Mt Eden: Added value

23 Burnley Terrace, Mt Eden.

Fiona and David Woods 1927 bungalow looks to be in original condition, but it's taken 17 years of dogged labour to make it look untouched.

Since buying the rimu house, the couple have spent much of their time stripping layers of paint from skirting boards, built-in cabinets, beams and mouldings to expose the timber in all its glory. They have restored the patterned plaster ceilings, some of which, like the entrance hall, have ornate domes.

They have shifted rooms to create an open flow, but have been at pains to retain the character of the bungalow.

"It's nice to keep it original. We've tried to match up all the beams and woodwork through the house," Fiona says. "My husband has been very nit-picky about that."

Fiona says they've had a lot of fun over the years doing the work, but she did get a bit worried when David began opening up the rear of the house to improve the flow between kitchen, dining room and living room. "He decided one day to remove this wall and the kids and I were just standing there going, 'Oh my God', because he just loves getting the sledgehammer out." And the timing of such a major renovation was not great.

"Of course we did it in July when it was freezing. We had no ceiling and no wall linings and as the old pieces were coming off the house I was cutting them up and putting them on the fire so we could keep warm.

"We did a lot of that work ourselves but we got a builder in to do the guts of the renovation," Fiona says.

"Opening up the house has made a huge difference because now we have all this living area. Before that it was like living in two different houses."

In their time at Burnley Terrace, the Woods have shifted and renewed the kitchen, created a fourth bedroom by shifting the laundry into a cupboard, re-roofed the house, put down a driveway, fenced the property, and put French doors into the dining room that open to the north-facing deck they added.

They've also renovated and tiled the bathroom, and had the old clawfoot bath resurfaced and built in. The house has been connected to gas and has an on-demand gas water heater.

Fiona says they have probably spent somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000 renovating.

"I started a book where I would write all the figures down but it got too scary so I put it away."

After staying so long in the same spot the Woods and their three children, Jessica, aged 15, Alex, 13, and Catherine, 11, are taking a leap into the unknown. They're shifting from a heritage street in the city to a lifestyle block near Bethells Beach to live in a 30-year-old log cabin.

"We're going out to 10 acres and we want to get some horses and do the country thing," Fiona says. "Some people have said to us, 'Are you sure you know what you're doing?' But we're looking forward to it."

Fiona's renovating tips:

Try to make the renovation as seamless as possible by sourcing matching materials.

Accept that it's going to take longer and cost you more than you first thought.

Don't be frightened to have a go.

Vital Statistics

SIZE: Land 524sq m, house 180sq m (approx).

PRICE INDICATION: $600,000-plus. Auction July 23.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun/Wed 1-2pm.

CONTACT: Liz Rigby, Cahill Real Estate, ph 849 2588 bus, 021 676 206 mob, 828 9989 a/h.

FEATURES: Carefully restored large bungalow on elevated full corner site. Original rimu cabinetry, beams, leadlights and ornate ceilings. Modern kitchen, lounge and family living to large deck and north-facing yard.