Now we can eat together!

Kāinga Ora homes in the little town just south of Auckland are amongst the hundreds of older state houses across New Zealand being extensively refurbished as part of our Retrofit Programme. The programme is designed to make our homes warmer, drier and healthier, places that tenants are proud to call home.

“When we walked in, we were like ‘Wow!’” recalls Eteta. “We already love living in Tuakau because it’s quiet and safe, the kids can walk to school, and I can walk to work. Now the house looks brand new – and we love it!

Eteta and her partner Alexander are especially happy that their kitchen-dining area has been opened up because now there’s space for the young family to eat together. The bathroom has been reconfigured too, and the home has new windows, doors and a heat pump, making it cosy for winter. In addition, the house has fresh paint, new carpets and improved layouts in the kitchen and bathroom.

Just along the road from Eteta’s whānau is customer Beverly. She loves her renovated home so much that she wants to buy it.

“If I won the lottery, I’d buy this house. It’s beautiful now and I’m so proud of it.”

Beverly’s home, a three-bedroom weatherboard and tile house, dates back to 1983 before open-plan living was popular and it’s been reconfigured to create a more spacious kitchen-dining area.

“I absolutely love the kitchen; there’s more storage space and it’s very easy to clean. That means a lot to me because I have heart problems and limited mobility.”

Amazingly, it’s the third time Beverly has lived in this particular house. The first time was when it was new and she was a young mother; the next time was when she returned to the area with older children, and most recently she moved back after the retrofit.

“All my family’s memories are in this home. We know all our neighbours and we just love it here. I’m so happy about how smart my house looks now.

“It’s also a big relief to know the power bills will be lower now. We used to bring our mattresses into the lounge at night to save on the heating, but we don’t have to do that anymore. The house is much warmer.”

Retrofitting includes full insulation, double glazing and improved air tightness, making homes fit for a further 50 years’ use.

It can be more efficient and sustainable to retrofit rather than build new, making use of existing materials rather than demolishing and building new homes.

And it supports tenants’ wellbeing by enabling them to stay in their homes and communities, in warmer and drier conditions.

Beverlys new kitchen is light and spacious