A South Auckland dump bought for less than half its CV is back on the market for sale after an eight-week transformation.
But the renovation was no easy task, with an army of tradies working to bring the four-bedroom home at 28 Claude Road, in Hillpark, Manukau, up to scratch in as short a time as possible.
TV renovation winner and property trader Jono Frankle was fixing up the deceased estate within hours of snapping it up at auction for $781,000 in June – for less than half its CV.
He told OneRoof at the time he thought the poor state of the house had put a lot of people off.
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“It really is a homeowner’s home but it was yuck inside, and in such a state that it [looked like] too much work.”
The first big job was removing the bamboo and weeds that had taken over the 1482sqm section. “It just had to be stripped back to see what was actually there,” he said. “As we got rid of metres and metres of bamboo we found the fences.”
Before the transformation: The deceased estate on Claude Road was in a poor state, with gardens overgrown and covered in bamboo. Photo / Supplied
The previous owner had been a landscaper and what had once been his pride and joy had become an overgrown jungle, with one tree growing up through the deck. “There was a lot of time, effort and manpower that went into cleaning up that section.”
While the landscapers were busy flattening the section, Frankle was inside with the other tradies.
He told OneRoof there were so many layers of wallpaper on the walls that they opted to rip off the gib and start again, which meant they could also rewire the home and replumb it at the same time.
They also did some tinkering with the layout of the home. The dining room was transformed into a fourth bedroom and a wall in the kitchen was pushed out to create an open-plan kitchen and dining space.
Before the kitchen renovation. Photo / Supplied
After the upgrade. The kitchen is sleek and fit for use. Photo / Supplied
“It was an easy conversion – filling in a wall to create a bedroom, which was a much better use of the space than having it as a dining room that’s for sure.”
In the bathroom, the forest green vanity with missing cupboards and the old bath were replaced with white, glossier versions. “We put everything back obviously the same as what it had, but obviously new,” Frankle said.
Among the other big jobs the crew tackled were: sanding back and repainting the wooden joinery, installing a new roof and adding a carport.
The 1950s home hadn't been lived in for at least two years. Photo / Supplied
Walls were knocked down to create a new open-plan space. Photo / Supplied
Frankle said he was extremely pleased with the end result and believed it would make a great family home. “It’s just got a really great feel about it now and it’s such a cool spot with all the trees next to the house there. I’m really happy with the house,” he told OneRoof.
“You are so close to motorways and whatnot, but when you go up that driveway you have no idea that’s even near you – you feel like you are out in the bush to a certain degree. The new deck now has some pretty awesome views as well.”
The property was a slightly different home than what he usually bought in South Auckland because he had renovated it with a second or third-home buyer in mind.
The old and broken shower and vanity were ripped out. Photo / Supplied
A white modern bathroom with a freestanding bath has been put in its place. Photo / Supplied
Although he hadn’t added up the exact cost for the renovation, Frankle told OneRoof it was “quite a bit more” than the $100,000 he usually spent on his South Auckland do-ups. The extra cost was due to the work required on the outside of the house, including the gardens and replacing the driveway, as well as using higher-spec items such as Bosch kitchen appliances and a stone benchtop.
“There’s some really nice fixtures and fittings through it.”
He added: “I can’t give a price indication. I think it’s just seeing where people see it. But when it comes to value for money for land and house and what you are getting. I think someone is going to be very happy come auction day with what they get.
“We don’t want to be sitting on a bunch of stock especially at the moment where I think prices are only going to go one way. I think it’s just important to see what happens on the day, see who turns up and who is willing to pay the most for it.”
- 28 Claude Road, in Hillpark, Auckland, goes to auction on September 17
