Waiuku: Added value

Warriston House, 5 Warriston Avenue, Waiuku.

Four years of mowing the vacant section nextdoor paid off for Linda McKee when she jumped at the chance to buy it and join it with the land surrounding her historic kauri villa.

Linda said she'd had her eye on the section ever since she and husband Phillip bought Warriston House 22 years ago.

Warriston House was built around the 1890s by the Brown family who had come from England via India to settle in New Zealand. The house was originally set in 4ha of grounds.

"Big houses like this need a lot of land around them," Linda says. "And, in fact, that section used to be the orchard to this house.

"I used to mow it because it looked like it belonged to the house and I didn't want the neighbours thinking I wasn't mowing my lawns.

"I said to the owner that I'd keep mowing it as long as he gave us first option to buy the section if he ever thought of selling it. He agreed and he kept his word."

So, four years after they bought their grand double-gable villa they had the adjoining 680sq m section for $33,000. And about four years later they put in a pool, which cost $22,000. About eight years later the garage, which cost $22,000, was erected. Tiling around the pool and garage cost about $8000.

The McKees also added a deck to the side of the house to promote flow out to the pool and barbecue area.

Over the years, the couple have spent thousands of hours working on the house, scraping paint off doors, skirtings and panelling and restoring the wood underneath.

Linda, who is a paramedic, says her husband was so fussy that he would remove the paint with a plane blade.

"He scraped it all back by hand. We didn't use any chemical strippers because it makes the wood go all furry."

Phillip, who is a cabinetmaker, also added some more panelling, fretwork in the hallways and country-style cabinetry in gleaming rimu to the kitchen and bathroom.

"Having a cabinetmaker for a husband certainly helps," says Linda.

The McKees attention to detail has paid off in a house that makes the most of its high stud, flawless kauri floors and board and batten ceilings. That thorough approach extended to building the garage with wide weatherboards so it would be in sympathy with the house. And their fastidiousness borders on the quirky with a Warriston House replica letterbox.

"We didn't buy it as a quick do-up," says Linda. "We wanted to do it well, complete it and preserve it. Once you start getting into a theme you just go with it."

The McKees, who have a son and a daughter in their 20s, are planning to move to Brisbane where they both have family and where they hope to see more sun.

"It will be sad to leave. Because of the work we've put into this place, it's very much us - especially after you've brought kids up here.

"But the kids have grown up and left home and we just felt that it was a time in our lives when we needed a change," says Linda.

Linda and Phillip will miss Warriston House but will take some solace from the fact that their painstaking restoration will ensure the villa, which is listed with the Historic Places Trust, is around for at least another 100 years.

Linda's renovation tips: When positioning a pool, plan for sun, wind and privacy.

Always work with a long-term plan in mind.

Don't automatically go for the cheap option. It won't always save money in the long-run.