Freemans Bay: Added value

22 Georgina St, Freemans Bay.

Instantly spotting the potential in the run-down bungalow at 22 Georgina Street, builders Mark Ensom and Jason Ellingham started off with one storey and ended up with three.

Their year-long project involved virtually bulldozing the original house, some major excavation work to create a second level and popping the roof to make room for the master suite on top.

They also managed to put an open-plan, self-contained studio - with a kitchen, bathroom and living area - on top of the side-by-side double and single garaging.

Mark is no stranger to hard work. Qualifying as a builder at the age of 19, by the time he was 20 he had his own business.

After stints in the trade working in Europe and Aspen, Colorado, he decided to come back to New Zealand and pick up where he left off.

This renovation is one of several he's carried out in recent years, but the vast amount of ground work involved in the project still sticks in his mind.

"I can still remember all the digging and retaining work that we did through winter," he says. "It was a huge job. There are only two walls of the original bungalow remaining. We completely gutted the whole thing and started again from scratch."

These days, gone is the sense of old. Electronic gates open to a flight of concrete steps that lead up past the garage and the 60sq m guest accommodation (which would make an ideal office space).

The ultra-modern interior of the home is a combination of Tasmanian oak floors, high ceilings, white walls and charcoal carpets.

One living area has a projection TV, another living area upstairs has a gas fire and is open to the kitchen and dining space. The smart, white kitchen includes a mobile bench, integrated Smeg appliances and a stainless steel work surface.

This whole space opens through huge sliding doors - so big they virtually take up an entire wall - to a deck, outdoor gas fire and barbecue area with an excellent view of the Sky Tower.

One of Mark's favourite features of the home is the built-in bar in the lounge, with a double-size, glass-fronted beer fridge, which can be hidden away behind sliding doors.

Up another flight of stairs with a clear glass balustrade to the top floor, and the master bedroom has a balcony, walk-in wardrobe and an en suite. Mark, who has got a few more renovation projects on the go in the area, is more than pleased with the end result of all the hard graft.

"It all works," he says. "I can still remember all that digging, but it was well worth it."

Vital Statistics

BEDROOMS: 4

BATHROOMS: 4

GARAGE: 3

SIZE: Land area 349sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: Upwards of $1.35 million.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 12-12.45pm.

CONTACT: Maxine Lees or Daryl Spense, Ray White, Ponsonby, ph 09 376 2186 bus, Maxine 021 659 995, Daryl 021 955 387.

FEATURES: Renovated, contemporary family home with a multi-zoned sound system, projection TV, underfloor heating in tiled areas and self-contained guest accommodation or office above garage.