MyHome Renovations

MyHome Renovations We are Auckland's trusted renovation experts. We offer a fixed price on your renovation project and guarantee no cost surprises at the end.

We offer a fixed price on your renovation project and guarantee no cost surprises at the end.

Critical lighting is one of those building terms most homeowners won't come across until they're well into a renovation....
26/08/2026

Critical lighting is one of those building terms most homeowners won't come across until they're well into a renovation.

It describes what happens when light hits a wall or ceiling at a shallow angle, making even very small variations in the surface much more noticeable.

Large windows, skylights and certain types of artificial lighting can all create critical lighting conditions - particularly on long, uninterrupted walls and ceilings.

It's something worth considering during the design and planning stage because there are ways to reduce its impact. The direction plasterboard is installed, the level of plaster finish specified and the positioning of lighting can all make a difference.

It doesn't necessarily mean avoiding large windows or changing a design you love. It's simply about understanding how light will interact with the finished surfaces and planning accordingly.

Like many parts of a renovation, it's much easier to consider these details before construction begins than try to address them afterwards.

We’re very pleased to see one of our renovation projects recognised at the recent ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Award...
25/08/2026

We’re very pleased to see one of our renovation projects recognised at the recent ADNZ Resene Architectural Design Awards, receiving a Commended Award in the Residential Alterations and Additions category.

One of the things we particularly like about this project is that the renovation didn’t try to erase the home’s 1970s character.

Instead, the materials and detailing were carefully chosen to work with it.

The judges picked up on this too, particularly the use of cedar vertical timber panelling throughout the interior and the vertically laid green tiles in the bathrooms.

“Interior material really sings in this project, with chunky vertical boards creating textured backdrops throughout, maintaining the 70s character.”

It’s a great example of how renovating an older home doesn’t necessarily mean making everything look new. Sometimes the best result comes from recognising what gives the original home its character and finding ways to carry that through into the renovation.

Congratulations to our designer Romé on the recognition. We're very proud of the part our team played in bringing this project to life.

Today marks a pretty special milestone for our team - Mike has officially been with MyHome Renovations for 10 years.Mike...
22/08/2026

Today marks a pretty special milestone for our team - Mike has officially been with MyHome Renovations for 10 years.

Mike joined us back in 2016 as a first-year apprentice. Since then, he's completed his apprenticeship, become a qualified carpenter, gained his LBP licence and gone on to become our lead carpenter on many of our renovation projects.

Over those 10 years, Mike has become a hugely valued member of the MyHome team. He's loyal, hardworking and dependable, always up for a bit of a laugh, and one of the first to make new team members feel welcome and help them find their feet.

It's been a real privilege watching Mike develop from a first-year apprentice into the experienced builder he is today.

Congratulations on 10 years, Mike - and thank you for everything you've contributed to MyHome along the way. We're very lucky to have you as part of the team. 🧡

Lighting can make a surprisingly big difference to how a kitchen looks - and how well it works.Pendant lights over an is...
19/08/2026

Lighting can make a surprisingly big difference to how a kitchen looks - and how well it works.

Pendant lights over an island are an obvious way to add interest, but good kitchen lighting is about more than choosing a feature fitting.

LED strips beneath overhead cabinetry can provide useful task lighting exactly where you need it. Lighting inside cupboards or shelving can make storage easier to use, while carefully positioned pendants can help define an island or dining area within a larger open-plan space.

It's worth thinking about all of this early in the design process, rather than deciding where the lights will go once everything else has been planned.

The best kitchen lighting usually combines practicality with atmosphere - plenty of light when you're preparing dinner, with the option to soften things when the cooking is done.

A kitchen doesn't need to be large to work really well.In fact, some of the most successful kitchens make the most of a ...
18/08/2026

A kitchen doesn't need to be large to work really well.

In fact, some of the most successful kitchens make the most of a relatively compact footprint.

Good storage, a practical layout and enough usable bench space can make a much bigger difference than simply adding more square metres.

And in a smaller kitchen, every decision tends to matter that little bit more - where appliances are positioned, how cupboards and drawers are configured, and how easily you can move between the main work areas.

When those details are considered carefully, a compact kitchen can be every bit as functional and enjoyable to use as a much larger one.

Sometimes good design isn't about creating more space. It's about making better use of the space you already have.

Sometimes the problem isn't where you live. It's simply that you've outgrown the house.Perhaps the kids are getting olde...
16/08/2026

Sometimes the problem isn't where you live. It's simply that you've outgrown the house.

Perhaps the kids are getting older and everyone needs a little more space. You might need another bedroom, a second living area, a larger kitchen, or a proper master suite.

That's often when homeowners start weighing up two options: extend or move?

Moving may give you more space, but it can also mean leaving a neighbourhood you enjoy, changing schools or routines, paying the costs associated with buying and selling - and potentially still compromising on the house you end up with.

Extending comes with its own costs and disruption, of course. But it also gives you the opportunity to rethink the home you already have and create the space your family actually needs.

There's no right answer for everyone.

But if you like your home, your street and the life you've established there, it's certainly worth understanding what's possible before deciding that moving is the only option.

Last week we shared a statistic from Auckland Council - around one in four building inspections require further work bef...
15/08/2026

Last week we shared a statistic from Auckland Council - around one in four building inspections require further work before they can be signed off.

Then, just a few days later, RNZ published an article looking at the wider cost of failed building inspections across New Zealand.

According to the article, more than 20,000 inspections fail each year, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in additional costs.

For a homeowner, a failed inspection can mean more than another inspection fee. Work may need to stop, trades rescheduled, and the overall build programme can be affected.

At MyHome, our inspection pass rate is consistently over 90%, but there's always room to improve.

When an inspection doesn't pass first time, we want to understand why. Was something missed? Could it have been picked up earlier? Is there something we can change in our process to reduce the chance of it happening again?

Because ideally, an inspector shouldn't be the person finding an issue with our work.

Our aim is to find it before they do.

That's why we've developed a specific checklist for each type of building inspection. Before the Council inspector arrives, our team works through the relevant checklist to make sure the required work has been completed and nothing obvious has been overlooked.

It doesn't guarantee that every inspection will pass first time. But it gives us a consistent process and the best possible chance of getting it right.

And when you're working with someone else's home, money and timeline, avoiding preventable delays matters.

🔗 RNZ: The hidden costs of failed building inspections

Dark exterior colours have become increasingly popular over the past few years - and it's easy to see why.They can compl...
13/08/2026

Dark exterior colours have become increasingly popular over the past few years - and it's easy to see why.

They can completely change the look of a home, giving it a much more contemporary feel.

But before choosing a very dark colour, it's worth checking whether your cladding is suitable.

Darker colours absorb more heat than lighter ones, and on some cladding materials that extra heat can cause movement, warping or premature deterioration over time.

That's why your designer, painter or cladding manufacturer may talk about something called a Light Reflectance Value (LRV). It's simply a way of measuring how much heat a colour is likely to absorb.

The good news is that there are now paint technologies designed to reduce heat build-up on some substrates, making darker colours a more practical option in certain situations.

Like many renovation decisions, it's not about whether you can choose a dark colour - it's about making sure it's the right choice for your home and the materials you're using.

When extending a villa or bungalow, it's often the smaller details that make the biggest difference.Timber wall panellin...
12/08/2026

When extending a villa or bungalow, it's often the smaller details that make the biggest difference.

Timber wall panelling is a good example.

Rather than limiting traditional detailing to the original part of the house, continuing it into an extension can help create a much more natural transition between old and new.

It adds texture and depth to a room, but more importantly, it helps the extension feel like it belongs to the original home rather than looking like a separate addition.

We've found that details like wall panelling, mouldings, architraves and ceiling heights often have just as much influence on the finished result as the overall layout.

When they're carefully considered, it can be surprisingly difficult to tell where the original house ends and the renovation begins.

How long does a renovation take?It's one of the first questions we're asked - and understandably so.The answer depends o...
09/08/2026

How long does a renovation take?

It's one of the first questions we're asked - and understandably so.

The answer depends on the size and complexity of the project.

A kitchen or bathroom renovation might only take a few weeks, while a major extension or second-storey addition is likely to take several months once construction begins.

It's also worth remembering that construction is only part of the overall timeline.

Before building starts, there's usually a design phase, council approvals, engineering (where required), pricing and product selections. Depending on the project, this planning stage can take several months in its own right.

Every renovation is different, but having a realistic understanding of the overall process from the beginning makes planning much easier.

If you're curious about other aspects of renovating, we've answered many of the questions homeowners ask us on the FAQ section of our website.

Address

Unit 2 29-31 Princes Street
Auckland
1061

Opening Hours

Monday 7:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 7:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 7:30am - 5pm
Thursday 7:30am - 5pm
Friday 7:30am - 5pm

Telephone

0800 223 324

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