- Hamilton homeowner mistaken for drunk intruder during late-night attempt at DIY.
- He bought the 1940s house in 2020 for $700,000 and every spare hour renovating it.
- Listing agent says it one of the best upgrades she has ever seen.
A young Kiwi had a shock visit from the police while he was carrying out DIY at his new home.
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Jacob told OneRoof he was busy pulling an all-nighter at the Fairfield house in Hamilton when an officer stopped him in the garden, thinking he was a drunk intruder.
Jacob, who asked for his surname to remain private, has spent almost all his spare time upgrading the tired 1940s home he bought in 2020 for $700,000.
He told OneRoof he hadn’t even been looking to buy a house when he spotted the For Sale sign outside 438 River Road.
“I thought it had potential. I certainly wasn’t looking to do it,” he said.
What the River Road house looked like when Jacob bought it in 2020. Photo / Supplied
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom home is now for sale after Jacob’s hard work. Photo / Supplied
A lot of his friends were similarly shocked. Everything needed work, he said. The exterior was bright orange, the interiors were a riot of peach and brown and the bathroom was bright blue.
“I remember taking an electrician through and he commented he had done something similar when he was younger. He wasn’t envious of my job.”
Jacob, who works as an accountant, leaned on family and friends to help him through the next four years of renovations and upgrades. Together, they’ve dug drains, installed retaining walls, poured concrete, and built decks.
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Jacob said he met his wife part-way through the renovation, and estimated they had spent a total of 2080 hours on the renovation. “Crazy things have been done at crazy times to keep this project ticking along,” he said.
He recalled staying up very late to cart a cubic metre of builders mix all the way up to the back garden 40m away so it was ready for the builder who was arriving at 7am that morning.
Another night job saw him attract police attention. He was in the garden working on the irrigation when a police car pulled over and an officer hopped out.
“His grand plan of dragging a drunk out of the bushes turned into a rather embarrassing retreat on finding a sober and rather amused homeowner staring up at him, trowel in one hand and plastic pipe in the other.”
A photo of the lounge before Jacob started the renovation in 2020. Photo / Supplied
More than $400,000 has been spent on bringing the home up to date. Photo / Supplied
But the eagle-eyed police officer wasn’t the only passer-by noticing work going on and Jacob would regularly get toots or waves from motorists praising his efforts.
His plans were sometimes upended, like when the country ran out of gib after Covid and when his garden was flooded and his fence blown away during Cyclone Gabrielle.
But he also got engaged, married and had his first baby during that time.
Jacob is now selling the house, although doing so is “bittersweet”. There were lots of things he would miss including the view, sunshine, and entertaining spaces, he said,
“We are just really proud of how it has all come together as a whole,” he said. “The end result has exceeded our expectations.”
Listing agent Megan Smith, from Lodge, said Jacob’s renovation was impressive. “Nobody does a do-up these days, and what he has accomplished is nothing short of remarkable,” she said.
“It’s just the most heart-warming story of hope and what we can do with focus and determination, no matter our age or resources.”
She said the property would suit busy professionals or a family who wanted to be close to the CBD. “Everything is so accessible.”
- 438 River Road, in Fairfield, Hamilton, goes to auction on December 11
