It’s not uncommon to be on holiday and remark, “If only I could live like this every day.” Reuben and Amy Nicklin said the same thing about being at their Foxton Beach bach – and then they made it a reality.
They bought the bach – which was just a half-hour drive from their then-home in Palmerston North – in 2016. The search for the perfect getaway spot had taken years, but when they finally found it they realised the possibilities were huge.
“We saw this place but thought it would be way out of our price range,” Amy says. “It was advertised as five bedrooms, two bathrooms, but we checked it out anyway. It turned out that it was two separate dwellings: a three-bedroom and a two-bedroom which was tenanted with an income. We couldn’t believe it.”
The couple drove out every Sunday to every open home to check on interest and eye up the competition. They ended up being the only people at the auction. “It was just before the market took off; it was the best timing in the world,” Amy says.
For months afterward, the family would pack their bags and head off to the bach for the weekend, driving home on Sunday night or Monday morning. “It eventually got to the point where we wondered why we didn’t just move out here full time,” says Reuben. “We both work from home so we didn’t have that holding us back.”
THE BUILD
Initially they planned to renovate the three-bedroom bach but the builders and architect advised against it. “They said it was a big job and we’d be going so far back to come forward,” Reuben says.
“They recommended we just demolish it and start with a clean slate. So we kept the original foundation and added on a few little pockets for extra space.”
This story is from the March 2020 edition of Your Home and Garden.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2020 edition of Your Home and Garden.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Baby, it's cold outside
How to embrace winter mornings
THE HIGH NOTE
Opera costume and set designer Tracy Grant Lord is setting the scene for her best show yet
Wintering OVER
The 10 best things you can do for your garden and plants this winter
A fresh change
A couple move cities to embrace a new lease of life, not just for themselves but for a 1920s home as well
SAVING GRACE
Keen to care for the planet, a savvy designer revamped a harbourside home destined for demo with a light touch - no bulldozers required
A triumph of COLOUR
This year's Resene Colour Home Awards winner couldn't fit in with their neighbours so they went all out instead
Bowl me over
Nothing is more comforting than a hearty soup on a chilly day, especially when you add next-level accompaniments.
Scents of place
A peek at Auckland designer Kristine Crabb’s tropical paradise
In the FRAME
Using Resene wallpapers or murals as a framed print is a fantastic way to add drama
Second time AROUND
A stylish renovation, 10 years after the first one, has transformed this bungalow into an open-plan oasis