Renovating Auckland’s character homes
Auckland’s character homes cover everything from Art Deco and Spanish Mission of the 1920s and 30s, through to the brick-and-tile post-war homes of the 1940s and 50s, and the architecturally significant mid-century houses of the 1960s. Each era has its own character — and its own renovation challenges. A character home renovation done well preserves the architectural identity while delivering modern functionality, comfort, and the lifestyle today’s families actually want.
More than just old — character matters
“Character home” is the catch-all term in Auckland for homes that aren’t villas or bungalows, but still have real architectural identity. Art Deco from the early 1930s with curved corners and steel windows. Spanish Mission from the late 1920s with white render and arched openings. English-style brick-and-tile from the 1940s and 50s. Mid-century modernist homes from the 1950s and 60s with low-pitched roofs and open glazing.
What they share is intentional design — these aren’t generic boxes. The renovation challenge is reading the architectural language, understanding what’s worth preserving (and what isn’t), and bringing the home into 2026-level performance and family living without erasing the things that made you fall in love with it.
Era-appropriate detail
Art Deco curves preserved. Mid-century timber and stone reused. Steel-framed windows refurbished where possible, sympathetically replaced where not. The era of the home guides every detail decision.
Layout reshaped for now
Most character homes were built for a more formal lifestyle — separate dining, separate lounge, small kitchens. We rework layouts for open-plan family living while keeping the architectural bones intact.
Performance brought to modern
Insulation, double glazing, ventilation, heating, and waterproofing all upgraded to current standards — invisible work that turns a 1930s home into a comfortable 2026 home to live in.
What does a character home renovation cost in Auckland?
Character home renovation costs vary widely depending on era, condition, and scope. A 1950s brick-and-tile renovation sits very differently to a 1930s Art Deco restoration. Honest budget guidance based on real 2026 Auckland projects:
See the full 2026 cost breakdown
Our Auckland Renovation Cost Guide explains the cost drivers across the whole project — kitchen, bathroom, structural, services, finishes — plus the hidden costs that show up most often on character homes once linings come off.
Read the full cost guideThe AVR way to renovate a character home
The first job on any character home renovation is reading the architecture properly. We don’t apply the same template to every home — a 1930s Art Deco home gets a different design approach to a 1950s brick-and-tile home or a 1960s mid-century house. Our designer works through what’s worth preserving, what can change, and what the contemporary design moves are that fit the era.
Then the Quantity Surveyor builds the cost — at the design table, in real time, as decisions are made. By the end of the design phase you have a fixed-price contract that reflects your home’s actual condition and your actual brief. We manage the Council building consent end-to-end, including any heritage or special-character overlay assessment if your suburb requires it.
Epsom Character Home Renovation
A 1930s English-style character home in Epsom — original leadlight and exposed brick preserved at the front, while the rear half of the home was reconfigured into open-plan family living with a new kitchen, scullery, and outdoor terrace.
Common questions about character home renovationss in Auckland
What counts as a character home in Auckland?
In Auckland the term “character home” generally refers to homes built between roughly 1920 and 1960 that have intentional architectural design — Art Deco, Spanish Mission, English, brick-and-tile, or mid-century modernist. Some Auckland Council zones have formal “character overlays” that protect these homes; many character homes sit outside those overlays but are still recognisably character properties.
Do I need special consent to renovate a character home?
It depends on the zone. Standard residential zones treat character homes the same as any other home — building consent for structural and services work, no special heritage process. If your home is in a Special Character Area or Historic Heritage Overlay, exterior changes may need a resource consent as well as a building consent. We check this for every project at the planning stage.
Can I open up the floor plan in a 1930s or 1950s character home?
Usually yes. Older brick-and-tile and English-style homes often have load-bearing walls between the formal living and the rear of the home — those need structural engineering to remove or open up. Art Deco and mid-century homes often had more open layouts to begin with, so reconfiguring them is generally simpler. Our team works with a structural engineer at the design stage to confirm what’s possible.
What hidden issues are common in Auckland character homes?
Common ones we find: galvanised plumbing reaching end-of-life, original wiring (cotton-insulated or knob-and-tube in older homes), asbestos in textured ceilings and sheet linings (especially mid-century alterations), lead paint on pre-1980 joinery, and dated insulation or no insulation at all. We inspect for these in the design phase and price any required work into the fixed contract before construction starts.
Can I keep the original features — leadlight, steel windows, brick fireplaces?
Almost always, yes — and we usually recommend you do. Original features are what make a character home valuable and recognisable. We refurbish leadlight glazing, restore steel-framed windows where they can be saved (replace with sympathetic alternatives where they can’t), and keep brick fireplaces even when they’re no longer used as the heating source.
How long does a character home renovation take?
A full character home renovation in Auckland typically takes 9 to 13 months from first consultation to completion — 8 to 12 weeks of design, 10 to 14 weeks of Council consent, and 5 to 7 months of construction. Smaller renovations focused on a kitchen, bathroom and connection to outdoor living can be completed in 6 to 8 months.
Get a fixed-price quote for your character home renovation
Free 30-minute consultation. We’ll walk through your home, talk about what’s possible for its era, and give you honest advice on scope and cost — before you spend a dollar on design.