What kind of house can you build in Auckland for $1,400,000? This couple built a luxurious 260 m² five-bedroom, three-storey home—with a swimming pool and basketball court too?

As Auckland’s property market becomes increasingly complex, finding a home that meets your needs perfectly is difficult. More and more families are therefore choosing to buy land and build their own homes. This allows them to customise a property to suit their needs while making the most of the site, creating their dream home from the ground up.

Beside the river in Riverhead, Auckland, a couple spent NZ$1,400,000 creating an impressive 260 m² luxury five-bedroom home, complete with an enviable swimming pool and basketball court! Let’s see how they made their dream a reality.

 

 

Scott and Amber Bibby had lived in Riverhead for more than ten years. As their two sons grew, their existing home no longer had enough room for the growing family. Reluctant to move somewhere that would distance their children from their school friends, they decided to find another section in the area and build a home better suited to their family.

Before long, Scott and Amber found a beautiful section and felt they had hit the jackpot. It faced the river, was elevated and had lovely views. Most importantly, it was large enough for the basketball court and swimming pool they had always wanted.

Once they had settled on the location, the couple approached architectural designer Steve Loza. Scott said:

Scott and his sons are basketball fans, and they told the designer their new home had to include a basketball court, or an area for skateboarding and basketball. Fortunately, the section was large enough for Steve to design and build a modern-looking 260 m², five-bedroom, three-storey home, with room outside for both a basketball court and a swimming pool.

For the exterior, the couple favoured a clean, modern look that would contrast sharply with the lush green rural surroundings, creating a bold, crisp style.

 

 

Following their designer’s advice, they chose James Hardie’s Stria™ cladding for the top and ground floors, and Linea™ weatherboards for the middle floor.

They said:

The recessed vertical lines of the Stria™ cladding further emphasise the building’s height and clean appearance. The horizontally installed Linea™ weatherboards pay homage to New Zealand tradition. All three storeys were painted in black Dulux paint, complementing the rural surroundings.

Combining the two materials adds interest and vitality to the exterior. A touch of elegance softens the strong lines, giving the overall design greater depth and variety.

 

 

Discussing construction costs and their budget, the couple said: “We paid about NZ$140 in total. That was well over budget, but it was because we kept adding things.”

But they have no regrets. Looking back on the project, Scott and Amber said they would take the same approach again because they were happy with the result. “When we were building, someone told us, ‘It will take three times as long, cost twice as much, and you’ll only ever build once.’ But we only went over budget because we kept adding things, so we would very likely do it again!”

After reading their story, are you tempted to build your own home too? Are you also curious about why so many New Zealanders love all-black homes, and the secrets behind them?

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