TV renovation champ Jono Frankle has completed his biggest project yet: turning a house with just one wall into a luxury home.
Frankle, who shot to property fame after winning TV reno show Our First Home, had picked up the bare shell at 15 Edward Street, in Auckland's Riverhead, for just under $1 million in September last year after the previous owners pulled the plug on plans for an expensive renovation.
The property trader and serial renovator has spent the last nine months and a fair bit of coin bringing it up to scratch and last week was finally able to bring it to market.
His version of the Edward Street villa, which goes to auction on July 27, is advertised as a luxury “family oasis” that combines classic architecture with modern sophistication.
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When Frankle bought the home, it had been reduced to timber frames and a single exterior wall, with building paper the only thing protecting it from the elements. The most completed feature was probably the in-ground swimming pool outside.
Frankle did get a container load of fixtures and fittings with the purchase, including flooring, tiles, doorways, custom-designed windows, kitchen cabinetry, gold designer tapware, and lights.
He teamed up with builder Shaun Jenkins of Revive Residential on the project and in mid-October 2023 they started putting it back together. “It was pretty much a new build,” he said.
The duo spent a lot of time checking the existing framing lined up correctly. They even replaced the property's one remaining wall. “We wanted to make sure the house was perfect.”
Before: The property on Edward Street in Riverhead, Auckland, was halfway through its renovation when the previous owners decided to sell it. Photo / Supplied
After: Revive Residential spent nine months transforming it into a modern masterpiece. Photo / Supplied
However, that extra work pushed out the build-time from six months to nine and blew the original budget of $500,000.
“It was stressful at times but it’s so cool to see the finished product,” Frankle told OneRoof.
Frankle and Jenkins said they pretty much stuck to the previous owners' architectural plans. “The design was really practical. It’s a hallway down the middle with rooms coming off either side and then at the end, it’s a living space. There’s no wasted space at all in the house.”
They switched out sinks for a bathroom vanity with cupboards in the ensuite, but kept the sleek white kitchen and stone benchtops ordered by the previous owners. Additional cabinetry and bespoke custom-made paneling for the bench and extraction fan were made by Frankle's father-in-law, Tom Schreuder.
Before: Frankle's starting point - timber framing and one exterior wall. Photo / Supplied
After: High-quality fittings and fixtures were used including brass tapware and stone benchtops. Photo / Supplied
Other special touches included Italian tiles, brushed brass tapware and handles, underfloor heating, kwila decking, stone kitchen benchtops, and a costly freestanding Smeg oven.
Frankle was reluctant to give a price indication but said it would be safe to assume he was seeking more than the $1.5m-plus he had spent on it.
“When you take nine months on a high-spec project, the spend certainly does get up there, but I think whoever buys it is going to be pretty stoked with the home. It's an epic place. You’ve got the pool out the back, you’ve got four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and it overlooks the rugby club. Let’s hope for a good result."
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty listing agent Gavin Lloyd said: "This is refined luxury and a quiet lifestyle to be envied. Custom-designed joinery and quality fittings speak to the meticulous craftsmanship.”
- 15 Edward Street, in Riverhead, Auckland, goes to auction on July 27
