From the moment ground was broken in February 2017, this carefully planned house was destined to join the ranks of luxury homes.
Having moved from central Auckland to Orewa, 43-year-old Kirsty Walters feels fortunate and grateful that her family can live in one of Auckland's finest seaside towns.
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North of Auckland's Harbour Bridge, Orewa stretches inland from the edge of a magnificent three-kilometre beach.
There are blue seas and skies, and the beach is within walking distance. There are no noisy crowds, and the population is small. For Kirsty and her family, living here feels like being on holiday every day.
Nature is not the only source of their contentment: they have also created a stylish, luxurious seaside home within their budget. Everything went to plan, and everything turned out as they had hoped.
A budget of $850,000: making every dollar go as far as possible
Their two-storey luxury seaside home was completed in 7 months, meeting the family's present and future needs while staying within budget.
Kirsty's husband put considerable thought into making this happen. Tim Walters, 43, is a renovation design and construction consultant.
As an industry insider, he knows that unforeseen costs can arise even after a construction price has been fixed.
After setting an overall construction budget of NZ$850,000, he used clever design and carefully selected products to lock in all the costs.
In his view, design and planning matter most. Even details as small as light brackets and artwork on the walls need to be considered.
Their house may not be the most expensive on the street, but its design and choice of products make it stand out.
James Hardie Axon panels painted black give the upper-storey exterior a distinctly modern look. Their fibre cement composition allows designers to follow their vision with dark or light colours, without worrying about fading caused by sun exposure.
On the ground floor, James Hardie Easylap panels create a finish comparable to concrete panels, at a fraction of the cost.
Tim's philosophy is to use products offering the best value for money to create a home with a quality finish, while keeping maintenance costs low.
James Hardie fibre cement products are durable, do not warp, and retain their painted finish longer than traditional weatherboards. This means less time and money spent maintaining the house, and more time with family.
What does it take to stand the test of time?
When they first thought of building a seaside home, they were already picturing many years of life there.
Their daughters Eva, aged 8, and Isabella, aged 6, will grow into their teenage years here.
The house therefore had to stand the test of time.
This was particularly important beside the sea, where salty, damp sea breezes blow frequently.
To suit the particular climate, the couple chose HomeRAB® PRE-CLADDING underlay rather than simply wrapping the exterior walls in building paper.
This 4.5 mm-thick fibre cement sheet provides structural support and can be used as a bracing element, while its rigid sealing properties keep moisture out.
Their preparations against the effects of time extended from the outside in. Inside the house, they used a strong structural flooring product: James Hardie's Secura interior flooring.
Every face of the board is sealed, protecting it from damage through contact with other components during construction and from moisture after construction is complete.
This structural flooring will not swell or shrink in a way that causes floor tiles to crack.
The children happily run and jump around the house, while their parents have already planned for the future. The home they will leave for their children is comfortable and easy to care for.