It was an ex-state house that didn't tick any of their boxes, but for Australian Nick Meseldzija and his Kiwi partner Mike it was all they could afford.
The house at 9 Simmonds Street in Mount Roskill, Auckland, had just one bedroom and a kitchen that dated back to the 1940s.
“We had spent the better part of a year looking for the right place. We wanted something in Mount Eden with a garden for our two pups, but kept getting beat at every auction and every offer we submitted,” said Nick.
“It was a little disheartening, so we expanded our search and threw the wish list out."
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The couple picked up the house for just over $817,000 in 2019 and set about updating it.
What the house looked like before the renovation. Photo / Supplied
The kitchen was in its original state. Photo / Supplied
“These homes have such great bones and were built to last, but it just wasn’t practical for today’s lifestyle. The house had barely been touched, with an original kitchen, one bedroom and no way to access the huge yard, and there was this amazing view that you couldn’t really appreciate through the windows that were there,” Nick said.
The open plan living space and view are the stars of the transformed ex-state house. Photo / Supplied
The couple added a second bedroom and a home office to the property, overhauled the kitchen and created a new open-plan living space that opened up to a glass framed deck with views over the Waitakere Ranges and Manukau Heads.
“We started just after the first lockdown and ended up spending 6 months living between a tent and a temporary kitchen, not something we’re keen to repeat,” said Nick.
“At times it was hard, especially in winter where there were no walls or ceiling, but the end result is absolutely worth it."
The couple completed the renovation a little over six months but are now selling up.
The couple added an extra bedroom, above, and a home office, below. Photos / Supplied
“We’re going to be very sad to leave, but it’s time for us to embark on our next adventure, and we are sure that someone else will love the place as much as we do and appreciate the effort that has gone into it,” said Nick.
The property, which sits on a 574sqm site zoned mixed housing urban, is listed with Josh Powell and Olivia Doyle, of Ray White Mt Eden, and goes to auction on February 9, with expectations that it sell for over $1m.
