"It was a mess, but it was a solid kauri home with good bones," says John, who even levelled the slightly sloping section.
John likes to do things properly, and has no hesitation in getting architects to redraw plans or builders to pull out walls and start again if he thinks things could be done better. He did that with this house. For example, the configuration of cupboards in the hall and one bedroom was changed after the framing had gone up. "I want everything to be the best it can be," he says.
His high standards extend to the fixtures and fittings, such as the monsoon showerheads in both the en suite and the family bathroom that cost a cool $2700 each. "But boy, they're great showers," promises John.
He's extremely particular about bathrooms and kitchens and has really gone the extra mile in this house. The bathrooms feature square toilets with self-closing seats and lids, underfloor heating, Italian tiles and spacious walk-in showers. The striking egg-shaped bath in the main bathroom weighs 183kg and took nine men to carry it inside.
The kitchen is sleek, and although it looks simple, it has all the bells and whistles, including a silent waste disposal, pantry with pullout shelves, a Caesarstone bench, lots of soft-closing drawers and cupboards and top-of-the-range Bosch and Liebherr appliances.
John's eye for detail is also evident in the laundry off the kitchen, which has plenty of cupboards for linen, its own access outside and a rail for hanging clothes to dry.
The kitchen and living/dining area is in an extension built across the rear of the house.
A wall of sliding glass doors opens to a flat deck and the now level back garden, that features palm trees, a swimming pool and a water feature. Inside, John collaborated with interior designer Tricia Dunlop to create a light, bright and stylish home.
"We wanted it to be modern and contemporary but still keep many of the period features that give the house personality, such as the windows and the large skirting boards," says Tricia.
The house still has a traditional wide central hall from the front door to the rear living area, but the rooms off it have been reconfigured.
The master bedroom at the front of the house now has an en suite as well as a large walk-in wardrobe with built-in shelving. From the wardrobe there's access via a pull-down staircase to a large, lined storage attic. There's plenty of storage room here.
The master bedroom and the second living room both have square bay windows fitted with the original leadlight glass.
It's taken the best part of nine months to complete the renovation but John says he's very, very happy with the result.
He says: "You always want to do the best job you can, and with this one I think we've gone above and beyond that. It is very special."
