When you love your location but not your house, a rebuild can be a great solution. But what if you could have a brand-new home on your existing property… at no cost?

The Bennett’s had lived in their original O’Neill’s Avenue home on Takapuna’s ‘Golden Mile’ for more than 25 years. The house was old and had been added to over the years and was getting to the point where it just wasn’t fitting their lifestyle. Their dream was for a beautiful new home with minimal maintenance. And with the beach just a few minutes’ walk down the street, they loved their location and didn’t want to move. With a 1250m2 section, the site was more than they needed. They realised that by subdividing to create two additional sites, they could sell the sites and use the funds to rebuild a brand-new home for themselves.

Calling in the experts
With no experience with subdividing or building, the Bennett’s needed to bring in the experts – a team who had the expertise and knowledge to manage the whole process professionally. That’s when they contacted Paul Brett and the team at Landmark Homes North Shore/Rodney. The Landmark Homes team would build their new home and purchase the rear sites for development. All the Bennett’s had to think about was what they’d like in their new dream home.

Paul explains that the first step in the process of rebuilding and subdividing is deciding on what the owners would like for their new home. “The Bennett’s wanted a spacious home of 300m2, a small swimming pool, and to retain the road frontage. Once that was determined we set about determining how to best divide the section to give them what they wanted and to further develop the two rear sections,” says Paul.

The next step was deciding the look and feel of the properties. “With three homes being built together, we wanted to ensure they had a cohesive look and feel,” says Paul. “The Bennett’s were keen to have something modern and flat-roofed, which suited what we wanted to do with the other two, so we designed all three homes around that aesthetic.”

Showcasing the best
With a brief for a modern, sharp, and edgy aesthetic, the exterior is striking in a monochromatic blend of split stone and dark stained cedar. As you step inside, the herringbone oak parquetry gives the first hint of the level of quality materials, skilled workmanship and design detail used throughout the home. The kitchen is a prime example – with the use of timber veneer throughout, an integrated fridge, Miele appliances, and the all-important coffee machine situated in a dark, sultry, and minimalistic design, black tiling and benchtops feature eye catching gold streaks to complement the vertical cedar features that offsets the darker tones.
“These homes not only showcase the ultimate in luxury with the finest appliances and materials, they also demonstrate a sophisticated use of space. The ground floor offers expansive open plan living with casual entertaining spaces, and a media room or second living area.

A jaw-dropping master suite oozes luxury with a large, fully fitted walk in robe and an ensuite that would outstrip most five-star resorts.

The lighting design is a key element that ties the décor together. “We wanted a very modern but minimalist look,” says Paul. That’s been cleverly achieved throughout the home by maximizing natural light, and the use of subtle, soft backlighting around key focal points such as cabinetry and benchtops.

A team approach
To create a five-star, modern design, the Landmark team – including franchise owners Paul and Debbie, Senior Designer Wendy King, and Interior Designer Shannon Pepper collaborate on ideas.

“It’s very satisfying to work as a team to achieve something very high-end that showcases the quality workmanship we strive for,” says Paul.

“It’s also a very creative process which is fun and enjoyable. It’s hard work but when everything starts to come together, it’s very rewarding.

“Builds like these that showcase something a little edgy and different can help people who are thinking about their own build to consider something they might never have thought of.”

The great divide
Paul believes there is still lots of potential for subdivision and rebuild projects within Auckland, especially in some of those higher-end areas.

“It can be a very worthwhile option for those with large sections looking to finance a new home without having to leave the location they love,” says Paul. “By subdividing and selling the land they wouldn’t use, the Bennett’s effectively managed to finance a brand-new house without it costing them anything. They’ve downsized their section to something more manageable, they have a big, beautiful new home, and two other lucky families will be enjoying the stunning new builds at the rear.” A win win for all parties!

Photography done by: Wide Photography.