Rapid Reno

A quick-fire makeover of a village house delivers impressive results.

Who lives here: Nicole and her two children, her brother and two dogs

Type of home: Village house

Size of home: 2,100 square feet

Location: Clearwater Bay

After more than 15 years in Hong Kong, Dutch expat NICOLE HESSING decided it was time to dip her toe into the property market. The village house she purchased in Clearwater Bay was in reasonable condition – she felt that it wouldn’t need much more than a décor update.

A new experience

After considering an initial quote from a renovation company, Nicole decided to go it alone. She would source the materials herself, and use local tradesman, trying to be reasonably thrifty and stick to a modest budget.

“Since this was my first time buying a property in Hong Kong, it was quite a daunting experience,” she says. “Of course, you can’t actually get a quote for a renovation until you own the house, so you need to mentally prepare for some unexpected surprises – and have a contingency budget!”

Nicole spent some time planning and researching the renovations, including getting inspiration and ideas from Pinterest. But she was confident with her interior design style, having already built a (stunning!) home in Phuket.

“I would say my style is modern contemporary, with lots of accessories and art from global travels – including an Asian influence.”

The Thailand project also meant she had practical experience, which was so useful when it came to renovating her Hong Kong home. Of course, as with every makeover, there were still challenges in store.