This Issue: Features

From a major excavation of a 1970s weatherboard home through

to an inspirational extension of an 1890s semi-detached dwelling,
this issue we provide you with plenty of tips and ideas to inspire
you with your own renovations. It’s all about being outdoors this
summer, so we take you through the costs of fencing your property
and show you ideas for incorporating indoor-outdoor flow.

Going under extensions Working sophistication Tranquil elegance United outdoors

Page 60 Page 64 Page 70 Page 77

Making use of empty space
underneath your house can be
a great option if you are lacking
space. Here we look into the
nitty gritty of a real-life home
excavation.
A dated kitchen, entranceway
and hallway is brought back up
to speed with current trends
and technologies, along with a
neutral colour palette for resale.
With influences from Japanese
landscape design, Jules Moore
takes us on another exciting
journey involving exotic plants,
serene water features and
beautiful decking.
This 1890s semi-detached
dwelling in Sydney had
struggled with privacy and
a connection between the
inside and outside. Take a
look at how those barriers
were removed with a modern
extension.

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 Going under
Going under
Instead of moving out, the Basson family looked to an
alternative – digging under. Take a look at the initial stages
of their house excavation and see how it all works.
ARTICLE Clare Chapman PHOTOGRAPHY Scott Espie
Yvette and Neil Basson
purchased their home
in the Auckland suburb
of Birkdale five years
ago. Since then, the area
has continued to grow,
but while it is now a
vibrant suburb, it retains
its quiet suburban
charm with a feeling
of community amid its
leafy streets.
Over the years the Basson family has
also continued to grow, and in the
last couple of years, the family found
themselves outgrowing their 80m 2,
1970s weatherboard home.
For Yvette, the main issue with their
home was a lack of space: the original
three-bedroom dwelling was becoming
increasingly small for the growing
family. With only one living area,
the space was no longer practical,
particularly for the couple’s children,
who are now aged 17 and seven, and
at different stages of life.
“There was a real lack of flow between
the spaces too. The living spaces
were impractical as there were also
walkways, which meant we had to
have the furniture pushed up against
the walls. In the outdated, U-shaped
kitchen, the walkway into the area was
60 ISSUE 017
STAGE 1
also where the fridge door opened,
which didn’t work.”So it was a matter
of working out whether it was best to
sell and purchase a larger home or
renovate the existing property.
“We needed a larger house one way or
another and decided it was important
for us to stay in the same area, and
then decided it was best to work with
this house,” Yvette said. “Our aim was
basically to make it larger, update it
and make the spaces work better.
Then there were things like adding
insulation and double glazing.
“When we decided to invest in and
embark on this project, we really
wanted to make the house somewhere
we would want to live for at least
another ten years, and I think we are
on the way to achieving that.”
Due to the slope of the site, the
house lent itself to excavation and a
renovation that included developing
the cavernous, three-metre-high area
underneath the house. “We were using
the area for storage and there seemed
to be a lot of under-utilised space
there,” Yvette said. “We thought there
was potential to do something with
it and given the slope of the section,
there didn’t appear to be a lot of work
involved in excavating. The height of
the house at the back seemed to invite
the utilisation of that space.”
So with the help of Refresh
Renovations, the Bassons embarked
upon a renovation project that will
essentially see their tired home almost
doubled in size and transformed into a
contemporary abode.
“The important thing with this
renovation is that while we were able
to increase the size of the house
considerably, we haven’t extended
the footprint by much, which means
we were able to avoid the significant
added cost of upgrading the stormwater
and drainage in line with the stringent
restrictions on the North Shore,” said
Refresh project manager Tim Walters.
“We’ve increased the size of the house
from approximately 80m 2 to 140m 2
while only extending 25m 2 from the
existing footprint. It has meant that
we have been able to keep the impact
minimal on the 800m 2 section.”
Once the design stage was completed,
the renovation got underway in
earnest in July this year. But due to its
complex nature, the project is being
undertaken in two stages. The first is
the excavation of the area under the
house, and the completion of what will
become the parents’ area downstairs,
including a master bedroom, walk-in
wardrobe, ensuite and second lounge,
along with a laundry area and deck
leading out from the north facing
master bedroom and second lounge.
The second stage will see the upstairs
area modernised with insulation and
double glazing added, the kitchen
re-done, a deck added that will sit on
top of the new downstairs area, and an
internal stair to the additions.
The first job was to excavate, which
took just over one week. “Around
80m3 of dirt was removed from under
the house,” Tim said. “The good thing
in this project was that we were able
to reuse that dirt on site and avoid
A plan mapping the major features being carried out on the basement and ground floor

Before:
Naturally there
was a 3 metre gap
underneath the
house due to the
slope of the site

During:
The area under
the house will
be the parents
area downstairs,
including a master
bedroom, walk-in
wardrobe, ensuite,
second lounge,
laundry area and
deck leading
outside

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 Going under

To avoid the costs of dirt removal,

the dirt excavated on site was
reused to flatten out the sloped
area to the fence line

The existing lounge, kitchen and

dining room area will be updated
to work better, as well as adding
insulation and double glazing

How much did it all cost?

Demolition and alterations Internal walls and partitions Plumbing/gas/air treatment

$48,957 $4,556 $7,675

Site preparation Internal wall finishes Electrical work

$4,778 $17,331 $11,904

Sub-structure Ceilings Drainage

$29,020 $14,231 $7,348

Frame Internal doors Other structures

$17,211 $5,642 $2,449

Roof Floor finishes External works

$18,942 $4,185 $3,266

Stairs Bathroom and ensuite Miscellaneous

$2,612 $9,798 $7,021

External walls Kitchen and laundry

$42,556 $32,823

62 ISSUE 017
 Building Directory:
Project Management
Refresh Renovations
Tim Walters
www.refreshrenovations.co.nz
Build supplies
Placemakers
www.placemakers.co.nz
Windows and doors
Fletcher Aluminium
www.fletcheraluminium.co.nz
Plumbing fittings
Robertson Bathroomware
www.robertson.co.nz
Chesters Plumbing
www.chesters.co.nz
Tips on going under:
The benefits of an excavation
are wide-ranging, but are
most notable if the house you
are working with has existing
space underneath it. According
to Refresh Renovations
specialist Tim Walters,
excavating and developing an
area underneath a house is
much more economical than
simply building an addition.
“The excavation project at
80 Vandeleur was quoted at
around $3,000 m 2, which is at
the lower end of a renovation
cost,” Tim said. The specific
benefits of an excavation
include:
• In addition to the lower costs,
the project is often easier
and faster to undertake as
the existing structure can
be utilised as a roof i.e. the
underside of the original
dwelling.
• Without having to build a
roof, you are only building the
supporting structure.
• The ability to create
significant, valuable extra
space without extending the
footprint of the house and
leaving the surrounding yard
area minimally impacted.
Plumbing
All Star Plumbing
www.allstarplumbing.co.nz
Excavation
Dingo Groundworx
www.dingogroundworx.com
Electrical work
Sparkn Electrical
www.sparkn.co.nz
Builders
Building Blocks Construction Ltd
Concept and design
Catalyst Consulting
www.catalystconsult.co.nz
the costs of dirt removal, which can
easily double the costs of excavation.
As the former section sloped away
from the house to the fence line, it was
essentially unusable. So we moved
the dirt and used it to flatten out the
section creating a much more practical
space suitable for the family.”
While the excavation itself was a
relatively simple process, an old sewer
pipe that ran directly underneath where
the new footings were placed had to
be re-routed, and propping the house
proved to be a challenging process.
“In order to create the addition, we
needed to remove the total existing
support structure of the house. We
worked with experts to work out a
suitable propping solution. It meant
that the concrete slab had to be
poured in stages so the propping
could be moved once one section was
poured and dried, and then moved
back to allow for the next section to be
done,” Tim said.
Once completed, the house will be
supported by the perimeter concrete
block walls of the additions, as well as
additional internal structural walls.
The addition, although underneath the
original house, will be a spacious and
well-lit area. Designed to maximise
the use of natural light, the master
bedroom and second lounge face
north and large aluminium slider doors
lead out from each of these rooms
onto the veranda.
Tile supply
Tile Space
www.tiles.co.nz
House propping
Fistonich Building Removals
www.fbr.co.nz
Kitchen
Mastercraft kitchens
www.mastercraft.co.nz
Flooring
Flooring Studio
www.flooringstudio.co.nz
Insulation
Premier Insulation
www.premierinsulation.co.nz
“We’ve also used windows carefully
and really thought about the lighting,”
Tim said. “High picture windows ensure
maximum natural light is filtered into the
rooms from the west, while the walk-
in wardrobe was placed at the back
of the addition as an area that does
not need natural lighting. The ensuite
incorporates a long, narrow window,
which again, draws as much natural
light as possible into the space.”
The outcome is a truly efficient use
of space, with large rooms and a
light-filled, contemporary feel. “This is
a renovation that will see a small three-
bedroom home with one lounge turned
into a four-bedroom, two-bathroom
house with two lounges; the equivalent
of what everyone is building new.”
For the Bassons, the unfolding project
has been, thus far, a great experience.
“I’ve been fascinated by the project,”
Yvette said. “It has had its challenges,
like when we didn’t have a toilet for a
week, but every day I want to come
home from work and see what has
happened.”
The entire project, including the
second stage, is due for completion in
January next year.
The final result will be featured
in Issue 018. Stay tuned for the
excavations progress on our
Facebook and Instagram page
www.facebook.com/RenovateMagazine
www.instagram.com/renovatemagazine
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