Showhomes > A Labour of Love

A Labour of Love

With vision, patience and determination, a Hamilton homeowner transformed her rundown, leaking house into a stylish, contemporary home she’s proud to call her own.

Carrying out renovations can sometimes be like stepping into a minefield that's liberally strewn with nasty surprises like unexpected expenses, restrictive building regulations, and structural integrity issues.

It's enough to shatter the hopes and dreams of many renovating homeowners. But encountering all of these challenges didn't break the spirit of Hamilton resident Dianne Udy. In late 2003, she attended an auction for what she describes as 'the ugliest house in the best street' - and she won.

'It was just terrible,' says Dianne. 'Every aspect of the house was faulty. It was constructed of polystyrene panels but it didn't meet the building code because the panels were butted up against the decking and there was no drainage, no seals and no rebating. It was your typical leaking home, and I bought it, warts and all.'

The house came with a report saying it was in bad shape, but Dianne didn't really realise the extent of the damage at first. And it wasn’t just confined to the exterior of the house.

'The house was close to town and right by the river. I just loved the location and aspect, and I had this vision of what I could do with the place. I wanted to give the house a whole new look because it had had such a sad past,' says Dianne.

Based on advice from her nephews at Holah Construction, which carried out the building work, and given what she’d seen on other homes, Dianne chose to re-clad her house in a combination of James Hardie Linea™ Weatherboard and Titan® Façade Panel.

'I knew that James Hardie products had a proven record for durability. They're low maintenance, look great and are really practical. Apart from liking the look of Linea and Titan, I knew they were going to offer me peace of mind,' she says.

Even though Dianne comes from a timber background, she opted for James Hardie fibre cement cladding over timber alternatives. 'We owned a timber company for 20 years, but I never even thought about using timber weatherboards or brick or anything. It was an easy decision – I never deliberated. I wanted a really good-looking house that would never leak again and would mean that I'd be able to sleep at night.'

Aesthetically, the use of Linea™ Weatherboard and Titan® Façade Panel has improved the very square design of the townhouse. Dianne used the horizontal lines of the Linea™ Weatherboard to break up the boxiness and height of an imposing 8.4m-high wall.

It was just so ugly before, but the Linea and Titan have just transformed the house. I can't believe it – I just look at it and think "wow".'

And it’s not just Dianne who’s thrilled with the results of her labour of love. ‘Even the guys working on the building team were really proud of it,’ she says. ‘And many of my neighbours have commented on how great the Linea and Titan combination looks.’ With the interior in the final stages of completion, Dianne hopes to be living in her lovingly renovated home in just a few weeks.