01 / Before
The original kitchen
An internal window took up valuable wall space behind the bench and the existing benchtop offered limited room for food preparation.
All renovation projects
Flat Bush Full Home
Explore project Full Home Renovation · Flat Bush, South Auckland
Flat Bush Full Home
Renovation Project
After 25 years in their Flat Bush home, the owners knew which parts still worked and which no longer did. The renovation updated the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry and storage while keeping the overall layout they still liked.
- Location
- Flat Bush, South Auckland
- Project
- Full home renovation
- Time away
- Approx. 11 weeks
- Key focus
- Kitchen, bathrooms and storage
02 The project
Updating the home after 25 years
When the owners bought the house in 2000, the kitchen and bathrooms suited them well. Twenty-five years later, those spaces were showing their age and a few day-to-day frustrations had built up.
The project started with the ensuite, then grew as the owners looked at other parts of the home they had been putting off. Rather than renovate one room at a time, they decided to complete the work together.
The general layout stayed. The focus was on updating the rooms that needed attention and making them easier to use.
- Location
- Flat Bush, Auckland
- Region
- South Auckland
- Service
- Full home renovation
- Planning
- About two months
- Completed spaces
- Kitchen, two bathrooms, laundry, wardrobes and garage storage
03 The transformation
More room in the kitchen without making it bigger
The kitchen was one of the biggest changes in the renovation. The owners wanted more bench space and a layout that made better use of the room without taking space from the surrounding living areas.
Use the left and right arrow keys to compare. Home shows the after photo. End shows the before photo. 02 / After
The renovated kitchen
The internal window was closed off, allowing a continuous glass splashback to run along the wall. The benchtop was extended around the corner, giving the owners more space to prepare meals while keeping the kitchen the same size.
04 Project challenge / Smarter use of space
Making the kitchen storage easier to use
After 25 years in the home, the owners knew exactly what frustrated them about the kitchen. The pantry had plenty of depth, but that did not necessarily make it useful. Items stored at the back could be difficult to see and easy to forget about.
01 / Project challenge
A deep pantry that made storage harder to use
The diamond-shaped walk-in pantry provided a lot of storage, but its deep shelves meant items could disappear behind one another. The owners wanted a solution that made everything easier to see and reach.
- Home purchased
- 2000
- Extra kitchen space from cavity door
- Approx. 20–30 cm
- Pre-Construction Planning
- Approx. 2 months
- Time in temporary accommodation
- Approx. 11 weeks
Use the left and right arrow keys to compare. Home shows the after photo. End shows the before photo. BEFORE
A pantry with hard-to-reach storage
The deep walk-in pantry meant items at the back could easily become hidden behind those at the front. The separate wall oven also took up space that could otherwise be used for storage.
AFTER
Pull-out drawers put everything within reach
The walk-in pantry was replaced with a two-door pantry with pull-out drawers, making stored items much easier to see and reach. Moving the oven beneath the cooktop also created more room for pantry storage.
02 / Practical adjustments
More useful storage without needing more space
The new pantry made better use of the storage already available in the kitchen. Pull-out drawers made items easier to access, while relocating the oven created more room for food and kitchen essentials.
The outcome
More accessible storage and working space while retaining the separate living rooms the owners wanted.
05 Renovation scope
What changed in the home
The kitchen was only one part of this Flat Bush full home renovation. The bathrooms, laundry, wardrobes, garage and interior finishes were also updated while the owners kept the overall layout they already liked.
- 01Improve the kitchen storage and bench space
- 02Renovate the ensuite with a cavity sliding door, larger square shower and recessed niche
- 03Renovate the family bathroom with a square shower and freestanding bath
- 04Replace the basic laundry setup with a new sink, fitted cabinetry and storage
- 05Add built-in shelving to the wardrobes
- 06Add garage cabinets and hardwearing garage carpet
- 07Update carpet, flooring, lighting and interior paint
06 Project gallery
The completed Flat Bush
renovation
07 Key completed spaces
Bathrooms, laundry and storage across the home
The renovation continued well beyond the kitchen. The ensuite and family bathroom were rebuilt, the laundry gained fitted cabinetry and storage, wardrobes were updated with built-in shelving and the garage received new cabinets and hardwearing carpet.
Completed spaces
- 01Kitchen and pantry
- 02Ensuite
- 03Family bathroom
- 04Laundry and storage
Use the left and right arrow keys to compare. Home shows the after photo. End shows the before photo. 
Use the left and right arrow keys to compare. Home shows the after photo. End shows the before photo. 08Planning a similar renovation?
Auckland’s Full Home Renovation Specialists
One experienced team to plan, coordinate and deliver the kitchen, bathrooms and wider home as a single renovation project.
- Homeowners updating a house they have lived in for many years
- Families renovating several rooms at once
- Homes where the general layout still works but individual rooms need attention
- Homeowners who want one team to manage the different trades
- South Auckland homeowners planning a full home renovation
09 Renovation process
How we manage a full home renovation
For this Flat Bush home, the team spent about two months planning the scope, products, measurements and sequence before work began.
- 01
Discuss the home
Start with the rooms that no longer work well, from the ensuite door to kitchen storage and bench space.
- 02
Define scope & priorities
Bring the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry, wardrobes, interiors and garage into one agreed scope.
- 03
Coordinate planning & selections
Check clearances, select fittings and cabinetry, then set the order of work before construction.
- 04
Manage construction & trades
Coordinate the trades while the owners stayed in temporary accommodation for approximately 11 weeks.
- 05
Finish, detail & hand over
Resolve final details and hand over the refreshed home in time for the owners to return before Christmas.
10 The result
The home they knew, updated for the years ahead
The owners came back to a home that still felt familiar, but the areas that had frustrated them for years now worked very differently. The bathrooms had more room to move, the laundry and wardrobes offered better storage and the garage was finished with new cabinets and hardwearing carpet.
New carpet, flooring, lighting and paint updated the rest of the house without changing the separate living spaces the owners wanted to keep. After approximately 11 weeks away, they were back home before Christmas.
Temporary accommodation
~11 weeksOwners stayed elsewhere while the work was carried out
Explore Full Home RenovationsThe kitchen actually became bigger in the same footprint.
James Goren, The Renovation Team
11 Relevant renovation services
Services for renovation projects like this
This Flat Bush project combined kitchen and bathroom upgrades with laundry, storage and interior work in one full home renovation.
01
South Auckland home renovations
Full home renovation services for Flat Bush and the wider South Auckland area.
Explore service → 02Kitchen renovations
Thoughtfully planned kitchens for cooking, gathering and family life.
Explore service → 03Bathroom renovations
Practical bathrooms completed with a refined contemporary finish.
Explore service →12 Flat Bush renovation FAQ
Common questions about this Flat Bush renovation
These answers explain the planning, kitchen layout, bathrooms and temporary accommodation for this Flat Bush project. Each home needs its own scope and schedule.
What did the Flat Bush renovation include?
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The project covered the kitchen, ensuite, family bathroom, laundry, wardrobes, garage storage, flooring, carpet, lighting and interior painting.
Did the kitchen need to be extended?
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No. The kitchen stayed within its original footprint. A new pantry, revised appliance positions, continuous splashback and cavity sliding door made the existing space more useful.
What changed in the ensuite?
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An inward-opening door was replaced with a cavity slider. The corner shower became a 900 × 900 mm square shower with a recessed niche.
Was the overall floor plan changed?
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The owners liked their separate living and family rooms, so the general layout stayed. The improvements focused on clearances, storage, finishes and how each room works.
How long did planning take?
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The team spent about two months working through the scope, measurements, product choices and sequence before construction began.
Did the owners live at home during the renovation?
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No. They arranged temporary accommodation for approximately 11 weeks while the work was carried out, then returned before Christmas.
Does every full home renovation take 11 weeks?
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No. Approximately 11 weeks describes these owners’ time away from home. Another project’s construction schedule depends on its own scope and is confirmed during planning.
13Your full home renovation starts here
Ready to make your home work better?
Tell us which rooms you want to improve and how you want your home to feel. We can review the scope and discuss the next steps for your renovation.
Discuss My Full Home RenovationTRT · The Renovation Team Auckland, New Zealand +64 21 230 5511
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