Renovation Workbook

homestyle | April/May 12 | 49homestyle | April/May 12 | 49

In association with Resene

The easy guide to doing up your home

Cut Out & Keep

Renovation workbook

Renovation Workbook

homestyle | April/May 12 | 5150 | April/May 12 | homestyle

So, you're renovating!

Did you buy a do-up dream? Have your frustration levels at the house’s layout boiled over? Is it the cobalt blue kitchen that just won’t do any more? Or have you looked around for a different house to buy, but decided instead to invest effort and money into improving what you already have?

There are many reasons for embarking on a renovation project, and we Kiwis are very good at it. Our timber houses are easy to push and pull around, we have a love affair with interiors magazines and we entertain at home, so we like our houses to look good.

A successful renovation project relies heavily on good planning. Think ahead so that all of the time, money and effort you’re about to spend isn’t wasted in a few years’ time. Future-proof your ideas so that any renovation will last your family for years to come, and so that it will be appealing to any future owners of the house when you go to sell.

Here is our guide to renovating, a practical step-by-step workbook for the beginner renovator.

Then start an Excel spreadsheet or similar, to keep a track of budget and payments.

Make sure everyone agrees with the list — one of you might think a new kitchen is top of the list; the other might insist a garage comes first. This may be an exercise in compromise, but it’s nothing compared to what you’ll go through once you face the next issue — budget.

Are there any special requirements associated with your site, such as a need for earthworks, or possible heritage restrictions? (This information is available from your council.) There’s no point dreaming of a large addition to find that site coverage restrictions won’t allow it, or that you’ll need to get consent from that neighbour who thinks you poisoned their cat.

Become a list loverStart with a list of what you want to change — a new kitchen, better living spaces, better outdoor flow, an extra bedroom, garaging and so on. Split your list in two — the MUST-HAVES and the WISH-LIST.

Start a scrapbook:

* scribbled ideas

* magazine clippings

* colours you like

* products you love

* samples of paint

* flooring samples

* fabric swatches

We love making lists and hope you will too, with our weekly planner for you download from www.homestyle.co.nz. Fill it in and print it out for your renovation workbook file. ☛

Sharon Newey

In the middle of renovating your home – or about to start? homestyle’s 6-part guide to renovating will help you do it right.

Part 1: Planning your renovation

0800 RESENE (737 363) www.resene.co.nzTry out your favourite colour FREE!

To help you get started choosing your colour, bring in this Resene ad and get a Resene 55ml testpot of your choice FREE. Limit one free testpot per voucher/customer at Resene owned ColorShops until 30 June 2012.

Turn a wall into a moodboard of ideas for your

renovation and have a dedicated space to store

fabrics, test pots and samples for your project.”“

Renovation Workbook

Ph

oto

Jan

Ba

ldw

in/N

arr

ati

ves.

Renovation Workbook

homestyle | April/May 12 | 5150 | April/May 12 | homestyle

So, you're renovating!

Did you buy a do-up dream? Have your frustration levels at the house’s layout boiled over? Is it the cobalt blue kitchen that just won’t do any more? Or have you looked around for a different house to buy, but decided instead to invest effort and money into improving what you already have?

There are many reasons for embarking on a renovation project, and we Kiwis are very good at it. Our timber houses are easy to push and pull around, we have a love affair with interiors magazines and we entertain at home, so we like our houses to look good.

A successful renovation project relies heavily on good planning. Think ahead so that all of the time, money and effort you’re about to spend isn’t wasted in a few years’ time. Future-proof your ideas so that any renovation will last your family for years to come, and so that it will be appealing to any future owners of the house when you go to sell.

Here is our guide to renovating, a practical step-by-step workbook for the beginner renovator.

Then start an Excel spreadsheet or similar, to keep a track of budget and payments.

Make sure everyone agrees with the list — one of you might think a new kitchen is top of the list; the other might insist a garage comes first. This may be an

exercise in compromise, but it’s nothing compared to what you’ll go through once you face the next issue — budget.

Are there any special requirements associated with your site, such as a need for earthworks, or possible heritage restrictions? (This information is available from your council.) There’s no point dreaming of a large addition to find that site coverage restrictions won’t allow it, or that you’ll need to get consent from that neighbour who thinks you poisoned their cat.

Become a list loverStart with a list of what you want to change — a new kitchen, better living spaces, better outdoor flow, an extra bedroom, garaging and so on. Split your list in two — the MUST-HAVES and the WISH-LIST.

Start a scrapbook:

* scribbled ideas

* magazine clippings

* colours you like

* products you love

* samples of paint

* flooring samples

* fabric swatches

We love making lists and hope you will too, with our weekly planner for you download from www.homestyle.co.nz. Fill it in and print it out for your renovation workbook file. ☛

Sharon Newey

In the middle of renovating your home – or about to start? homestyle’s 6-part guide to renovating will help you do it right.

Part 1: Planning your renovation

0800 RESENE (737 363) www.resene.co.nzTry out your favourite colour FREE!

To help you get started choosing your colour, bring in this Resene ad and get a Resene 55ml testpot of your choice FREE. Limit one free testpot per voucher/customer at Resene owned ColorShops until 30 June 2012.

Turn a wall into a moodboard of ideas for your

renovation and have a dedicated space to store

fabrics, test pots and samples for your project.”“

Renovation WorkbookP

ho

to Ja

n B

ald

win

/Na

rra

tive

s.

Renovation Workbook

52 | April/May 12 | homestyle

What will give you the best increase in value when you renovate?

File in style Gather together all the tools you’ll need to start your own Renovation File — a sturdy ringbinder, hole-punch, Post-Its, tags and tape.

1. My Dream Home Organiser, $39.95, from Kikki.K 2. Bulldog clips, $6.95, from Kikki.K. 3. Sticky notes, $31, from www.notemaker.com.au, 4. MT masking tape, $6.95, from www.presse.co.nz, 5. Make a Plan notebooks, $30, each from www.foxes.co.nz.

Ask the experts

Nadia Sakey Interior designer, The House DoctorIn New Zealand, property values are all about the square meterage. The bigger the property, the more desirable it is. This suggests that adding to your floor space would be the best way to increase the value of your property. However, this can be costly, so make sure all

that expense and disruption will give you the return you want. If you are renovating to sell, your home’s appeal and value can

in fact be increased with lots of small changes, from decluttering to increasing the feeling of flow.

Ensure your kitchen and bathrooms are looking like new. Done well, they can add up to 10% to your home’s value. A great kitchen is the first thing a buyer will look for. These days it’s where we’re likely to spend most of our time socialising. If you can create a nice open-plan kitchen-living space with good flow to the outdoors, it will add appeal.

You should seek advice from a home stylist or a local real-estate agent, so you spend in the right places. No one knows market demand like estate agents do.

Values are all about the square

meterage. The bigger the property,

the more desirable it is.

John Walsh Communications manager, New Zealand Institute of Architects Decide what you want, what you need and what you can afford. Don’t try to anticipate the tastes of future buyers. If you design for the market, rather than for you and your family, you’ll end up with a compromised and

unsatisfactory outcome. You won’t be happy and chances are, potential buyers won’t be, either.

And don’t be too concerned with fashion, which changes.

The point of renovating your house is to make it more habitable and enjoyable – for you! Clarity of design, rather than many ‘features’, should be the goal. A good part of your budget should go not on ‘stuff’, but on spatial design. ‘Stuff’ you can add, but you can’t retro-fit good design.

To get good design, get a good designer. Architects are the most qualified spatial designers, and most are experienced in alterations and additions. Building is expensive, so it pays to make good decisions at the outset. See www.talktoanarchitect.co.nz for questions you should ask. Remember, your home is not just a piece of real estate.

The point of renovating your

house is to make it habitable

and enjoyable — for you!

Glenda WhiteheadValuer, QVMake sure your renovations reflect the market demands of your neighbourhood.

Assess your home’s strengths and weaknesses and then review your local market and consider what buyers are demanding, and the values owners get

for different levels of presentation. Kitchens are often top of the buyer tick-list. Price your

upgrade to your suburb; high-end products in a modest suburb are unlikely to get you additional value. Likewise, cheap fittings could result in the values actually being discounted in some areas. Bathrooms are also key. Original fittings and fixtures can really date an older bathroom.

Extra bedrooms can sometimes increase a house’s value. Taking a home from two bedrooms to three will in most cases add value, but a fifth bedroom is unlikely to deliver as much. When adding bedrooms, add living areas to cope with the extra people. Other areas that can add value include painting and decorating, garages, decking and landscaping.

Taking a home from two

to three bedrooms will in

most cases add value.

Patrick McCarthyReal-estate agent, Custom ResidentialBuyers of quality homes buy on emotion, not value. So creating an emotional connection will always get a premium price. I believe the x-factor is a combination of space, volume, flow, views and landscaping, to make living spaces

people love to be in. Living areas that flow seamlessly to outdoor areas with flat lawns are priceless. It’s always been the Kiwi dream to stroll onto the lawn to kick a ball around.

Kitchens are key. With our busy lives, kitchens form a major part of our homes and should be functional, well designed and durable.

Always spend money replacing the bathrooms and ensuites. Having an ensuite off the master bedroom is simply an expectation these days.

People will pay handsomely for views from living areas but views from bedrooms won’t add the same value.

Landscaping can make a difference but only half of people will want a pool. Finally, buyers love a freshly painted home.

Kitchens are key. With today's

busy lives, kitchens form a

major part of our homes.

Tackling a renovation project and need some advice from the experts? Send your questions for our panel to myhome@homestyle.co.nz, or post on our facebook page.

Collect images of rooms and colour palettes you like to inspire paint schemes.

Paint tipsColour is a key part of any renovation. Whether you want the renovated rooms to blend in with an existing colour scheme, or you want them to look and feel more vibrant, Resene has many tools to help in the planning stages of a renovation.

* Get your imagination stimulated with a selection from the many paint charts, including fashion fandecks and the ever-popular Resene White & Neutrals collection.

* Use handy Resene testpots to try out and compare colours in your home. Take your testpot voucher at the bottom of pages 50-51 into a Resene PaintShop to redeem it.

* Resene also has curtains, wallpapers and cushions for a complete interior look.

* Try Resene’s handy online colour tools. The Resene ColourHelper ‘reads’ an existing colour, from an old painted surface to a piece of fabric, and tells you the closest paint match. The Resene Palette Generator gives you colours that match a selected photograph (www.resene.co.nz/picturepalette). Or try the Resene ColourMatch and iSwatch apps for iPhones (www.resene.co.nz/colourmatch and www.resene.co.nz/iSwatch).

* And, of course, there’s always the popular Resene EzyPaint free virtual painting software, for trying out a scheme before you commit to buying the paint. Either use the library of existing images and schemes or upload photos of your own home to ‘paint’ (www.resene.co.nz/ezypaint).

Renovation Workbook

52 | April/May 12 | homestyle

What will give you the best increase in value when you renovate?

File in style Gather together all the tools you’ll need to start your own Renovation File — a sturdy ringbinder, hole-punch, Post-Its, tags and tape.

1. My Dream Home Organiser, $39.95, from Kikki.K 2. Bulldog clips, $6.95, from Kikki.K. 3. Sticky notes, $31, from www.notemaker.com.au, 4. MT masking tape, $6.95, from www.presse.co.nz, 5. Make a Plan notebooks, $30, each from www.foxes.co.nz.

Ask the experts

Nadia Sakey Interior designer, The House DoctorIn New Zealand, property values are all about the square meterage. The bigger the property, the more desirable it is. This suggests that adding to your floor space would be the best way to increase the value of your property. However, this can be costly, so make sure all

that expense and disruption will give you the return you want. If you are renovating to sell, your home’s appeal and value can

in fact be increased with lots of small changes, from decluttering to increasing the feeling of flow.

Ensure your kitchen and bathrooms are looking like new. Done well, they can add up to 10% to your home’s value. A great kitchen is the first thing a buyer will look for. These days it’s where we’re likely to spend most of our time socialising. If you can create a nice open-plan kitchen-living space with good flow to the outdoors, it will add appeal.

You should seek advice from a home stylist or a local real-estate agent, so you spend in the right places. No one knows market demand like estate agents do.

Values are all about the square

meterage. The bigger the property,

the more desirable it is.

John Walsh Communications manager, New Zealand Institute of Architects Decide what you want, what you need and what you can afford. Don’t try to anticipate the tastes of future buyers. If you design for the market, rather than for you and your family, you’ll end up with a compromised and

unsatisfactory outcome. You won’t be happy and chances are, potential buyers won’t be, either.

And don’t be too concerned with fashion, which changes.

The point of renovating your house is to make it more habitable and enjoyable – for you! Clarity of design, rather than many ‘features’, should be the goal. A good part of your budget should go not on ‘stuff’, but on spatial design. ‘Stuff’ you can add, but you can’t retro-fit good design.

To get good design, get a good designer. Architects are the most qualified spatial designers, and most are experienced in alterations and additions. Building is expensive, so it pays to make good decisions at the outset. See www.talktoanarchitect.co.nz for questions you should ask. Remember, your home is not just a piece of real estate.

The point of renovating your

house is to make it habitable

and enjoyable — for you!

Glenda WhiteheadValuer, QVMake sure your renovations reflect the market demands of your neighbourhood.

Assess your home’s strengths and weaknesses and then review your local market and consider what buyers are demanding, and the values owners get

for different levels of presentation. Kitchens are often top of the buyer tick-list. Price your

upgrade to your suburb; high-end products in a modest suburb are unlikely to get you additional value. Likewise, cheap fittings could result in the values actually being discounted in some areas. Bathrooms are also key. Original fittings and fixtures can really date an older bathroom.

Extra bedrooms can sometimes increase a house’s value. Taking a home from two bedrooms to three will in most cases add value, but a fifth bedroom is unlikely to deliver as much. When adding bedrooms, add living areas to cope with the extra people. Other areas that can add value include painting and decorating, garages, decking and landscaping.

Taking a home from two

to three bedrooms will in

most cases add value.

Patrick McCarthyReal-estate agent, Custom ResidentialBuyers of quality homes buy on emotion, not value. So creating an emotional connection will always get a premium price. I believe the x-factor is a combination of space, volume, flow, views and landscaping, to make living spaces

people love to be in. Living areas that flow seamlessly to outdoor areas with flat lawns are priceless. It’s always been the Kiwi dream to stroll onto the lawn to kick a ball around.

Kitchens are key. With our busy lives, kitchens form a major part of our homes and should be functional, well designed and durable.

Always spend money replacing the bathrooms and ensuites. Having an ensuite off the master bedroom is simply an expectation these days.

People will pay handsomely for views from living areas but views from bedrooms won’t add the same value.

Landscaping can make a difference but only half of people will want a pool. Finally, buyers love a freshly painted home.

Kitchens are key. With today's

busy lives, kitchens form a

major part of our homes.

Tackling a renovation project and need some advice from the experts? Send your questions for our panel to myhome@homestyle.co.nz, or post on our facebook page.

Collect images of rooms and colour palettes you like to inspire paint schemes.

Paint tipsColour is a key part of any renovation. Whether you want the renovated rooms to blend in with an existing colour scheme, or you want them to look and feel more vibrant, Resene has many tools to help in the planning stages of a renovation.

* Get your imagination stimulated with a selection from the many paint charts, including fashion fandecks and the ever-popular Resene White & Neutrals collection.

* Use handy Resene testpots to try out and compare colours in your home. Take your testpot voucher at the bottom of pages 50-51 into a Resene PaintShop to redeem it.

* Resene also has curtains, wallpapers and cushions for a complete interior look.

* Try Resene’s handy online colour tools. The Resene ColourHelper ‘reads’ an existing colour, from an old painted surface to a piece of fabric, and tells you the closest paint match. The Resene Palette Generator gives you colours that match a selected photograph (www.resene.co.nz/picturepalette). Or try the Resene ColourMatch and iSwatch apps for iPhones (www.resene.co.nz/colourmatch and www.resene.co.nz/iSwatch).

* And, of course, there’s always the popular Resene EzyPaint free virtual painting software, for trying out a scheme before you commit to buying the paint. Either use the library of existing images and schemes or upload photos of your own home to ‘paint’ (www.resene.co.nz/ezypaint).

Renovation Workbook

Red tapeWith a few exceptions, major work is going to need building consent from your local council, based on the plans and specifications your designer will provide. All work needs to meet the standards set by the New Zealand Building Code.

As you build, there will be inspections at key stages to confirm that the work is being done to the plans and specifications in the building consent — your council will normally supply a folder or book to track progress.

Once the work is complete, you will request a final inspection and if everything is okay, the council will issue a code of compliance certificate.

Keeping your budget under control is imperative, or you could end up in the divorce courts, on medication or even having to sell your newly renovated (or even worse, partly renovated) house because you just can’t afford the mortgage any more.

Now is also a good time to mention overcapitalisation. Property prices in our larger towns and cities have traditionally increased in value and sale price, but if you decide on an expensive renovation filled with high-end fittings, make sure you will get your money back if you have to sell soon after.

Circumstances change, so make sure you won’t make a loss on the house. It may be that you bought the house some years ago, so the purchase price is now

irrelevant, but if you’re worried, ask an estate agent to get an idea of what the house would sell for, pre-renovation, and what it should sell for afterwards.

Or you can pay for a valuation (which can cost around $1000).

You can work on this ratio:

20% for ‘contingencies’ — those things that always pop up despite the best planning and research. Oh no! Mice

have eaten the wiring. Or, oh darn! You really must have that gorgeous but expensive tap for the bathroom.

20% for consent costs, as well as consultants like

designers, architects or engineers.

60% of the budget for the

actual physical renovation, which includes materials and tradespeople. It might seem low, but it’s not unrealistic.

My calculations

60%

20%

20%

TOTAL

How long?• Do i have everything on a timeline? Work out your timeline (left) for the project, from contacting the designer to hanging the curtains.

• if it’s a large renovation, do we need to move out for any part of it? Consider whether you could you make do with a temporary kitchen while a new one is being built.

• Do i have the right people? Don’t rush the design phase – give yourself time to find the right people, absorb their plans or suggestions, and give yourself time to get feedback.

• Do i have three quotes? Spend time comparing quotes from tradespeople and suppliers. The architect may have a team they work with, but make sure they’re competitively priced.

• are you sure this is what you want? Once your consent is issued, it is costly and time-consuming if you change your mind, and variations from the consented plans may lead to problems getting the work signed off.

News alert! With consents sought after March 1, something called Restricted Building Work comes into effect, where only a Licensed Building Practitioner can undertake or supervise the work. Licensed Building Practitioners include: designers, carpenters, roofers, external plasterers, brick and blocklayers, and foundations specialists. Professional engineers, architects, plumbers and gasfitters are treated as Licensed Building Practitioners and can carry out some Restricted Building Work.

Next issue The second part of our Renovation Workbook focuses on open-plan living — how to open an existing older home for better flow and more modern spaces, structural issues, options to consider and what it could cost.

Planning starts

Date...................................................................

Setting a budget

Date...................................................................

Getting bank finance

Date...................................................................

Select an architect/designer

Date...................................................................

Plans ready

Date...................................................................

Select contractors

Date...................................................................

Start demolition

Date...................................................................

Roofing

Date...................................................................

Framing, windows

Date...................................................................

Insulation

Date...................................................................

Wallboards, gib-stopping

Date...................................................................

Sealing

Date...................................................................

Sign-off

Date...................................................................

Painting, floor coverings

Date...................................................................

Landscaping & sitework

Date...................................................................

Soft furnishings

Date...................................................................

Furniture move in

Date...................................................................

Housewarming!

5 Easy ways to save 1. The fewer walls you move, the cheaper it’s going to be.

2. Not altering the roof-shape too much will be cheaper.

3. Not moving plumbing centres, such as the kitchen and bathrooms, is another way of saving.

4. Getting a contract price from your builder and tradespeople will give you a set figure.

5. Although it may seem an added expense, paying the designer or head builder to project-manage will save time,

hassle and grief. If you can’t afford everything you want, can the project be done in stages?

If you do go for stages, try to physically and logically group what’s to be done when, such as doing the living areas and kitchen at the same time; then the bathrooms; then the landscaping.

Get each area finished, so that you can go there, sit down and be inspired by what you have accomplished. Having unfinished projects dotted about the house will drive you mad.

Dollars & SenseMy rough timeline

Who designs it? Most projects will need an architect, architectural designer or designer of some sort. Ask around for referrals, knock on the doors of houses you like and ask who did their design, or contact the bodies, www.nzia.co.nz and www.adnz.org.nz. Fees vary depending on the scale and complexity of the project, but 15% of the full budget is not unusual for full design and project management.

The contractDecide the kind of building contract you want. There are three main types:

• Labour only — the builder supplies the labour, the project manager supplies everything else.

• Managed Contract — the builder manages the project and the subtrades such as plumbers and plasterers, but doesn’t supply the materials.

• Full Contract — the builder manages everything.

Get a written contract, including guarantees, payment schedules and completion dates.

Renovation Workbook

homestyle | April/May 12 | 55

Ho

me

de

sig

ne

d b

y N

oe

l Je

sso

p, p

ho

to A

ma

nd

a A

itke

n.

☛

Renovation Workbook

Red tapeWith a few exceptions, major work is going to need building consent from your local council, based on the plans and specifications your designer will provide. All work needs to meet the standards set by the New Zealand Building Code.

As you build, there will be inspections at key stages to confirm that the work is being done to the plans and specifications in the building consent — your council will normally supply a folder or book to track progress.

Once the work is complete, you will request a final inspection and if everything is okay, the council will issue a code of compliance certificate.

Keeping your budget under control is imperative, or you could end up in the divorce courts, on medication or even having to sell your newly renovated (or even worse, partly renovated) house because you just can’t afford the mortgage any more.

Now is also a good time to mention overcapitalisation. Property prices in our larger towns and cities have traditionally increased in value and sale price, but if you decide on an expensive renovation filled with high-end fittings, make sure you will get your money back if you have to sell soon after.

Circumstances change, so make sure you won’t make a loss on the house. It may be that you bought the house some years ago, so the purchase price is now

irrelevant, but if you’re worried, ask an estate agent to get an idea of what the house would sell for, pre-renovation, and what it should sell for afterwards.

Or you can pay for a valuation (which can cost around $1000).

You can work on this ratio:

20% for ‘contingencies’ — those things that always pop up despite the best planning and research. Oh no! Mice

have eaten the wiring. Or, oh darn! You really must have that gorgeous but expensive tap for the bathroom.

20% for consent costs, as well as consultants like

designers, architects or engineers.

60% of the budget for the

actual physical renovation, which includes materials and tradespeople. It might seem low, but it’s not unrealistic.

My calculations

60%

20%

20%

TOTAL

How long?• Do i have everything on a timeline? Work out your timeline (left) for the project, from contacting the designer to hanging the curtains.

• if it’s a large renovation, do we need to move out for any part of it? Consider whether you could you make do with a temporary kitchen while a new one is being built.

• Do i have the right people? Don’t rush the design phase – give yourself time to find the right people, absorb their plans or suggestions, and give yourself time to get feedback.

• Do i have three quotes? Spend time comparing quotes from tradespeople and suppliers. The architect may have a team they work with, but make sure they’re competitively priced.

• are you sure this is what you want? Once your consent is issued, it is costly and time-consuming if you change your mind, and variations from the consented plans may lead to problems getting the work signed off.

News alert! With consents sought after March 1, something called Restricted Building Work comes into effect, where only a Licensed Building Practitioner can undertake or supervise the work. Licensed Building Practitioners include: designers, carpenters, roofers, external plasterers, brick and blocklayers, and foundations specialists. Professional engineers, architects, plumbers and gasfitters are treated as Licensed Building Practitioners and can carry out some Restricted Building Work.

Next issue The second part of our Renovation Workbook focuses on open-plan living — how to open an existing older home for better flow and more modern spaces, structural issues, options to consider and what it could cost.

Planning starts

Date...................................................................

Setting a budget

Date...................................................................

Getting bank finance

Date...................................................................

Select an architect/designer

Date...................................................................

Plans ready

Date...................................................................

Select contractors

Date...................................................................

Start demolition

Date...................................................................

Roofing

Date...................................................................

Framing, windows

Date...................................................................

Insulation

Date...................................................................

Wallboards, gib-stopping

Date...................................................................

Sealing

Date...................................................................

Sign-off

Date...................................................................

Painting, floor coverings

Date...................................................................

Landscaping & sitework

Date...................................................................

Soft furnishings

Date...................................................................

Furniture move in

Date...................................................................

Housewarming!

5 Easy ways to save 1. The fewer walls you move, the cheaper it’s going to be.

2. Not altering the roof-shape too much will be cheaper.

3. Not moving plumbing centres, such as the kitchen and bathrooms, is another way of saving.

4. Getting a contract price from your builder and tradespeople will give you a set figure.

5. Although it may seem an added expense, paying the designer or head builder to project-manage will save time,

hassle and grief. If you can’t afford everything you want, can the project be done in stages?

If you do go for stages, try to physically and logically group what’s to be done when, such as doing the living areas and kitchen at the same time; then the bathrooms; then the landscaping.

Get each area finished, so that you can go there, sit down and be inspired by what you have accomplished. Having unfinished projects dotted about the house will drive you mad.

Dollars & SenseMy rough timeline

Who designs it? Most projects will need an architect, architectural designer or designer of some sort. Ask around for referrals, knock on the doors of houses you like and ask who did their design, or contact the bodies, www.nzia.co.nz and www.adnz.org.nz. Fees vary depending on the scale and complexity of the project, but 15% of the full budget is not unusual for full design and project management.

The contractDecide the kind of building contract you want. There are three main types:

• Labour only — the builder supplies the labour, the project manager supplies everything else.

• Managed Contract — the builder manages the project and the subtrades such as plumbers and plasterers, but doesn’t supply the materials.

• Full Contract — the builder manages everything.

Get a written contract, including guarantees, payment schedules and completion dates.

Renovation Workbook

homestyle | April/May 12 | 55

Ho

me

de

sig

ne

d b

y N

oe

l Je

sso

p, p

ho

to A

ma

nd

a A

itke

n.

☛