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18.10.2024<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
Share on:<\/h4><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\nI<\/span>n this series, we follow a Christchurch couple in their bid to turn their 1960\u2019s fixer-upper, from a retro rental to a modern home.<\/strong><\/p>\nIf you\u2019ve ever considered buying an older home but have lacked the confidence to tackle something totally outdated, this guide is for you. It\u2019s a whole lot of fun, and not as hard (or anywhere near as risky) as you might imagine.<\/p>\n
In the previous chapter<\/a>, we learned about the process of house hunting, deciding on a budget and evaluating what\u2019s on offer.<\/p>\nIn this chapter, we look at how Jeremy & Alana create and refine their vision for the house they purchased. Creating a set of practical jobs, that could be communicated clearly to various tradespeople to complete.<\/p>\n
Where did the inspiration come from? And how can you come up with your own?<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>So, house is purchased and now in your possession. What\u2019s next?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>After several month\u2019s of searching, bidding, putting in offers and generally attempting to find the \u2018perfect\u2019 home, Jeremy and Alana have settled, on a more or less original, 1960\u2019s Summerhill stone home to be the subject of their \u2018buy to renovate\u2019 dream. With great bones, no earthquake damage apart from minor cosmetic plaster cracking and a quiet, sunny setting \u2013 it\u2019s time for work to begin!<\/p>\n<\/div>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
Being from a project-management background, we knew that we had to have a clear destination, or goal, for our renovation. We called this our \u2018mission statement\u2019, and whenever it came to making a decision, we referred back to it for guidance.<\/p>\n
The mission statement we came up with was:<\/p>\n
\u201cAn uncomplicated renovation to transform our house into a warm, peaceful home. Easy to live in. Clean and simple finishes. On-time (10 weeks) and on budget ($75k)\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an aspiration, although it sounds a bit geeky. The point was, when we had to make a decision on the fly, we could discuss the various options and decide on the option which best fitted our mission statement.<\/p>\n
It guided our renovation plan. It was easy to get lured into doing more than our budget or time constraints could handle through every stage of the planning. It was also easy to get seduced by the vast range of product options, and things easily became complicated. Referring back to our mission statement was something we did through every stage, and we found it vital.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Before-Photos-Markedup-PH-1200-1024-min.jpg\" "\\"Before-Photos-Markedup-PH-1200-1024-min\\"")
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Where did the inspiration come from?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>With a substantial cache of carefully selected magazine pages and lovingly curated Pinterest boards; and enough compromise under their belts to inspire world peace; Jeremy and Alana now have the job of applying that inspiration to their house. The aim, to come up with a set of specific tasks ready to hand over to tradespeople.<\/p>\n<\/div>
- <\/i><\/span>Reflected in our mission statement, we wanted it to be peaceful, calm space. We wanted our home to be a place we can retreat to relax and be centered. For us, that meant neutral colours and keeping spaces uncluttered and clear. We preferred to add interest via natural elements, texture and art, rather than bold colours.<\/p>\n
Of course, this took some compromising and discussion. We picked up many ideas visiting open homes. We found that seeing what works in a real-life setting was easier to envision outright.<\/p>\n
When we disagreed on something, for example, one of us liked the idea of books on display in a bookshelf, while the other preferred they could be shut away \u2013 we \u2018parked\u2019 the decision. We looked for common ground and worked on those decisions first. Once we had a few decisions parked, and a lot of common ground decided, we revisited the points of disagreement. A lot of those potentially tenuous decisions were sorted easily because the \u2018right\u2019 direction was clear based on the rest of the project direction. The remainder came down to good old fashioned compromise.<\/p>\n
We used Pinterest to layout ideas but really valued a physical inspiration board. Old magazines, interestingly, were more helpful than current ones. We wanted a timeless style. By looking at magazines across time, we could weed out the trends and focus on lasting looks. By avoiding stand-out trendy elements in our big-ticket items, we knew we could achieve a classic style. A style that we\u2019d be happy with for many years, and one that wouldn\u2019t blow our budget.<\/p>\n
The process of gathering inspiration started well before purchase. Years ago, in fact. After purchasing the home came the challenge of how to apply our inspiration to the actual house in question. A lot of ideas weren\u2019t relevant \u2013 but that was OK. We had a good feel for what we wanted, and that was the important bit.<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Post a job<\/span><\/a>Not sure where to start?<\/h2>
I<\/span>n this series, we follow a Christchurch couple in their bid to turn their 1960\u2019s fixer-upper, from a retro rental to a modern home.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever considered buying an older home but have lacked the confidence to tackle something totally outdated, this guide is for you. It\u2019s a whole lot of fun, and not as hard (or anywhere near as risky) as you might imagine.<\/p>\n In the previous chapter<\/a>, we learned about the process of house hunting, deciding on a budget and evaluating what\u2019s on offer.<\/p>\n In this chapter, we look at how Jeremy & Alana create and refine their vision for the house they purchased. Creating a set of practical jobs, that could be communicated clearly to various tradespeople to complete.<\/p>\n Where did the inspiration come from? And how can you come up with your own?<\/p>\n<\/div> After several month\u2019s of searching, bidding, putting in offers and generally attempting to find the \u2018perfect\u2019 home, Jeremy and Alana have settled, on a more or less original, 1960\u2019s Summerhill stone home to be the subject of their \u2018buy to renovate\u2019 dream. With great bones, no earthquake damage apart from minor cosmetic plaster cracking and a quiet, sunny setting \u2013 it\u2019s time for work to begin!<\/p>\n<\/div> Being from a project-management background, we knew that we had to have a clear destination, or goal, for our renovation. We called this our \u2018mission statement\u2019, and whenever it came to making a decision, we referred back to it for guidance.<\/p>\n The mission statement we came up with was:<\/p>\n \u201cAn uncomplicated renovation to transform our house into a warm, peaceful home. Easy to live in. Clean and simple finishes. On-time (10 weeks) and on budget ($75k)\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s an aspiration, although it sounds a bit geeky. The point was, when we had to make a decision on the fly, we could discuss the various options and decide on the option which best fitted our mission statement.<\/p>\n It guided our renovation plan. It was easy to get lured into doing more than our budget or time constraints could handle through every stage of the planning. It was also easy to get seduced by the vast range of product options, and things easily became complicated. Referring back to our mission statement was something we did through every stage, and we found it vital.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div> With a substantial cache of carefully selected magazine pages and lovingly curated Pinterest boards; and enough compromise under their belts to inspire world peace; Jeremy and Alana now have the job of applying that inspiration to their house. The aim, to come up with a set of specific tasks ready to hand over to tradespeople.<\/p>\n<\/div> Of course, this took some compromising and discussion. We picked up many ideas visiting open homes. We found that seeing what works in a real-life setting was easier to envision outright.<\/p>\n When we disagreed on something, for example, one of us liked the idea of books on display in a bookshelf, while the other preferred they could be shut away \u2013 we \u2018parked\u2019 the decision. We looked for common ground and worked on those decisions first. Once we had a few decisions parked, and a lot of common ground decided, we revisited the points of disagreement. A lot of those potentially tenuous decisions were sorted easily because the \u2018right\u2019 direction was clear based on the rest of the project direction. The remainder came down to good old fashioned compromise.<\/p>\n We used Pinterest to layout ideas but really valued a physical inspiration board. Old magazines, interestingly, were more helpful than current ones. We wanted a timeless style. By looking at magazines across time, we could weed out the trends and focus on lasting looks. By avoiding stand-out trendy elements in our big-ticket items, we knew we could achieve a classic style. A style that we\u2019d be happy with for many years, and one that wouldn\u2019t blow our budget.<\/p>\n The process of gathering inspiration started well before purchase. Years ago, in fact. After purchasing the home came the challenge of how to apply our inspiration to the actual house in question. A lot of ideas weren\u2019t relevant \u2013 but that was OK. We had a good feel for what we wanted, and that was the important bit.<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>So, house is purchased and now in your possession. What\u2019s next?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Where did the inspiration come from?<\/strong><\/h3><\/div>
Not sure where to start?<\/h2>
![](\"https:\/\/builderscrack.co.nz\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Project-Home-home-renovation-inspiration-min.png\" "\\"Project-Home-home-renovation-inspiration-min\\"")
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<\/a><\/div><\/div>