Sandringham: Added value

9 Jason Ave, Sandringham

Shaun and Nicole Aumua didn't realise what they were getting themselves into when they bought their 1880s villa 17 years ago.

The couple viewed the house on a dark, rainy night and while they could see it needed work, they didn't appreciate just how much.

The couple met the asking price after admiring the high ceilings in the first room they saw and only had a cursory look through the rest of the house.

It wasn't until after they'd bought it that they learned it had no hot water and needed repiling, reblocking, replumbing and rewiring. "It was so filthy that I initially refused to move in," says Nicole. "We actually brought the hose inside to hose it down."

So began a long labour of love. Over the next decade or so they renovated the house from top to bottom, tackling most of the work themselves. Everything needed doing, including replacing the scrim on the walls with gib and ripping up the four layers of vinyl on the floors. In the backyard, five outbuildings, including chicken coops, had to be demolished.

"We had to learn as we went along," says Nicole. "Shaun's now an amazing builder and gib-stopper. The only problem is he's developed a thing about power tools - every time he goes to Mitre 10 he comes back with yet another power tool."

Nicole is no slouch either when it comes to DIY and has tackled a variety of tasks, from digging holes for fence posts to painting the house inside and out, including the roof - even though she's not fond of heights.

They scoured demolition yards for fittings in keeping with the age of the house and were especially pleased with two fireplaces they got from a Devonport villa.

Ten years ago Shaun and Nicole added an extension to the back of the house, knocking down an old lean-to and building a bathroom, dining room, kitchen, office and garage. They had the weatherboards on the addition hand-milled to match those on the original house.

Their many years of meticulous hard work have resulted in a gracious and comfortable family home that holds many happy memories for the couple and their children, Connor and Madison. They rented out the house when Shaun's job as a manager for an international telecommunications firm took them to Belgium and Sweden for four years and decided not to move back in when they returned to New Zealand.

"After years of living in big cities we wanted to experience something different," says Nicole. "So we've bought land in the Waitakeres with several buildings on it."

Nicole's tips for renovating and decorating.

Finish the little jobs before starting the next big one. Otherwise you'll find they never get done.

Don't decorate on a room-by-room basis. Consider the overall look of the house when you're choosing paint, carpet and curtains.

Don't automatically choose the builder or architect who gives you the cheapest quote. You can end up paying a lot more if their work is not up to scratch.

Vital Statistics

SIZE: Land 809sq m, house 221sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: $600,000-plus. Auction June 1. INSPECT: 1-2pm Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday.

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

FEATURES: 1880s villa; internal access garage with room behind containing laundry that could be used as a workshop, storage area, studio, gym or family room; office with separate entrance and built-in cupboards and desk; wood-burning stove in dining room; farmhouse-style kitchen with granite benchtops, breakfast bar and small sitting area; large two-level partially covered deck; children's playground; burglar alarm.