IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Help from friends and family and treasured heirlooms added heart and character to this bungalow's makeover

- Fiona Barber

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MEET & GREET

Gin and Ted Thorp (owners of The Flagship Events Company and DEK, a new online outdoor furniture company), Forbes, five, Griffin, three, nine-month-old Bella, and Macy Gray, an English Staffordshire terrier.

THE PROPERTY

Charming Havelock North bungalow with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, expansive indoor living and a backyard cottage.

Good bones, timber floors and a 1012sqm section with an established garden - the 1945 house outshone all of its competitors during Gin and Ted Thorp's open-home odyssey. In 2016, the couple moved back to New Zealand after several years living overseas. They went house hunting in Hawke's Bay, where Ted hails from, and this 130sqm charmer was "the only one we both really loved", explains Gin.

Another plus: the location was top notch. It was just a five-minute walk to Havelock North village. Although they didn't have children then, that was all about to change and the house's proximity to everything they needed would prove to be a boon.

"Having children while living here has been great. We can walk to the supermarket, restaurants and to the park for a quick run-around. The location couldn't be better for us at this stage of our lives."

Outer space

There is no shortage of highlights in this character-filled home, but an unequivocal family favourite is the covered outdoor zone. Ted extended the deck and his brother-in-law Patch Reynolds built the pergola using clear polycarbonate corrugated panels and 40mm timber battens. This effectively added another lounge to the house.

"It has been a game-changer this summer," says Gin. "It gives the louvre effect while letting in the perfect amount of light, whatever the weather. It's such a comfortable space to be in easily the most used room in the house."