https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:52:15 +0000 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:51:31 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.05 360 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=28649 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_images/web_wiz_forums.png https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/ https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=771862&title=renovations#771862 Author: fattartsrock
Subject: 28649
Posted: 10 September 2009 at 9:51pm

oh yeah and we painted big big big huge parts of the walls inthe final 3 colours we were down to to help us decide and for the coloured part, i got huge huge bits of card and painted them the colours I was keen on and hung them up. And totally went with the one I didn't think looked that good on a small swatch!]]> Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:51:31 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=771862&title=renovations#771862 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=771861&title=renovations#771861 Author: fattartsrock
Subject: 28649
Posted: 10 September 2009 at 9:50pm

I love the way my tap looks, but it is too tall and feels wobblyish.]]> Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:50:05 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=771861&title=renovations#771861 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=771822&title=renovations#771822 Author: monkey33
Subject: 28649
Posted: 10 September 2009 at 9:13pm

Yay for renovating!

We are currently in the middle of doing our bathroom and our costs have been:

Shower - $1225
Toilet - $499 (the guy at the store gave me $100 off $599 as they didn't have one in stock of the one I wanted and I needed to get the toilet that day!).
Tapware/shower mixer etc - $584
Vanity - fairly small at 750mm- $547
Tiles - $276 (20% discount)
Heated towel rail - $400
Paint - $100 (got wholesale prices through friend)

Labour/materials - $5k (this includes replacing rotten floor boards, whole new window & frame due to shower leaking!, laying tiles, building work, installation of new things, new lighting, work on existing fan that doesn't work to get it working and labour for painting).

When it comes to picking out all of the accessories/shower etc, obviously the sky is the limit but I have been recommended to ensure that you definitely need to get good tapware!

Good luck with it all ]]> Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:13:32 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=771822&title=renovations#771822 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=771189&title=renovations#771189 Author: clover
Subject: 28649
Posted: 10 September 2009 at 12:12pm

good hint! Thanks]]> Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:12:49 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=771189&title=renovations#771189 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=771187&title=renovations#771187 Author: AandCsmum
Subject: 28649
Posted: 10 September 2009 at 12:12pm

Oh one hint...If you love cooking/baking make sure you put your wall oven about mid body height...

Compared to my Mum's which is below the hob it is far easier & better to work with having the oven off the floor. Means bubs can not get into a hot oven either ]]> Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:12:07 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=771187&title=renovations#771187 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770958&title=renovations#770958 Author: clover
Subject: 28649
Posted: 10 September 2009 at 8:31am

Wow thanks everyone, that is all really really helpful!
I'll have to look at the law changes for DIY, we have contacts in pretty much all trades so hopefully they'll be keen on some perk jobs.

The advice on where to splurge and were to save is very helpful, the point on the oven is certainly taken as I am a very keen cook.

Unfortunately I'm not in Auckland so won't be able to make the show. My sister in-law in Auckland is also rennovating so I will recommend it to her though!]]> Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:31:17 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770958&title=renovations#770958 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770816&title=renovations#770816 Author: ajmmum
Subject: 28649
Posted: 09 September 2009 at 10:19pm

Ooo fattartsrock - your saying you hate the tap now made me think of another tip - get big photos of the taps, paint swatches etc you are planning on renovating with and put them up around the kitchen/bathroom etc. That way you have to look at them. A lot. That way, even if you can't really predict functionality issues, you can at least see if the aesthetics are something you can live with.

Keep same photos in a scrap book, a small one, like notebook size, that you keep on you when you're out and about, because you never know where you might suddenly see something "perfect" and then you have all photos etc on hand to see how it will work in, if that makes sense?]]> Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:19:10 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770816&title=renovations#770816 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770787&title=renovations#770787 Author: fattartsrock
Subject: 28649
Posted: 09 September 2009 at 9:44pm

And totally in agreement with the above poster about appliances are really important, especially the oven...]]> Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:44:00 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770787&title=renovations#770787 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770784&title=renovations#770784 Author: fattartsrock
Subject: 28649
Posted: 09 September 2009 at 9:42pm

We did our kitchen in feb, we also had sparky and plumber friends and we gutted it all ourselves and lined and gibbed ourselves (even me! I did the pantry, so proud, lol) We also painted ourselves as hubby is very handy and a good painter.

We used Hagleys (I think they are nationwide) and we spent about $12,500 including a coloured glass spashback on a whole wall (which was $1000 alone). They were fantastic, really really good. Kitchen took a day and a half to put in and the bench got damaged in a corner (not bad, i certainly couldn't "see" it) and they replaced the whole lot rather than cut it into sections to fix. we got fancy cupboard inserts as well. I really really love it. If you are a friend of mine on Facebook, the whole lot is in an album on there.

Other costs were

Our tap was $350 on top of that (and I hate it now) and our lights were about $200. The floors we did ourselves at a cost of $800 (only just done, so not in photos)
We got top of the line appliances, including a big on the inside wall oven. Many of them are tiny tiny inside and very cheap. Don't let price guide you on the oven!!!
Westinghouse duo oven and cooktop $3600
Westinghouse dishwasher $1100
Electrolux freestanding freezer 270l (westinghouse) on super special $1400 (down from over $2k) and westinghouse 350l fridge $1800 (got it in the boxing day 20% off sales)
Insinkerator with airswitch about $500

I think thats it. Could be more, can't remember...]]> Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:42:01 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770784&title=renovations#770784 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770679&title=renovations#770679 Author: ajmmum
Subject: 28649
Posted: 09 September 2009 at 8:05pm

This is what I did for a living before baby - told people how to add value and save on their renovations and not make mistakes!

Depending on the state of the kitchen/bathroom, and whether you are planning on living in it long term, letting it or whether you are buying to do-up and sell on, you can resurface as opposed to getting new kitchens & buy new cabinet handles. You'd be suprised what a difference that makes. The Mitre10 kitsets, and placemakers can be a good way to go, depends on the space. Be aware that if you spend heaps in your kitchen and bathroom, it can really show up the rest of the property, so you want to renovate consistently. Also, spend money on good appliances, don't go second hand. Appliances aren't that expensive these days, and if you sell it's one of the biggest things people look at.

Good new tapware is worth the investment - makes all the difference in a bathroom, and in old houses the taps are usually knob style instead of lever style. Levers are much more popular, not least because they offer an aging population a chance with their arthritic bones!

The resene site has EzyPaint, where you can put in photos of your house, mask it, and then use their colours to see what they are going to look like (includes heaps of kitchen surfaces as well).

The Home show is on at the moment in Auckland, so if you're up here, go along - my company runs the Property Know-How seminars (also at waikato, and canterbury coming up), they are given by a bunch of different companies, educational, free and brilliant if you are just getting into the property / renovation business so you don't make mistakes. Link to the timetable here

Would suggest the 1030am, 3pm, and 330pm seminars as a must, and really all of them would be worth going to.

We have a Project Planner, which includes software and heaps of tips and hints on renovations, checklists of things you need, and we network via the shows to get our clients $1000s in exclusive (property related, not hair coupon) discounts. We don't take kick backs, just get our network to pass on discount to our clients. I don't want to do the shameless plug here as I am not sure what the OB site rules are, but if you are interested pm me and I will send you a link to our site and you can ask me any specific questions you might have? We have contacts and reputable companies we recommend all over NZ, so drop me a line and I'll see if I can't help!

And good luck! It is hard work, but highly addictive and heaps of fun! ]]> Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:05:33 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770679&title=renovations#770679 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770423&title=renovations#770423 Author: AandCsmum
Subject: 28649
Posted: 09 September 2009 at 4:51pm

Be aware of the new laws coming in re DIY & getting qualified builders to do stuff that diyer's used to do.

Resene has a good colour thing on their website.]]> Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:51:52 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770423&title=renovations#770423 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770416&title=renovations#770416 Author: monikah
Subject: 28649
Posted: 09 September 2009 at 4:47pm

for both bathroom and kitchens as far as all your cabnittry (SP) benchtops etc... there is some great stuff on the mitre10 mega website. you can cut everything out and arrange them how you want and stuff. you can take that in and they'll give you a quote for everything inc toilets, dushwasher.. if you can out it in yourself (pretty easy to do) then you just have to factor painting walls etc and you should have a pretty good idea. we looked at ripping out our whole kitchen and completely redoing it and our quote was about 6k and that was for all appliences and everything

Kitchen planner

Bathroom Planner]]> Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:47:04 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770416&title=renovations#770416 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770275&title=renovations#770275 Author: clover
Subject: 28649
Posted: 09 September 2009 at 3:00pm

Hi all,

DH & I are considering purchasing a "doer-uper", but I'm really trying to get some idea of exactly the costs we would be up for. Bathroom and kitchen are the main ones really as a lot of the rest we can do ourselves.

We're both fairly handy, my father is a sparky, and good friend a plumber so hopefully that is two of the most expensive trades sorted!

Can anyone recommend any good websites or online stores that have realistic price expectations for renovations?

Thanks!]]> Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:00:50 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28649&PID=770275&title=renovations#770275