North Shore Renovation Building Company

By Erin Reilly

 
Auckland’s North Shore is renowned for its glorious beaches, relaxed café culture and close proximity to the city (without actually being in the city). But unlike other parts of the country, the area isn’t typified by one style of housing. Villa-style homes might be more common across Devonport, while renovated baches can be found along Torbay but, on the whole, the area offers a house style for everyone.
However, each house style comes with its own set of complications when renovating. For example, houses in Bayswater are close to sea level, which can cause problems with drainage. On the other hand, properties in Sunnynook and around Constellation Drive are much higher, so drainage isn’t a problem. Old villas could be listed as historic buildings which adds more costs and hoops to jump through. Because every house is different, careful consideration needs to be made every time.

The beach is a short drive away for all North Shore residents, and while that’s great for walking the dog it’s not so great for house maintenance. Salty sea spray is very corrosive, causing rust and erosion on houses, so stainless steel is recommended for exterior fittings, as is choosing a cladding that will cope with the harsh effects of the sea.
Renovating on the North Shore can be greatly influenced by the weather. With Auckland's weather being notorious for being unpredictable year-round - the sooner you start, the sooner you can enjoy your updated home.
With this in mind, it's important to consider unforeseen costs caused by the weather during renovations. For example, if rainwater has to be pumped off-site, that’s going to cost more. Scaffolding and shrink wrap systems enable tradespeople to work on a house through all kinds of weather, but it adds a significant cost to the budget upfront.
A unique issue that North Shore homeowners regularly face is stormwater. As soon as a home is extended more than 20 square metres, a retention tank needs to be installed to store stormwater then slowly release it into the system. This process can add $20k-$25k to the budget. If the system is uphill from your property, tanks and pumps need to be installed too, which can be even more expensive.

That being said, many homeowners see renovations as a more cost-effective way to attain their dream home than buying within Auckland's expensive property market. If you love the area you're in but need more space or improvements, a renovation provides a great solution. It allows you to design your home to suit your lifestyle, rather than buy an existing home which, however nice, was probably designed for someone else's living situation.

With North Shore housing at a premium, renovating could be a better option than selling up and buying a new place. To find out how Refresh Renovations could transform your North Shore property, contact the friendly team today.

You might be interested in reading this Refresh's case study: Impressive Restoration of a Stately Takapuna Home

Get in touch with Refresh to discuss your home renovation project

If you would like to discuss options and ideas for renovating in the North Shore, please use the enquiry form on this page to provide us with your contact details. We will get in touch with you at a time that suits you to discuss your project. If you would like to provide us with more information about your project, we have a more comprehensive enquiry form on our "Get in touch" page too.
*All information is believed to be true at time of publishing and is subject to change.