SCHOOL ZONES:
Balmoral Primary, Balmoral Intermediate, Mt Albert Grammar, Epsom Girls’ Grammar.
CONTACT:
Mike Robson and Jacqui Hale, Harcourts, 021 484 288 or 632 1296 (Mike) or 021 482 338 or 632 1421 (Jacqui).
AUCTION:
August 5.
Andrea and Tony Hannay belong to the "if you're going to do a job, do it properly" school of thought.
That was the thinking behind the way they approached the renovation of their 1914 Mt Eden bungalow.
And it is the reason why the house today is such a beautiful, stylish, warm and practical home full of first-class fixtures and fittings.
"It's also the reason why we went over budget," says Andrea. "We wanted to get the best of everything and although it did prove expensive, it has been worth it."
The couple could see the potential in the house when they first saw it 12 years ago, even though it had been rented out for 20 years and was in a pretty dire state.
After buying it they spent six weeks doing a fairly basic makeover to make it more habitable, and over the next seven or so years they tackled one project a year, such as putting in a private courtyard at the front of the property.
About five years ago the couple, who had renovated previous homes, decided the time had come for a major transformation but they still didn't rush into anything.
"We spent about two years with our architect working out what we wanted to do before we started," says Andrea. "We wanted to get everything just right."
The couple can't speak highly enough of their architect, Stephen Jones, who specialises in heritage properties. He not only came up with thoughtful plans for adding an extension to the back of the house but also helped with things like getting consents.
"Getting a good architect is really worth it because you do everything properly and it saves you money in the long run," says Tony.
The couple and their children, Siena and Sebastian, moved out for six months while the work was carried out.
Image 1 of 13: Top-of-the-range fixtures, spacious rooms and an attractive medley of heritage and modern features give this 1914 bungalow the edge
The house was stripped right back and virtually rebuilt. It has a new Coloursteel roof, new plumbing, wiring and gibbing. The Hannays also had insulation added to the walls, which has made a huge difference to their heating bills.
"We only use heating for about six weeks a year," says Andrea. "In winter our power bills are $200 a month lower than they used to be."
The house also has a ducted heating, cooling and drying system, and three-quarters of the windows are double-glazed. Its northwest facing aspect means it gets a lot of sun, which also helps it to stay warm.
The Hannays are full of praise for their builder, Scott O'Neil of Elite Renovations, for his meticulous work, which included installing custom-made joinery in the kitchen and master bedroom.
Andrea says the house has been a delight to live in since renovation work was completed three years ago.
Though it is virtually new because of all the building work carried out, it still has all the charm and character of a period home.
Existing features such as leadlight windows were carefully preserved, and new ones -- such as Tasmanian oak floors and ornate plaster ceilings -- were added to be in keeping with the heritage feel of the home.
The master bedroom has a luxurious new en suite and the family bathroom has also been updated to include a stunning composite stone bath.
Thanks to cavity sliding doors, the elegant lounge can be separated from the new extension, which houses a second living area, dining space and the large designer kitchen, complete with a large central island and a scullery.
Bifold doors on two sides of this area open out to a partly covered deck that is a suntrap, and is used as another room in summer.
It's great for entertaining -- there's an outdoor bar by the kitchen window and the Hannays have obtained planning permission for an outdoor fireplace.
Tony and Andrea are quite rightly proud of the transformation of the house.
They enjoyed doing it so much that they have bought another do-up, and are doing it all again, with more help from Stephen and Scott.
