Not enough space for our growing family

Felicity Owen • March 11, 2019
A clean white bathroom vanity with a candle, a modern faucet, and a green plant in a pot, reflected in a large mirror.

The Problem

Angela first came to us because she was unhappy with her dated home. The three bathrooms were very dated and the kitchen was racing car green so she was really keen to get rid of them. With a growing family of 5, they needed a home that was functional and that had enough space to allow them to live in and grow.


Their house had a beautiful outlook over the sea. They wanted to maximise the sea view by putting in a bigger window and larger sliding windows so they could be opened widely on a beautiful day.

I wanted to maximise our view of the sea so that we could all enjoy it. But the current window we had was very small. It seemed the view was wasted.

During the renovation, Angela would need to live in her house. So she had a some concerns about what she wanted in a building company.

It was really important to me that the builders were tidy and didn’t leave a mess around the place. After all, it was still our home. The team at Stable Group were always very respectful and conscious of noise and mess onsite.

The Solution

There were a few curve balls that presented themselves along the way. Due to structural issues, a low frame in the kitchen could not be removed and had to stay where it was. But this was incorporated into the plan. The addition of an extended bench made room for a breakfast area for the kids.

I love lighting and I really wanted the lighting to be just right. I’m an interior designer and my brother-in-law is an electrician. So one weekend we developed an extensive lighting plan and presented it to the builders on Monday. They didn’t know it was coming. But I was really impressed that they worked with it and had an electrician booked in for that day.

To maximise the property’s view of the ocean, the window was replaced with large sliding windows so that the view could be enjoyed from the kitchen. 

The main bathroom was somewhat small but Angela was set on including a freestanding bath. The current layout didn’t support the addition. But with some careful planning and reworking, the shower was resized so that there was space to fit the free standing bath.


The Results

The renovation was fantastic and it was incredibly well finished and on time. We were all really happy with the new kitchen and bathrooms. It works really well and it gives us the space we needed for our family. My home has a more modern feel and the rooms are functional.  The kids love the extended bench and breakfast area and it works well for us all.  I now have a big window that overlooks the sea and takes in the beautiful views. We now have a modern and functional family home.


A light gray single-story house with a wooden front door, white porch railing, and landscaped yard under a blue sky.
By Felicity Owen March 11, 2019
PAM’S RENOVATION PROBLEM PAM ATTWOOD’S HOUSE WAS IN NEED OF A FULL RENOVATION AFTER A NEGLECTFUL PROPERTY MANAGER AND BAD TENANTS. THERE WERE MANY PROBLEMS THAT NEEDED ADDRESSING AND IT WASN’T GOING TO BE A SMALL JOB. “In the past I had completed a small renovation on another house, so looking at the state of my house I knew I needed a high standard of workmanship in order to get it ready to sell”. The house was in a good area and had street appeal. But the inside had been neglected and was looking like a tired and warn out rental. Pam wanted it to once again look like a family home. “I knew that there were many problems with my house, some that were less obvious than others. So I needed to choose a building company who wouldn’t just fix the obvious, but who would be able to see and advise me on problems that could come to light. I needed a quote that would allow for this flexibility.” Because communication was really important to Pam she wanted a company who would talk her through progress and the decisions that needed to be made. So she needed builders she could trust. THE SOLUTION “I met Stable Group at the home show and from that moment I just knew it would be a great fit! They had excellent communication systems in place and I felt confident in their processes. Other companies wanted to give me a quote based on a formula, but Stable Group took the time to visit my property multiple times to really do their research...even before I had accepted their quote! So my concerns about the process were eased by their thoroughness.” As the renovation progressed other problems came to light...as had been expected. These included a new entry door and glass panel, new door handles both external and internal, and the boundary fences needed painting. During the project there were are few surprises such as a leak in the hot water system which required the floor to be removed and replaced. Covid 19 also meant that the time frame changed. “I always felt welcome to visit the site and make decisions as the home took shape. I thank the team for all their effort. I was really impressed with the reachability of my project manager who was only ever a phone call, text or email away. They helped me through the process and timeline of my build and they helped me add in extra work that I wanted done. In the beginning I imagined that this would be a highly stressful time. However, the project management team eliminated this and it became an enjoyable process.” “I love the fact that the warn out, old, tired and neglected house has now become a modern new family home. The kitchen is a small but a perfect space and the reconfigured bathroom tiles and vanity create an entirely new look. I was especially impressed with the excellent first impression created by the deck and balustrade. THE RESULT The sales agents were so thrilled with the quality of work that they wanted to get their clients through the doors as quickly as possible. With only one weekend of open homes, there was a room full of buyers and seven telephone bidders! The house was sold for a great price in just 9 days. Before the renovation the C.V. was $800,000. Now it is $1,000,000 and the house sold for just under $1,200,000.