The show was inspired by the struggle many young Kiwi home buyers face when it comes to getting into the property market. Research shows that, in many cases, the only way they can afford a home of their own is to get some help from mum and dad.
THE WARDLAWS
Mum Kathy, dad Mick, son Tim and his girlfriend Robyn.
Tim Wardlaw has a confession to make -- he hasn't been watching Our First Home. "It's just a bit weird for me seeing myself," he says. "We all watched the first episode but since then I haven't really seen it ... If I could fast-forward through our bits and just watch the others, that would be much better."
Still, Tim says the whole experience of being involved in the show and renovating a house has been extremely rewarding. "It has been a pretty incredible experience, and when I look at the house now, I think we have done an amazing job. Sometimes it is really hard to fathom how we actually did it -- it was a lot of work."
The Wardlaws bought a traditional three-bedroom weatherboard house in Te Atatu South. They were keen to make sure it included all the mod cons, while retaining the classic features of its era, such as the polished wooden floors.
The attic space was converted into a stylish second living area and they completely changed the stairs leading up to it so they would have room for an en suite off the master bedroom. The upstairs room could be a fourth bedroom if needed. Tim says his favourite part of the house is the open-plan living, dining and kitchen area. "I think that works very well."
Builder Tim works for company that specialises in high-end homes, so working on a house that had seen better days was new for him. "I feel as if I have learned a lot," he says.
The biggest lesson he learned was the importance of planning ahead -- and that decisions made early on can have a big impact on what you are able to do further down the track.
"That was hard -- you need to think things through very carefully," he says. "I think the thing I found most surprising about being on the show was that I ended up taking charge. I thought my dad would do it, but in the end it was me that had to take the initiative and lead. I think that experience is going to be really invaluable to me.
"Robyn was incredible. She just blew me away with what she was capable of."
For further reading on this story you can follow:
The Gourleys story here or
The Schreuders story here.
