Grand Designs New Zealand Season 9 Episode 6 transforms an old tennis court in Paraparaumu into a unique family home. What starts as an exciting vision quickly serves up a series of unexpected backhanders, testing the couple’s resilience, budget, and determination.
Follow the journey as creativity and perseverance shape this unconventional build into a one-of-a-kind living space. A must-watch episode for fans of innovative architecture, home design challenges, and inspiring Grand Designs New Zealand stories.
#GrandDesignsNewZealand #TennisCourtHome #UniqueHomes #Architecture #GrandDesigns
Follow the journey as creativity and perseverance shape this unconventional build into a one-of-a-kind living space. A must-watch episode for fans of innovative architecture, home design challenges, and inspiring Grand Designs New Zealand stories.
#GrandDesignsNewZealand #TennisCourtHome #UniqueHomes #Architecture #GrandDesigns
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00:01Life can be a bit of a balancing act, can't it?
00:05Built of all the critical elements that make it enriching, worthwhile.
00:12Demanding jobs, demanding kids, and your partner.
00:19Making sure that you're giving them the right care and attention.
00:25Looking after your own health.
00:30Time for family and friends.
00:33A hobby you enjoy.
00:39Maybe even a side hustle.
00:43What else?
00:47How about a bespoke architectural build?
00:56Beautiful.
01:00But what happens if one of those elements goes awry?
01:32The Kiwi Dream and the beach go hand in hand.
01:36Like sand and sea.
01:37Kids and cricket.
01:39Fish and chips.
01:41As the summer days roll on and on.
01:4545 minutes drive from busy, built-up Wellington.
01:49This is Paraparaumu Beach on the Carpeti Coast.
01:52Offering the promise of a new life for families like Bridget and Graham Clark and their three girls.
01:58Go, go, beat, beat, go.
02:00Right, where are we going?
02:02Uh, to Los Begons.
02:04An attractor?
02:05Yeah, an attractor.
02:06Oh, good.
02:07This is a place we've quite often come to, not far up from where we live.
02:10Beep, beep, beep.
02:11The boat's broken down.
02:13We've really enjoyed the climate, really enjoyed the beach atmosphere and it's got a friendly vibe to it and everything.
02:19The Clarks live in Wellington where Bridget is a partner at a busy recruitment consultancy and Graham is part owner
02:26of a nationwide cleaning company.
02:29Our household's pretty busy.
02:31We have quite demanding children.
02:33Mom, I mean, yes!
02:36We get there.
02:37Yeah, we do.
02:37We're pretty good at it.
02:38Yeah, and we try to have some fun along the way.
02:40Yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:41They built what they intended to be their forever home in 2017 on a typically steep Wellington hillside, but soon
02:49discovered that magnificent harbour views came at quite a price.
02:54We definitely copped the wind a little bit here.
02:56We woke up one morning and noticed the spa cover was about 100 metres down the bank there.
03:02Part of our couch is over there somewhere.
03:05No backyard or beach cricket for the three girls here.
03:08Their playground is a cold concrete driveway.
03:12Bridget and Graham want more for their kids and themselves, so the decision has been made.
03:17They're moving to Paraparaumu.
03:20I think the aim is that we want to feel a bit more connected.
03:22We'll embrace the community and get amongst it and enjoy it.
03:26So we're building our forever home again, aren't we?
03:29Our forever, forever home.
03:30This will be our forever home.
03:31We're done.
03:32I'm done.
03:33We're done.
03:38Now, this may look like a pretty typical suburban street, but hiding somewhere here behind these bushes is one of
03:45the more unusual building sites you'll see.
03:48It's just, uh, I don't know how to get there.
03:51Maybe down here.
04:03Tom, hi.
04:04Hi.
04:05Nice to meet you.
04:05Bridget, right?
04:06Hi, yes.
04:07Graham.
04:08Graham, nice to meet you.
04:09You too.
04:09So you bought a tennis court?
04:10Yes, we have.
04:11Not a particularly green tennis court, and a bit difficult to have a game of tennis, but yes, we have.
04:16And there is a swimming pool over the back there, too.
04:18Oh, right.
04:19Okay.
04:19So why did you buy this?
04:21It's a very good question.
04:23I do ask myself that sometimes.
04:26Lifestyle?
04:27Lifestyle.
04:27By the beach, you know, by the parks.
04:29On the flat.
04:30On the flat.
04:30You can walk to the cafes.
04:31You can walk to the park.
04:32Plus, you've got a nice little view to the golf course.
04:35Correct, and Graham is a golfer, so I'm sure he'll be there.
04:37I'm an amateur golfer.
04:38I'll play a bit more, I'm sure, when I'm here.
04:40With the kids on the back of the buggy.
04:42We'll see.
04:43We'll see.
04:43Yeah.
04:44Okay, so, where's the house going to be?
04:46Are we going to be in the service?
04:47Somewhere along here.
04:48Court?
04:49Somewhere here?
04:50Yeah.
04:50The build actually goes from the road, and it runs along kind of this side of the section
04:55and down to the pool area.
04:58The pool was a big draw for the clerks, but at the moment, it's more of a draw for local
05:03amphibians.
05:05Well, it's quite a feature, isn't it?
05:07It is.
05:08Yeah.
05:08So, you already have the pool.
05:11You're just hoping that it's in a good condition?
05:14Yeah, we don't know if it works at the moment, but we'll give it a crack, yeah.
05:18The water looks a bit green.
05:20It needs to be a tidy up.
05:21Yeah.
05:21It needs to be a clean up.
05:22Give it a clean, get the frogs out.
05:23This is where we'll be a lot of the time.
05:26So, that's the lifestyle, that's the dream.
05:27Dream big?
05:28Yes.
05:28Absolutely, yeah.
05:29Unless you're playing golf.
05:30Unless I'm playing golf by myself.
05:32With the children.
05:33Yeah, there's some different opinion there.
05:37No golf for a while, though, and no tennis either, with the court ripped up for a concrete
05:43pad that pretty much fills the section between the elevated road and what will be the renovated
05:49pool.
05:50On the ground floor, a guest suite, three bedrooms for the girls, a media room, bathroom and
05:55laundry all run off a long hallway that ends in a high-stud dining room and galley-style
06:00kitchen with walk-in pantry and, tucked in behind, a lounge that opens out to the deck
06:05and pool.
06:07Up internal stairs to the top floor, where the master bedroom gets the morning sun.
06:12There's also a walk-in wardrobe, en suite, home office and a two-car garage.
06:18Walk around to the front door on a covered gantry, glimpsing the garden below through the
06:22timber rain screen, providing subtle privacy.
06:26The girls have their cherished backyard play space, while family and friends can all enjoy
06:31the covered outdoor entertaining area and the pool with the original rubble stone wall.
06:37This large, long, modernist home occupies most of the site, while making good use of the
06:43outdoor space that is available, giving the clerks the lifestyle they seek and their long-awaited
06:49forever home.
06:53When do you start?
06:55Next week, hopefully.
06:56Yeah, all going well.
06:57Diggers will be here next week.
06:59And then you finish when?
07:0012 months.
07:02October 24th.
07:0312 months to build a house, 360 square metres.
07:06It'll be a busy 12 months.
07:08It will be.
07:09For the builders.
07:10Yeah.
07:11You've done this before.
07:12You've built before.
07:13But do you go into this with enthusiasm and excitement?
07:15Or do you go into this with some experience and a little bit concern?
07:20Yeah, apprehension.
07:21Yeah, yeah.
07:21About what?
07:23About everything.
07:23About the cost.
07:24I think it's the cost.
07:26And how much do you have to spend?
07:27It's a very good question.
07:292.1.
07:29We have 2.1 to build this.
07:31And how much was the section?
07:33We paid 915,000 for it.
07:35So 3 million-ish all in.
07:39I can see why you have a level of anxiety.
07:41This is really the dream and this is what we want.
07:44It's now or never.
07:45We've really got to find a way.
07:47And that's involving what?
07:48You sell the current house?
07:50Current house.
07:50Yeah.
07:50Current house goes on the market February 2024.
07:53Hope for a good price.
07:55You're all in then.
07:56Yeah.
07:57But it is the forever home.
07:58Second time around.
07:59Yes, correct.
08:00Second time.
08:00Second forever.
08:01Yep.
08:06So, what have we got here?
08:08Well, maybe the world's most expensive tennis court outside of Wimbledon.
08:12But that's not the biggest cost.
08:14There's another 2.1 million dollars to spend on top of that.
08:17And a house to sell.
08:18All within this condensed 12-month period.
08:22Now, that's a high-stakes game in anybody's book.
08:27But with high stakes come great rewards.
08:31Hopefully.
08:32Hopefully.
08:37However, the challenges here are not just financial.
08:41The long low site and the old swimming pool are constraints that any design will have to
08:45take into account.
08:47A conundrum for architectural designer Mike Holmes to sort out.
08:53They had a high expectation of what they wanted for their home.
08:57It has five bedrooms, multiple living spaces, its own study.
09:02So, with the constraints of the site, it was a bit like Tetris.
09:05It sort of fit all those things in in a logical way.
09:08One of Mike's first decisions was putting the garage on the top level, next to the master bedroom.
09:15We couldn't have an easy turning circle, so we tried to make that as efficient as possible by having it
09:21up at street level.
09:21And then all the spaces sort of flowed on from there.
09:25But with the garage at one end and the pool at the other, this house has to stretch almost the
09:31entire length of the section.
09:33So, not much room for the garden the clerks also want.
09:38It's a bold architectural response to the constraints of the site.
09:42And the test will be whether the house feels bound by those boundaries or sits gracefully within them.
09:53Just two weeks after my first visit, and it's action stations.
10:01Today's a big day.
10:03The diggers are rolling in.
10:05We hand over to the builders to do their part and deliver us the house in hopefully 12 months.
10:12However, this is a day that came perilously close to not happening at all.
10:16Since the clerks bought their section in 2021, there's been a seismic shift in the New Zealand housing landscape.
10:24The sharply increasing cost of building materials and higher interest rates caused the market to slump.
10:30That put Graham and Bridget in a very tight spot indeed.
10:36We looked at selling the section.
10:39We looked at redesigning the house, making it smaller.
10:42We were in no man's land for a while there.
10:45We put consent on hold.
10:47The bank wasn't giving us the finance.
10:49Yeah, there was a good few months where we were really unsure.
10:52Yeah.
10:52And then we decided to press go and build the house that we wanted.
10:56And here we are today.
10:59Full commitment seems to be a quality that characterises the clerks.
11:04The digger's here, so there is no turning back.
11:07We're away.
11:08Beginning a project with a budget already stretched so fine is a daunting proposition.
11:14If only that was all this couple had to worry about.
11:21This is Bridget and Graham's Wellington investment property, 15 months after it was hit by a landslide.
11:28Such a mess.
11:29I hate coming here.
11:31This is what keeps me up at night at the moment.
11:36Trying to figure out a way.
11:38They had hoped to get the repairs done before they started building Paraparaumu.
11:43But the difficult logistics of this very awkward job left those plans stuck in the mud.
11:50No one wants to run to a construction projects at one time.
11:53What we got paid for insurance, you know, it's been a year now.
11:58Costs have gone up, you know, to do this kind of work.
12:01You know, so that could blow out as well.
12:04And quite frankly, we probably don't have the money for it, you know.
12:10It's financially crippling.
12:12Right.
12:13There's now finally a plan to start repair work.
12:16But there's still a big question mark over how long that could take.
12:20And how much it could cost.
12:22You haven't seen this for a while, are you?
12:24Don't worry about wiping your feet.
12:27I come here a bit, Bridget.
12:29I try and avoid it.
12:32Yeah, it's tough.
12:33Yeah, I'm just kidding.
12:34Yeah, we're lucky that it's not a fan we have.
12:38Clearly, the clerks thrive when taking on challenges.
12:41But come on.
12:42Two building projects, two demanding jobs, three demanding kids,
12:47and a budget already stretched to the limit.
12:50This game has only just started, and they're already at break point.
13:06Just one month after breaking ground at Paraparoumu,
13:10Graham and Bridget's tennis court is a distant memory,
13:13replaced by a chaos of reinforcing steel and dirt.
13:19It's the day of the main concrete pour.
13:22On schedule.
13:24Impressive progress.
13:26Chuck a strop on one of you guys' trucks.
13:28Maybe grab a couple more.
13:29Yeah.
13:30Will Mowbray is the lead builder,
13:33aiming for completion in just 12 months.
13:36And he's not short of confidence.
13:38There are too many challenges on this job.
13:41Well, that would be famous last words on TV, wouldn't it?
13:44Um, and, of course, the first challenge is not too far away.
13:52Yeah.
13:53Hi, Tracy.
13:55Yeah, sorry.
13:56I was just going to say, yeah, it is stuck.
13:59Yeah.
14:00In trying to avoid falling down a big hill,
14:03the truck fell down a smaller one.
14:07Go, you've got to hit, bye.
14:17The house is also a leap of faith for the clerks.
14:20Yeah, let me just walk you for the...
14:23Paraparaumu is a completely new adventure,
14:26but the possibilities and opportunities here
14:29resonate deeply in Graham's memory.
14:32I grew up very similar to this.
14:34And so everything was flat, it was accessible,
14:37beaming straight down the road,
14:38yeah, farms not far away.
14:41Yeah, and the weather was good as well,
14:42so it's just freedom.
14:43We just had freedom.
14:45And that's, yeah, that's what we want for the girls.
14:51It's becoming very clear
14:53they won't achieve that by staying in Wellington.
14:59We have to drive everywhere, don't we?
15:01Yeah, we have to pretty much drive everywhere
15:03and there's a hill directly outside our house
15:06and you can't...
15:08It puts the kids off.
15:08Yeah, it puts the kids off.
15:10Hopefully there's more outdoors.
15:11Just get them out of the house,
15:12get them doing things.
15:14Get them all active, that's all young.
15:16Get them off TV.
15:24What are you guys looking forward to
15:25about moving up here?
15:27Getting a dog, obviously, dog.
15:30What about the beach?
15:31I'm really looking forward to the beach.
15:33It would be like that we can go on
15:34so many more back rides, yeah,
15:36and we can play outside much more
15:38because of the weather, you know?
15:40Here we do some fishing.
15:42Yeah, we can do some fishing.
15:43How does that sound?
15:45We could go bodyboarding.
15:47Oh, yay, I love bodyboarding.
15:49Then none of those will play golf
15:50when we move out.
15:51I think I want to start junior golf, yes.
15:53Oh, really?
15:54OK, you could go out with Dad.
15:55Dad could take all three girls out
15:57for golf every other day.
15:59I'll tell you what a half will do.
16:01Half will just knock it through the holes.
16:07Into the new year,
16:08the build continues at a fast clip.
16:10At this rate, the 12-month deadline
16:13feels very achievable.
16:15The ground floor block work
16:16and framing is pretty much done.
16:19And today, steel portals are going up,
16:21completing the basic shape of the house
16:24and letting Bridget and Graham
16:25imagine the good times ahead.
16:30The island will go here, roundabout.
16:32Yeah, yeah.
16:33But nice new windows there, eh?
16:35This will be the heart of the home.
16:37This is where we'll spend the most time,
16:38having the doors here to get out to the pool,
16:41or better yet, to be outside with friends
16:44around the barbecue and the outdoor fire.
16:46Kitchen bench.
16:47Graham will be spending a lot of time here
16:49prepping food.
16:56There's been great progress here,
16:59no question,
17:00but the financial situation
17:01is a different story.
17:04Money, well, money's going...
17:05Out.
17:06Out.
17:06It's where it's going.
17:07Money's going out.
17:09And the interest is going up.
17:11Yeah, yeah.
17:12Yeah, we're watching it closely.
17:14We've got our spreadsheet at home.
17:17But, you know,
17:17the next few months
17:18is probably going to be the challenge,
17:19I think.
17:27The clerk's finances
17:28are stacked up
17:30like a house of cards.
17:31The foundation those cards are stacked on
17:34is the sale of their current home.
17:36Today, it's going under the hammer,
17:38and they've bravely allowed me
17:40to eavesdrop at the auction.
17:43Right now, I am feeling very nervous.
17:46I've been feeling nervous all week.
17:47And what do you want to get for the house?
17:51Two.
17:52We don't think we're going to get it.
17:54Two million.
17:55So you're not hopeful?
17:56No.
17:57And what does that mean?
17:58Do you need to?
18:00We could probably go
18:01settle for a little bit less,
18:03not too much less, but...
18:05We've got to walk away, I guess,
18:06so let's see what the agent can do.
18:09Well, good luck.
18:10Thanks, Tom.
18:11Cheers.
18:13It's a simple equation.
18:15Every dollar below that hoped-for two million
18:17is another dollar they'll owe to the bank.
18:20But with a housing slump nationwide
18:22and no sign of interest rates coming down,
18:25this is a bad time to sell.
18:27Bid me away, start me away.
18:28I'm going to have any bid,
18:29and I'll be off work.
18:30We're going to be safe, go on.
18:31Here we go.
18:32At 1,450,000,
18:34as we kick all of these off,
18:35and underway buyers are, of course,
18:36happy for a mere 100,000 on top buyers.
18:38It's a busy way.
18:39The 1.55 would have been in 450,000 buyers once.
18:43Buyers twice.
18:44So I called it away.
18:45At the 1,450,000 to bidding, buying, and point all the time.
18:52Please do with us both back for a short update on those discussions.
18:57So that was it?
18:59Yeah.
19:00Yeah.
19:01I'm no auctioneer,
19:03but that did sound like a very short bidding war.
19:07We're well off at the moment.
19:08Yeah.
19:08So what was the bid?
19:101,45.
19:11Yeah.
19:12Here we go.
19:16Okay.
19:17We're going to turn this off, mate.
19:18Okay.
19:18We'll have to leave the complete.
19:20Yes, understood.
19:21All right.
19:22Okay.
19:22Thanks, mate.
19:23See you.
19:24Bye.
19:26Well, goodness.
19:29I mean, that is not the starting point, is it?
19:31That's not what you want.
19:32They're more than half a million dollars away from what they wanted.
19:37Let's hope this agent is a good negotiator.
19:49A few days after the auction of Bridget and Graham's Wellington home,
19:53I wonder how the chips have fallen, so to speak.
19:56I'm anticipating a fairly sombre welcome.
19:59Hello.
20:01Come on in.
20:01Welcome.
20:03Pleasantries aside, there's only one question on my mind.
20:07What happens at the auction?
20:09We'll be sold.
20:10Yeah, we sold.
20:12Under pressure.
20:13Yeah.
20:13But, yeah, we got close to our minimum, so we're happy enough with that.
20:18So what was the figure, Graham?
20:211.755.
20:22And you wanted 2 million, didn't you, Bridget?
20:24Yes.
20:25Minimum was 1.8.
20:26So we were close.
20:27We were close enough.
20:29Yeah, we're hoping that we can still have the outdoor kitchen finished.
20:32I can still have my fireplace in the lounge.
20:35I think there's bits and pieces I can do as well.
20:37And so over the next couple of months, I'll chip in and...
20:40Do the deck.
20:41Do the deck.
20:42The pool.
20:43Empty the pool, paint the pool.
20:45There's this growing list now for Graham.
20:47There is.
20:48The to-do list has got longer.
20:50Yeah.
20:50How do you feel about that, Graham?
20:51I find it quite stressful at times.
20:54There's definitely been times where I've had a bit of a meltdown here and there
20:57and, you know, get a bit anxious about things.
21:01But, really, I've just got to get on with it.
21:03And we're in a fortunate position to be doing this, right?
21:07Yeah.
21:07To be able to build our home.
21:09Yeah.
21:09So, we can never lose sight of that.
21:17Well, there's certainly a huge number of working parts at play here.
21:21And just one of those going wrong leads to a chain reaction, doesn't it?
21:25Fortunately, at the moment, the most important part, the build, is tracking okay.
21:31But, gosh, don't they just need it to carry on like that?
21:38The good news is, it's doing just that.
21:44Two months later, and the first floor framing is finished.
21:47Pre-cladding works have started, and there's even a roof.
21:54But today's focus is on the great outdoors,
21:58where Graham and Bridget want their girls to spend so much of their time.
22:03It was like a little secret garden, wasn't it, before?
22:06You had to squeeze under a hedge to get in.
22:07I know, I know.
22:09Rebecca Wilson is the landscape architect charged with delivering the dream.
22:15When I come onto a site and I look at a plan,
22:17I'm always going, how can I make people love being outside?
22:22How can I make them live outside?
22:24It's not just something for me that people look at.
22:27There has to be magic outside.
22:30However, so much of that depends on the site,
22:33and especially the sun, and that's where the problems lie.
22:37The road is on the western side.
22:40You've got to have a driveway and a garage on the western side,
22:45three and a half metres above floor.
22:46So it's a perfect storm for a bad afternoon scene in the garden.
22:54And then to add to the confusion,
22:56you never normally put a pool on the eastern side of a house,
22:59because it only gets morning sun,
23:00afternoon when everyone comes home from work.
23:02It's very difficult.
23:03There's no easy solution.
23:05And it's a series of compromises in a way,
23:09and wriggling to make it work.
23:13With no afternoon sun in what's proposed to be the main garden area,
23:18Rebecca has cast her expert eye elsewhere
23:20and found a spot that's potential has been overlooked.
23:26This was going to be the service yard.
23:29The architects had a toilet here and a door going into the laundry,
23:33and there was a screen coming out here and a few gas bottles.
23:36Yeah, there was a bit of a reshuffle required.
23:39So now we've turned it into a very valuable, I think, courtyard space,
23:43which gets all the afternoon sun.
23:45You know, north is over there,
23:46so from 2 or 3 o'clock onwards till about 6 or 7 o'clock,
23:49this is going to be a really lovely little space for the family
23:52to come out and enjoy the afternoon sun.
23:54So we got rid of the clothesline, we got rid of that screen,
23:57and what a super solution it is.
23:59Your influence is feeling its way, creeping into the house,
24:02like a vine or something, you know?
24:04I'm looking at more if they are able to creep out.
24:08I mean, it doesn't look like much at the moment,
24:10but watch this space.
24:12Yeah, right.
24:14Rebecca's challenge now is to transform
24:16this previously unloved little space
24:19into a magical outdoor experience.
24:22No pressure, then.
24:24It can be done, of course.
24:25And here at one of the country's most famous gardens,
24:29it's been achieved on a grand scale.
24:31This is Airely's at Whitford in East Auckland,
24:34where owner and gardener Beverly McConnell
24:36and architect Jeff Newman
24:37have created a house and garden that are a perfect match.
24:41So what makes this place
24:43and the interaction between the architecture and nature
24:46so successful,
24:47my focus is instantly drawn to that window.
24:52So I want to explore, engage,
24:54out the door
24:56and down into a space
24:59that's perfect for morning coffee.
25:01East-facing,
25:03semi-enclosed.
25:05If this was west-facing,
25:07I'd be in shadow.
25:08I wouldn't want to be here.
25:09There is vitality and views in all directions.
25:14And I'm drawn onwards to the sunny northern elevation,
25:17where the pool connects seamlessly with the home itself.
25:24So what do we have here?
25:25Well, we have carefully considered static architectural space,
25:31but meeting dynamic nature.
25:34And the two talking to each other,
25:37empowering each other.
25:39But there's a final ingredient.
25:42Here,
25:44there's a touch of magic.
25:47Airely's is a long-established garden
25:49on a magnificent site,
25:50something Rebecca can only dream of.
25:53But despite having limited space
25:55and limited sun,
25:57she knows every opportunity
25:58to create viable outdoor living areas
26:00must be taken.
26:07The chill of winter in Paraparaumu
26:09might be in the air,
26:10but progress on this build is red-hot.
26:16The roof is on,
26:17and the ceiling framing is almost complete.
26:23Today, the windows go in,
26:25a great milestone that means the builders
26:27can work in a completely enclosed building.
26:35It's a big step forward.
26:40But back in Wellington,
26:42there's been a big step backwards.
26:44The repair of Graham and Bridget's rental property
26:47was finally underway
26:48until disaster struck again.
26:52Last night,
26:53well, we got a lot of rain in Wellington,
26:56and, yeah,
26:57that's obviously caused all this loose soil
26:59to head downhill
27:00into the holes that were drilled.
27:0355 tonnes of earth
27:05that came down in the original landside
27:07had been carried away.
27:09Now all that hard work
27:10has been buried.
27:13Heartbreaking.
27:15The other day when I came down here,
27:16this was all a paved courtyard
27:19that we used to have,
27:20and it was all clear,
27:20so the paver's under there somewhere.
27:23So, you know,
27:24this has all happened in the last 24 hours.
27:28It's not ideal.
27:30The cost of salvaging this rental property
27:32will almost certainly have financial repercussions
27:35for Bridget and Graham's new build.
27:37This continuing disaster
27:39is the last thing they need
27:40and has the potential
27:42to bury all of their dreams.
27:57It's a cold winter's day
28:00in Paraparoumu,
28:01but Bridget and Graham's
28:02forever, forever home
28:04has a snug new jacket.
28:06It's now clad with sleek black metal
28:09and textured black timber.
28:13Interior linings are moving along too.
28:16It's been a nice space, eh?
28:17Yeah, it will be.
28:18I'm looking forward to seeing the wallpaper.
28:21They're on the home stretch,
28:23daring to dream of a finished home.
28:26This will be all Luna Wood.
28:28Yeah, right.
28:29Oh, yeah, true.
28:30Yeah.
28:30Really decent size, eh?
28:32Yeah, it is.
28:33Yeah.
28:33And I like this.
28:35Out here, this door
28:36that we had many conversations about.
28:39Yes.
28:39Yes.
28:40So Graham wanted this shut off.
28:42But I really wanted to be able
28:44to be in the kitchen
28:45and feel connected to the outside.
28:48Whereas you didn't get that at all.
28:50No.
28:51I don't know why.
28:54And even the architect wanted a close.
28:56Yeah, the architect wanted a close as well.
28:58Yeah, I want more.
28:59Yeah.
28:59I'll give her this one.
29:00I'll take it.
29:01This one.
29:01Yeah.
29:02So I can tell the kids from in here
29:04to stop jumping off the brick wall.
29:07They're not going to jump off the brick wall.
29:08They're not going to jump off the brick wall.
29:10In contrast to the light
29:12and open entertainment area,
29:14the hallway is long
29:16and a little moody.
29:18It is a long dark hallway,
29:20but I think a bit of colour on the walls.
29:23Hmm.
29:24Yeah, I think we'll be fine.
29:25It'll be all right.
29:27I just want it to be done.
29:28I just want it to be done.
29:29I just want it to be done.
29:34Fatigue certainly seems to be setting in for Bridget.
29:37And Graham is also feeling the combined effect
29:40of managing the budget overspend,
29:42the rental property rebuild,
29:43and a nationwide cleaning business,
29:46as well as taking on a lot of DIY
29:48to save money on the new build.
29:52It is a little bit stressful.
29:54The debt levels...
29:55Are high.
29:56Are high.
29:57Higher than we probably anticipated.
29:59I think it's just,
30:00there'll be a few things
30:01that we may have to do ourselves.
30:04Yeah.
30:04I think.
30:04And may not be able to do right now.
30:06Yeah, may not be able to do right now,
30:07which is okay.
30:09I think we just face facts
30:11and we don't...
30:12We might not have the cash for it,
30:13so reality.
30:15There is no turning back
30:17on what we've done now,
30:19so we just need to be confident
30:21that we've made the right decision.
30:33The house is now transforming
30:35into its final form,
30:36but the garden is feeling pretty boxed in
30:39between the boundary,
30:41the outdoor living area,
30:42and the bank
30:43that was once the vehicle access.
30:45It's under threat
30:46of being overwhelmed,
30:47but fortunately,
30:49it has a champion
30:50in the form of Rebecca,
30:51who I find in the middle of it all,
30:54rising to the challenges.
30:56Such as the plastic water tanks
30:59that are going to double as a fence.
31:02That's what we're dealing with,
31:04and, um,
31:06what a disaster.
31:08The water tank fence
31:09will run the length
31:11of the whole garden.
31:12Beautiful, no,
31:13but clever, yes,
31:15the alternative
31:15to having to bury
31:17a large round water tank.
31:18You don't like those, then?
31:20No.
31:21They're the most hideous fence
31:23that I have ever seen.
31:25OK, don't mince your words.
31:26Good.
31:27Yeah, yeah.
31:29They told me
31:30that those fence,
31:31that was going to look
31:32like a fence.
31:33Right.
31:34It does not look like a fence.
31:35No.
31:35It looks like
31:36an ugly plastic grey thing
31:38with holes in it.
31:40The other problem
31:41is the house itself.
31:42Its width covers
31:44a lot of what is
31:45already a narrow site.
31:47The house is coming
31:48at us quite a lot.
31:50It is, yeah.
31:50It's big and black.
31:52We've got a bit
31:53of a conflict here.
31:53They want maximum space
31:55for lawn for the children
31:55to play on
31:56and yet there's
31:57a huge need
31:58to soften the building,
32:00the boundaries,
32:01the wall
32:02and create some atmosphere
32:04down here
32:04without taking up
32:05too much space.
32:07I mean,
32:07the easy thing
32:08is to whack a deck
32:09along there
32:09and then put a pot
32:10in each corner
32:10but I'm not
32:11that kind of person.
32:12OK.
32:14For inspiration,
32:15Rebecca has turned
32:16to an old favourite
32:17of hers.
32:18Gardens from a long time ago
32:20and a long way away.
32:22I've always loved
32:24the paradise garden,
32:27the Persian,
32:27Islamic,
32:28all those gardens
32:30which were developed
32:30in a very inhospitable climate.
32:34They may have deserts,
32:35they may have sandstorms,
32:37they may have marauding
32:38bunches of crusaders,
32:39whatever,
32:40but their little paradise garden
32:42was their little enclave
32:43and I really thought
32:44we could do something
32:46like that here
32:47and create that little feeling
32:49of being a totally
32:50different world.
32:52So we're not going
32:53for anything
32:54particularly local here,
32:56this is a little bit
32:57of a sort of
32:57an escape from that.
32:59You've looked at
32:59the challenges
33:00and the problems
33:01and sort of
33:02turned them on their heads
33:03so they become
33:04an opportunity.
33:05Yes,
33:06well that's always
33:07what we have to do
33:07isn't it really?
33:08Well I think
33:09that's where
33:09designers work best.
33:11Yes.
33:13Rebecca's
33:14got her work
33:15cut out for her,
33:16turning Kapiti
33:17coastal water tanks
33:18and black aluminium
33:19into a Persian
33:21inspired garden.
33:23Can't wait
33:24to see the results.
33:28Just a few short weeks
33:30later and I'm back again
33:31and aside from wooden linings
33:33on a few feature walls,
33:35this house
33:36is tantalizingly
33:37close to completion.
33:40Painting has begun.
33:42into the white.
33:43White walls everywhere.
33:46There's just
33:47six weeks to go
33:48before the move-in date.
33:51Time to catch up
33:52with Bridget and Graham
33:53if I can find them.
33:56Keeps going on.
34:02Hey.
34:03Hello.
34:04Welcome.
34:04How are you busy?
34:05Yep.
34:06Always busy, mate.
34:07Always.
34:08The frog pond
34:09has been drained
34:10to be turned
34:11into a princely pool.
34:13I'll give you a mop.
34:13Nice to see you.
34:14Welcome.
34:15Yeah, yeah, sure.
34:16Well there's not much
34:16left to do, is there?
34:17There's a bit more involved
34:18in painting and pool
34:19than I thought, yeah.
34:21Yeah, it's not the biggest
34:22sander in the world, is it?
34:23Look at that.
34:23No, this is my $40 sander
34:25that I brought yesterday
34:26so I'll be here
34:28till midnight.
34:31The time-consuming task
34:32of repainting the fibreglass
34:34is just one
34:35of a growing list of jobs.
34:37So six weeks.
34:39Yeah, six busy weeks.
34:41Yeah.
34:41Six busy weeks, yeah.
34:43Bit of carpet to lay.
34:44Bit of carpet to lay.
34:45Yeah.
34:46To pull the paint.
34:46Pull the paint.
34:47Does that feel good
34:48to be able to be hands-on?
34:50Yeah, yeah, I like it.
34:51I like doing things like this.
34:53But yeah, it also saves us money
34:54in the long run, right?
34:56I sort of wonder
34:57whether you're putting in a bid
34:58for New Zealand's next great walk,
35:00which is the walk up your corridor.
35:02You know, you really feel
35:03the length of this building here.
35:05You've got some ideas
35:06of indoor cricket, don't you?
35:08Yeah.
35:08That's what you forget about.
35:10I mean, you know,
35:10the structure.
35:11Do a hundred metre race.
35:12Yeah, yeah, yeah.
35:13Visibly, you're sort of
35:14giving off the vibes that,
35:16gosh, come on,
35:17when does this finish?
35:18But amongst all of that,
35:19what are the things
35:19that really, you know,
35:21really worry you?
35:22Oh, it's money.
35:23So it's having to make sacrifices.
35:26I don't want to move in
35:27and think,
35:27I don't like this.
35:28No, you don't.
35:29I don't want that.
35:30Yeah, yeah.
35:30I do feel like there is light there.
35:33I do feel like...
35:33Yeah, we're close.
35:34That we're close
35:35and we can breathe afterwards.
35:37I don't know what's next
35:39because I'm sure
35:39there's something that Bridget has.
35:41No, we'll just be relaxing.
35:43Yeah.
35:43Summer.
35:43Summer is what's next.
35:44Summer in the pool.
35:45Yeah, we just want to enjoy it.
35:46That's a good thing to do next.
35:47Yeah, yeah.
35:47Summer in the pool.
35:51Bridget and Graham
35:52have taken on
35:53an almost unbelievable workload
35:55and a budget stretched
35:56to the limit.
35:57And actually,
35:58it seems like
35:59they might just
36:00pull through on schedule.
36:02I just hope
36:03that they end up
36:04with a house of their dreams
36:05and not a bank balance
36:07of their nightmares.
36:16So here we are then,
36:18about to lift the lid
36:19on Graham and Bridget's
36:20new lifestyle
36:21here on the coast.
36:23And the basic ingredients
36:24were good, weren't they?
36:25A romantic old tennis court
36:28with a swimming pool
36:29near a golf course
36:30near the sea.
36:32But very quickly,
36:33those elements
36:34met resistance.
36:36A long, skinny,
36:38sunken section
36:38facing the wrong way
36:40with a swimming pool
36:41in the wrong place
36:41and a big house
36:43that pretty much
36:44filled that section,
36:45leaving very little space
36:47for that long-fall
36:48outdoor engagement.
36:51Quite a few
36:51design issues then.
36:53Have they been solved?
37:11A mysterious black box,
37:14very neatly finished.
37:16Black, black surround,
37:17black roof.
37:18But here, look.
37:20I'm enjoying this.
37:22Shadow play
37:23through the fine
37:24slatted timber screen
37:26and pops of
37:27emerald green below.
37:30Hey!
37:31Hey, Tom,
37:31how you going?
37:32I'm very good,
37:33how are you?
37:33Yeah, good, thanks.
37:34Welcome,
37:34good to have you here.
37:35Nice to see you.
37:36You're looking very vibrant.
37:37Oh, thank you.
37:38Trying to match the outside.
37:39Oh, it's working.
37:40Come on and have a look.
37:41Yeah.
37:47Exterior,
37:48dark cladding
37:48on the inside.
37:49Yes, yeah,
37:50it's quite a bold move
37:51but we're happy with it.
37:52Yeah, bringing
37:52some of the outside in.
37:54And that must be
37:55the best piece of artwork
37:56you could ever have.
37:57Yeah, straight to the hills.
37:59Stunning.
38:02Oh, I love this.
38:03The staircase,
38:04side lit,
38:06guiding us down.
38:12Ah, it's a great space.
38:17Well, I think it's
38:18the first time
38:18I've seen the pool
38:19with water
38:19that's not green
38:20and full of frogs
38:21and it's glorious.
38:23Yes, yeah,
38:23it looks very different
38:24to last time you were here.
38:26Yeah, it's so inviting.
38:28It feels very calm here.
38:30I think it's the
38:31blonde timber here
38:33and that stone,
38:35the brass.
38:36Yeah, no,
38:37we're really happy
38:37with how it looks.
38:38There's a cohesion here
38:40and really beautifully
38:42finished everywhere.
38:47Come on out.
38:51Well, you finished
38:52this place just in time,
38:54didn't you?
38:54Summer by the pool,
38:55what could be better?
38:56Yeah, it's pretty cool.
38:57We're very lucky.
38:58The kids love it.
38:59They're in there
38:59multiple times a day.
39:00Brilliant.
39:01And that is all part
39:02of the dream,
39:03isn't it?
39:03That connection
39:04with the outside
39:05that you were missing
39:06back in the other house.
39:08Yeah, we've got it here.
39:09Yeah.
39:10If you told me
39:11that this pool existed
39:12before the house,
39:13I'd say,
39:13are you sure?
39:14Because actually,
39:15it just feels right.
39:17Everything has come together.
39:24Quite deliberately,
39:25Graham and Bridget
39:26have their master bedroom
39:27and ensuite upstairs,
39:28separated from the hubbub
39:30of the rest of the house.
39:32There's also a quiet,
39:33private home office up here.
39:37Downstairs,
39:38behind the kitchen,
39:39this strong tile choice
39:40in the lounge
39:41makes a statement.
39:42And next door,
39:43the girls have
39:43their own media room.
39:46This opens out
39:47to the greened courtyard
39:48using leftover space
39:50originally designated
39:51for bins and clotheslines.
39:53Past the media room,
39:55the long hallway
39:56now seems shorter,
39:57hung with colourful artwork
39:58and family photos.
40:00The girls' bedrooms
40:01are identically sized
40:02but individually customised.
40:04And the family bathroom
40:06features twin sinks,
40:08a nod perhaps
40:09to teenage years ahead.
40:12And they're right
40:13at the end here.
40:13The gift suite.
40:14Lucky guests.
40:15Yeah.
40:19The bedrooms
40:20all open onto their own decks
40:22and the garden playground
40:24Graham and Bridget
40:25were so motivated
40:26to create.
40:31This is genuinely
40:33a surprising experience.
40:34It feels huge.
40:36Yeah.
40:37Yeah.
40:37Pretty good space.
40:38Yeah, it's great.
40:38Great space.
40:40Now there was a point
40:41where there was a concern here
40:42that, you know,
40:43this is going to be
40:44a bit dominating.
40:45But actually now,
40:46it's softened
40:47and these timber slats,
40:50the screening
40:50is so effective.
40:52It's great composition.
40:53Yes.
40:53Great architecture.
40:54I don't know if you realise
40:55but this, for me,
40:57is brilliant.
40:58Yeah, that's...
40:59Yeah, we've done a good job.
41:00You've set the bar high
41:01for these kids.
41:02Yeah, we have.
41:03They're pretty lucky.
41:04Yeah.
41:12I like that you're sitting
41:14underneath a road trip
41:16picture.
41:17It sort of suggests
41:17that you're always
41:18on a journey.
41:19Have you arrived?
41:20Is this now
41:22the forever home?
41:25Yeah.
41:25Thanks, yeah.
41:26Yeah, definitely.
41:27I think we're done
41:28and we're happy, yeah.
41:30You know,
41:31seeing the girls
41:32in the pool
41:33and running around
41:33in the section
41:34in the house
41:35and that's the why.
41:37Yeah, the lifestyle
41:37we want is.
41:38And yeah,
41:39it's making us
41:40pretty happy, I think.
41:41Yeah, it is.
41:46You had this sort of
41:48financial quadruple whammy,
41:50didn't you?
41:50Increased construction costs,
41:52increased interest rates
41:53that kept going up,
41:55a housing market
41:56that slumped
41:57so your house
41:58you were selling
41:58was worth less
41:59and you had that
42:00rental property
42:00which was a disaster.
42:03There was a stress
42:03we didn't need.
42:05Was it worth it?
42:07Absolutely it was.
42:08Yeah, absolutely it was
42:09but there were
42:10definitely times
42:11through the build
42:13that was pretty intense,
42:15pretty stressful.
42:16But yeah,
42:16absolutely worth it.
42:17It's amazing.
42:24Budget then,
42:25$3 million land
42:27and the house.
42:28How did you end up?
42:31We were probably
42:32about $100 to $150k over.
42:35About 5%.
42:36Yeah.
42:375% sounds nicer
42:38but that's $150k
42:40is the reality.
42:40Yeah.
42:41We stopped counting.
42:43Just the bills
42:44were coming thick
42:45and fast
42:46and it was tough.
42:49We got there.
42:49Yeah, we did.
42:50Yeah.
42:51We had to go back
42:51to the bank
42:52for some more money.
42:52Uh-huh.
42:53Uh-huh.
42:53Bigger mortgage
42:54than you thought.
42:54A mortgage at all.
42:56Yeah, it's definitely
42:57a mortgage.
42:57Yeah, which kind of
42:58actually roots you here,
43:00doesn't it?
43:01Yeah, it does.
43:01Yeah, grabs for me.
43:02I don't know
43:03what more we'd want.
43:04Good to be at this point now.
43:05Great to be at this point.
43:07It is so good to be at this point.
43:08Yeah.
43:09It's definitely changed our lives
43:11and for the better.
43:17Now, I may have had concerns
43:21that this section
43:21and its restrictions
43:23would lead to a compromised building,
43:25but that's not the feeling here.
43:28This house transports you
43:30from generic suburbia
43:32down into a delightful world
43:34of waterfalls,
43:35secret gardens,
43:36courtyards,
43:37spaces for play and partying.
43:40And those things have come about
43:43precisely because of this intimate marriage
43:45of architecture and landscape
43:47that has worked with those apparent challenges
43:49and overcome them so successfully.
43:53And so, Graham and Bridget
43:55and their family have been left with
43:57not only a change of location,
43:59but a complete life transformation.
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