Beauty on Barakat
Everything just fell into place with the purchase of this property. It came on the market just as we were looking for our next project. We saw it for about 10 minutes on the fly between kids after school activities and work commitments, made an offer the next day and were off and rolling within a few weeks.
We knew straight away that the outside was going to look great all tidied up. The original plan was to paint the tiled roof as well, but it was so covered in lichen. We sprayed it to kill it off, but it wasn't all gone by the time we would have needed to paint. So, we left it with the original terracotta and gave it another spray to kill off the last of the lichen.
This home is on a large section, so the backyard is quite large. When we purchased it was overgrown and there was a lot of "treasure" to be pulled out of the grass and the gardens in amongst the plants and weeds that had gotten out of control. But once the digger had been and Simon had moved the shed from the front yard and put in a carport with a firepit, the kiwi dream was starting to take shape.
The other part of the home that was under utilized for it's potential was the front deck. It faces the Hakarimata Ranges with lovely all-day sun in winter. It was more of a passage way before, and the top treads were not so flash, making it a little unsafe to walk on when we first visited. But, after some discussion over time-frame and necessity, Simon convinced Tess that extending just under a metre of deck space would be an asset, and this time he was right. The deck became a true eye opener.
And then of course, there was the inside to tackle. The kitchen took up the most discussion. Having three doorways into the small space proved to be too much for the aesthetics of the kitchen layout, so the direct entry into the hallway was lost in return for more cupboard and fridge space.
The old bathroom was a bit of a site to be seen at first, having very worn carpet on the floor and a shower system screwed up over the bath and over the windows. A quick freshen with a new shower, bathroom sink and LED mirror brought the room a lot more light and a little style.
The living areas we knew were great areas. When we first went to visit they were full of bits and pieces, but the light coming into the room was warm and inviting. But then, the day that Tess pulled up the carpet made it clear that there was some real charm to be had in the hardwood floors underneath. We decided it would have been rude to cover that up and so began hours of staple pulling and sanding of floors, which I'm sure you'll agree was well worth it.
The bedrooms came up nicely with a fresh paint (including hours of prep on the windows) and some new carpet. Tess and the kids always love dressing these rooms ready for photos and open homes.
And there ends the story of this little beauty. Let us leave you with just a few pictures of some of the roses from around the property. The spring was epic here.
