Adding value by design

Adding value by design In this series of how to e-books from Context Architects, we make architectural principles accessible to everyone.

BACK TO BASICS Why you are renovating? Working out what is driving you will provide a touchstone for making cost, effort and style decisions.

Are you renovating for yourself? Or to sell? If it’s the former, ask yourself if you can realistically achieve everything that you want to in this home within your budget, or if it would be better to buy another house that more closely matches your needs. People often overlook that it can be cheaper and easier in the long run to buy a new house rather than shoehorn features that don’t exist out of your current home. Factor in moving versus renovating costs and the relative inconvenience of each.

DESIGN TO SUIT A LIFESTYLE Apart from negotiating with your significant other if you have one, you’ve pretty much got free rein if you are the client. But if you are planning to sell consider your target market – young families, singletons or retirees for example and keep them in mind when making decisions. Even if you aren’t selling now, but think that you will one day, you might want to keep enough back in the budget to remove that mirrored ceiling or convert the military re-enactment wing.

WISE INVESTMENT + SMART DESIGN = A HOME THAT’S GOOD TO LIVE IN AND EASY TO SELL MORE IS MORE If you decide to stay put, follow the golden rule of more rooms being more. It is usually better to add rather than subtract rooms – unless you are opening up pokey, cramped living spaces. And remember that open plan doesn’t suit everybody. The number of bedrooms is the top feature that sells a house, particularly if you have three or more.

Extending into your roofspace, over-garage additions, highend sleep outs and straight out extensions are all good ways of adding space and value.

Converted living space Open plan kitchen and extension

In Adding Value by Design, we distil recommendations from our architects on how to add value to your home. We make what can seem complicated easy; and explain the important areas to invest in whether you are renovating for resale or to improve your enjoyment of your home.

Whether you are planning to live in your house for years to come, or if you want to maximise its resale value, Context Architects’ leading residential architect Scott Cracknell takes you through our recommendations for Adding Value by Design.

Clever use of hall space

2

Context Architects

www.context.net.nz

Contemporary extension to villa

3

BACK TO BASICS Why you are renovating? Working out what is driving you will provide a touchstone for making cost, effort and style decisions.

Are you renovating for yourself? Or to sell? If it’s the former, ask yourself if you can realistically achieve everything that you want to in this home within your budget, or if it would be better to buy another house that more closely matches your needs. People often overlook that it can be cheaper and easier in the long run to buy a new house rather than shoehorn features that don’t exist out of your current home. Factor in moving versus renovating costs and the relative inconvenience of each.

DESIGN TO SUIT A LIFESTYLE Apart from negotiating with your significant other if you have one, you’ve pretty much got free rein if you are the client. But if you are planning to sell consider your target market – young families, singletons or retirees for example and keep them in mind when making decisions. Even if you aren’t selling now, but think that you will one day, you might want to keep enough back in the budget to remove that mirrored ceiling or convert the military re-enactment wing.

WISE INVESTMENT + SMART DESIGN = A HOME THAT’S GOOD TO LIVE IN AND EASY TO SELL MORE IS MORE If you decide to stay put, follow the golden rule of more rooms being more. It is usually better to add rather than subtract rooms – unless you are opening up pokey, cramped living spaces. And remember that open plan doesn’t suit everybody. The number of bedrooms is the top feature that sells a house, particularly if you have three or more.

Extending into your roofspace, over-garage additions, highend sleep outs and straight out extensions are all good ways of adding space and value.

Converted living space Open plan kitchen and extension

In Adding Value by Design, we distil recommendations from our architects on how to add value to your home. We make what can seem complicated easy; and explain the important areas to invest in whether you are renovating for resale or to improve your enjoyment of your home.

Whether you are planning to live in your house for years to come, or if you want to maximise its resale value, Context Architects’ leading residential architect Scott Cracknell takes you through our recommendations for Adding Value by Design.

Clever use of hall space

2

Context Architects

www.context.net.nz

Contemporary extension to villa

3

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BIG PICTURE

KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS

Take a pause before diving into your renovation and don’t be hasty. We are often called in to unpick false starts. Take a bird’s eye view of your renovation - each room needs to fit with the next and complement the whole. Think of it as one big project with different components, rather than a series of separate rooms. This will help to create a cohesive effect throughout.

The workhouses of a home, kitchens and bathrooms have a big impact on how a home feels. A renovation of either adds instant appeal for homeowners and buyers. A top of the range kitchen or bathroom can come in at many thousands, so avoid overcapitalising if you think that you might sell in the short- to medium-term. You can keep the costs within the few thousands if you shop for proprietary items and Trade Me is the home of many a bargain for the careful shopper. If you don’t have a bottomless budget for a new kitchen and bathroom, consider:

And although it may seem more expensive initially to engage an architect, the overall project costs will be more predictable and the house will hold its value over time. The real return is the quality of the product that you’ll get out the other end if an architect is involved throughout. Your architect will help you create a home that is exactly tailored to you and your unique needs and tastes.

•

New paint

•

Updating handles

•

Replacing work surfaces

For kitchens, good connection with outdoor spaces is a winner. You can improve the relationship between the dining, kitchen and outside areas with folding glass doors.

Kitchen renovations

4

LIGHTING

LANDSCAPING

Great lighting adds value and good looks. Don’t underestimate its transformative powers - it can make an average room look great. Light reflecting off something is better than direct lighting and more forgiving. Natural light is best of all, and if it comes from windows on at least two sides of a room, then it is much more diffused and balanced.

Outdoor areas make a massive difference to the way your home is perceived. Street appeal - the first impression someone has, is derived from a combination of the house’s exterior and landscaping. It is also what will put a smile on your face each time you arrive home and if you are into out Jones-ing the Jones, here is where to do it.

Play with the amount and direction of light and see what effects you can create. Light is very evocative of different moods, and is a cheaper atmosphere enhancing alternative to structural changes.

And you can do a lot with it. Define spaces with oversized fittings or create pools of light – rather than consistently illuminated areas. You don’t need a sea of downlights. Table lamps and feature lighting can be much more atmospheric.

Quality not quantity counts with outdoor space. Make sure what you have is well maintained and cared for. A general rule of thumb is go more groomed closer to the house, and reserve a looser a look for further away. As sections get smaller, outdoor spaces become more important. Think of your outdoor area as a series of ‘rooms,’ with rooms for different purposes – relaxing, entertaining or growing for example. And locate your outdoor rooms with consideration to the sun and rain – i.e. you want your veggie patch to get lots of light, but an area for lounging might be tucked away in a more private corner.

OUTSIDE LIGHTING Outside lights can jazz up the street appeal of your home, as well as add a bit of fun to your outdoor entertaining areas.

Fairy lights are an ethereal and cheap way to add interest.

Bathroom renovations

Context Architects

www.context.net.nz

Planting, paving, fences and gates are more structural ways to add interest, boundaries and privacy. Consider erecting your own growing structures for height, shelter and natural screening. It doesn’t have to be complicated and can add drama to have foliage growing at unexpected heights and directions.

Back garden lighting design Credit: KBC developments

Visualisation of outdoor entertainment area

Contemporary studo lighting Credit: Martin Hulala

Visualisations of landscape design

5

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BIG PICTURE

KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS

Take a pause before diving into your renovation and don’t be hasty. We are often called in to unpick false starts. Take a bird’s eye view of your renovation - each room needs to fit with the next and complement the whole. Think of it as one big project with different components, rather than a series of separate rooms. This will help to create a cohesive effect throughout.

The workhouses of a home, kitchens and bathrooms have a big impact on how a home feels. A renovation of either adds instant appeal for homeowners and buyers. A top of the range kitchen or bathroom can come in at many thousands, so avoid overcapitalising if you think that you might sell in the short- to medium-term. You can keep the costs within the few thousands if you shop for proprietary items and Trade Me is the home of many a bargain for the careful shopper. If you don’t have a bottomless budget for a new kitchen and bathroom, consider:

And although it may seem more expensive initially to engage an architect, the overall project costs will be more predictable and the house will hold its value over time. The real return is the quality of the product that you’ll get out the other end if an architect is involved throughout. Your architect will help you create a home that is exactly tailored to you and your unique needs and tastes.

•

New paint

•

Updating handles

•

Replacing work surfaces

For kitchens, good connection with outdoor spaces is a winner. You can improve the relationship between the dining, kitchen and outside areas with folding glass doors.

Kitchen renovations

4

LIGHTING

LANDSCAPING

Great lighting adds value and good looks. Don’t underestimate its transformative powers - it can make an average room look great. Light reflecting off something is better than direct lighting and more forgiving. Natural light is best of all, and if it comes from windows on at least two sides of a room, then it is much more diffused and balanced.

Outdoor areas make a massive difference to the way your home is perceived. Street appeal - the first impression someone has, is derived from a combination of the house’s exterior and landscaping. It is also what will put a smile on your face each time you arrive home and if you are into out Jones-ing the Jones, here is where to do it.

Play with the amount and direction of light and see what effects you can create. Light is very evocative of different moods, and is a cheaper atmosphere enhancing alternative to structural changes.

And you can do a lot with it. Define spaces with oversized fittings or create pools of light – rather than consistently illuminated areas. You don’t need a sea of downlights. Table lamps and feature lighting can be much more atmospheric.

Quality not quantity counts with outdoor space. Make sure what you have is well maintained and cared for. A general rule of thumb is go more groomed closer to the house, and reserve a looser a look for further away. As sections get smaller, outdoor spaces become more important. Think of your outdoor area as a series of ‘rooms,’ with rooms for different purposes – relaxing, entertaining or growing for example. And locate your outdoor rooms with consideration to the sun and rain – i.e. you want your veggie patch to get lots of light, but an area for lounging might be tucked away in a more private corner.

OUTSIDE LIGHTING Outside lights can jazz up the street appeal of your home, as well as add a bit of fun to your outdoor entertaining areas.

Fairy lights are an ethereal and cheap way to add interest.

Bathroom renovations

Context Architects

www.context.net.nz

Planting, paving, fences and gates are more structural ways to add interest, boundaries and privacy. Consider erecting your own growing structures for height, shelter and natural screening. It doesn’t have to be complicated and can add drama to have foliage growing at unexpected heights and directions.

Back garden lighting design Credit: KBC developments

Visualisation of outdoor entertainment area

Contemporary studo lighting Credit: Martin Hulala

Visualisations of landscape design

5

KEEPING WARM AND STAYING COOL

ACOUSTICS

Thermal performance is a fancy phrase for how easy it is to heat your home and retain that warmth, and the ease with which you can keep it cool. New Zealand homes are notoriously cold and damp. In fact, the temperature in almost a third of homes is below the World Health Organisation recommendation of 18°C (or 21°C for the very young or old).

The NZ Building Code only requires that temperatures are able to be maintained at or above 16°C.

Curtains, flooring and ceiling treatments all affect how noise travels around a house. Soft surfaces absorb noise and hard ones reflect and amplify it. You’ll notice this in cafés with polished concrete floors and other hard surfaces. If you’re going for this sort of look in your home, specific acoustic insulation incorporated within ceiling panels or walls will make a difference to how spaces sound.

A recent Realestate.co.nz survey found that homebuyers’ top priority, after orientation to the sun is good insulation and warmth. Improving insulation is the most cost effective way to achieve both and create an environment that feels good to live in and is good for your health.

WINDOW DRESSING Curtains or blinds are also a functional way to add a style.

More is more with curtains. Drapes that go all the way to the floor with double fabric width of your fabric will add opulence and improve thermal performance.

Check out www.energywise.govt.nz for more information.

COLOUR

LAST WORDS

Paint is a low tech way to add value and polish. A neutral, well executed paint job can transform your home and make it seem bigger. Bright colours can be introduced via furniture, fabric and artworks. Knock yourself out with a tangerine feature wall as long as you’ve got no plans to sell any time soon, or if you don’t mind getting the tin of paint out ahead of open homes. It is important when you come to sell that it is as easy as possible for a potential buyer to visualise themselves in the space, without taking on your passion for medieval role play for example.

www.houzz.com and www.pinterest.com are both great sources of inspiration for everything mentioned in this e-book.

We often use them to help our clients work out their vision.

For more design tools and architectural inspiration, check out our website www.context.net.nz

MATERIALS Tried and true materials like wood, brick and stone have a timeless appeal. They are familiar constructions that don’t date, age gracefully, have a low toxicity and hold their value.

Stained timber weatherboard cladding

Double height statement curtains Credit: Fanny Zigdon Interiors

Bright coloured features can transform a room

Cedar weatherboard - Shirley Rd residence

Scott Cracknell, Associate Director and residential expert at Context Architects.

Context Architects operates nationally and specialises in large scale commercial developments, retail and residential projects.

6

Context Architects

www.context.net.nz

7

KEEPING WARM AND STAYING COOL

ACOUSTICS

Thermal performance is a fancy phrase for how easy it is to heat your home and retain that warmth, and the ease with which you can keep it cool. New Zealand homes are notoriously cold and damp. In fact, the temperature in almost a third of homes is below the World Health Organisation recommendation of 18°C (or 21°C for the very young or old).

The NZ Building Code only requires that temperatures are able to be maintained at or above 16°C.

Curtains, flooring and ceiling treatments all affect how noise travels around a house. Soft surfaces absorb noise and hard ones reflect and amplify it. You’ll notice this in cafés with polished concrete floors and other hard surfaces. If you’re going for this sort of look in your home, specific acoustic insulation incorporated within ceiling panels or walls will make a difference to how spaces sound.

A recent Realestate.co.nz survey found that homebuyers’ top priority, after orientation to the sun is good insulation and warmth. Improving insulation is the most cost effective way to achieve both and create an environment that feels good to live in and is good for your health.

WINDOW DRESSING Curtains or blinds are also a functional way to add a style.

More is more with curtains. Drapes that go all the way to the floor with double fabric width of your fabric will add opulence and improve thermal performance.

Check out www.energywise.govt.nz for more information.

COLOUR

LAST WORDS

Paint is a low tech way to add value and polish. A neutral, well executed paint job can transform your home and make it seem bigger. Bright colours can be introduced via furniture, fabric and artworks. Knock yourself out with a tangerine feature wall as long as you’ve got no plans to sell any time soon, or if you don’t mind getting the tin of paint out ahead of open homes. It is important when you come to sell that it is as easy as possible for a potential buyer to visualise themselves in the space, without taking on your passion for medieval role play for example.

www.houzz.com and www.pinterest.com are both great sources of inspiration for everything mentioned in this e-book.

We often use them to help our clients work out their vision.

For more design tools and architectural inspiration, check out our website www.context.net.nz

MATERIALS Tried and true materials like wood, brick and stone have a timeless appeal. They are familiar constructions that don’t date, age gracefully, have a low toxicity and hold their value.

Stained timber weatherboard cladding

Double height statement curtains Credit: Fanny Zigdon Interiors

Bright coloured features can transform a room

Cedar weatherboard - Shirley Rd residence

Scott Cracknell, Associate Director and residential expert at Context Architects.

Context Architects operates nationally and specialises in large scale commercial developments, retail and residential projects.

6

Context Architects

www.context.net.nz

7