Mt Eden: Added value

562 Mt Eden Road, Mt Eden.

Bil and Billy Hawley are used to their friends thinking they're mad every time they buy a house.

Their last three homes have been do-ups that few other people could see any potential in.

"Most people look at what we take on and tell us we're bananas," says Bil. "They see how rundown they are, and wonder what you could do with the rabbit warren of rooms.

"But we can look at a house and within 30 seconds know exactly what we can do. We can see the finished product in our minds before we even start."

Renovating houses has become something of a hobby for the couple, who run their own advertising company, Plug. However, they've never set out to make money out of doing up old houses, they've always planned to live in their homes and enjoy the fruit of their labours. But they sold their last two soon after completing the work because they got offers that were too good to refuse, and their current one is now on the market because it's too big for just the two of them.

The 1912 villa just 500m from Mt Eden village was in two flats when they bought it 18 months ago. "We didn't realise just how big it was," admits Billy.

Turning it back into one dwelling wasn't too difficult, as the owner who'd divided it in two back in the 1950s had done so by putting up walls of cupboards.

"He was a cabinet-maker so there were cupboards everywhere. Luckily they were quite easy to pull down," says Billy.

Bil and Billy were confident that other 50s "improvements" to the house could be easily removed to reveal original features, and they were right. Low ceilings covered with acoustic tiles were hiding high ceilings still in good condition. Pulling out the second kitchen uncovered a beautiful leadlight window and ply ripped off the front door revealed coloured glass.

The house was rewired and replumbed but didn't need any structural work.

"It was very tired and rundown but had good bones. Apart from converting a laundry into an en suite and putting in a new kitchen, most of what we have done is redecoration," explains Billy.

A talented artist, she has chosen a neutral palette of colours. "That way you can put your own personality into it with furniture and accessories."

Bil describes their style as "pleasantly sophisticated".

"Super-sophisticated is too hard to live with," he says. "We like our homes to be smart and stylish, but also comfortable."

The large downstairs area in the house didn't need too much work, "just a bit of jollying up" says Billy. There are two living areas - the smaller one, which leads to a patio, is called the music room as it's where Billy likes to practise the flute; the larger one is used as a home theatre as there's plenty of room for the 60-inch TV and a huge sofa.

Upstairs are two more living spaces - a room the couple call the night lounge, which can be closed off, and the day lounge, which is part of an open plan area with the kitchen and dining space. "We really love what we've done to the house and it is a shame that we won't get to enjoy it," says Billy. "But we would be better off somewhere smaller, and I think this time we'll be staying put."

Vital Statistics

SIZE: Land 642sqm; house 370sqm.

PRICE INDICATION: Interest expected in the $900,000s. Auction July 6.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 2.30-3.30pm, Wed 12-1pm.

CONTACT: Angela Gray or John Elgar, Barfoot and Thompson, ph 360 2323, 027 292 8337 (Angela) or 027 477 3442 (John).

FEATURES: Renovated villa with four living areas, new chef's kitchen including double gas oven, polished wooden floors, main bedroom with tiled en suite, large workshop with storage space under the house, double garage with automatic doors, single garage at rear of property that's ideal for extra storage or studio, garden with peach and avocado trees.