to DIY

Middleton says most people can probably paint a room themselves, and possibly plaster if they had an eye for detail.

‘‘Both these jobs take immense patience, and you do really need to care about the job you are doing, otherwise you are better off hiring someone to ensure a good finish.’’

The couple say you can save money on renovations through the materials you choose, but be aware of your location. ‘‘With the housing market the way it is, people really want a home they don’t have to re-renovate or re-do. So if you’re in a median suburb in a three-bedroom home, don’t put in a laminate benchtop.

‘‘Consider keeping your existing cabinetry, or replacing the doors and upgrading the benchtop. Put yourself in a buyer’s shoes – do they walk inside and think ‘great, everything’s done how it needs to be for now’, or do they think ‘yeesh, we’ll need new carpet, new kitchen, new bathroom…’, because that’s when they start removing numbers from your asking price.’’

Heyman says you don’t need to have a state-ofthe-art kitchen or a wet-room bathroom, but that’s where creativity and design come into play.

‘‘A lot of people think ‘new’ kitchen or bathroom means ‘nice kitchen or bathroom’ – but sadly, many people end up with cookie-cutter rooms with no character or personality. Buyers will instead see it as ‘another quick flip to make a buck’. It all comes back to design.’’

Keep on top of the mess

‘‘Try to keep life as normal as you can – and stay on top of cleaning,’’ says Middleton. ‘‘It will only feel like a renovation site if it doesn’t feel like your home. Once the tradies go home at the end of every day, vacuum and wipe down every surface.

‘‘Buy some big plastic tubs, label each one and stack the kitchen contents inside. Line them up against a wall for easy access.

Heyman recommends a ‘‘kitchen station’’. ‘‘We set up a temporary dining table with our crockpot, pressure cooker, and water jug, so we could not only cook safely and hygienically during the evenings, but could always offer the tradies a cup of tea and some baking without having to get through a hazard zone to find anything.

‘‘Be prepared to be flexible, as things often need to move. Our fridge had five different homes before we finished the kitchen. Putting new appliances on top of cardboard can make it easier to move them around while work is under way.’’

Heyman says knowing where the tradies will be working the next day and providing clear access will save time and money.

Homed

en-nz

2021-10-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281900186421529

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