- An Auckland bungalow from Love It Or List It is for sale after renovations by show's host Alex Walls.
- Homeowners Erin and Christian decided to "list it" after outgrowing the three-bedroom New Lynn home.
- The property, featuring a "showstopper" kitchen, will be auctioned on October 16 by Barfoot & Thompson.
An Auckland bungalow that recently featured on Love It Or List It New Zealand has hit the market for sale.
Start your property search
Homeowners Erin and Christian had called on the show's hosts, designer Alex Walls and real estate agent Paul Glover, to help them out of the property hole they found themselves in after six years of fruitless renovations.
Walls' clever makeover won them over, and at the end of the hit TVNZ show, screened last month, they declared they would "love it".
However, in the two years since filming took place, the couple and their two children have outgrown their three-bedroom home at 33 Koromiko Street, in New Lynn, and they've decided to "list it".
Owners Christian and Erin Jensen loved designer Alex Walls' transformation of their kitchen and living room. Photo / Supplied
Erin told OneRoof that she was a huge fan of the Australian version of the show and decided to submit the house for the show. She got a call back from the producers the same day. “I love Love It Or List It Australia, but at the time I did not know it was Alex [Wall] was going to be the designer for New Zealand, so that was really exciting."
Walls' makeover in the show took less than an hour, but the actual renovation work took months. Erin and her family moved in with her parents while designer Wall and her building crew reworked their house. They didn't move back in until Christmas 2023.
The couple, who bought the bungalow in late 2018 for $875,000, hit the jackpot when Walls and the show's producers beefed up their $55,000 renovation budget with $10,000 of engineered wood flooring and Bosch appliances, courtesy of the show's sponsors.
Discover more:
- Agents forced to cancel open homes for TV star's home
- Dress Smart villa sells for $200,000 more after just two months
- Murder mystery writer pens killer poem to sell her $2.85m home
Erin said Walls was amazing. “She asks you what colours you like and takes into consideration your style, they talk to you about what walls they are going to take down, but you do not know the actual design detailing.
“Most of it is a surprise. You just don’t know the colours and everything, so it is exciting when you see it.”
Erin, an artist and a “crazy DIY” addict, said that the couple quickly added their maximalist style to Walls' efforts, bringing back their art and collections when they moved back in.
“But the open plan has been so good, especially being able to see the kids while you cook. The light coming in is so cool," Erin told OneRoof.
The designer kitchen, complete with Bosch appliances, has adapted well to the self-confessed maximalists’ style. Photo / Supplied
The living room opens to the family kitchen. Photo / Supplied
“The colours just make our art pop, the tongue and groove and the tiles in the kitchen and front porch are just so unique and beautiful. There is so much storage; we had nothing before."
Erin said she was going to miss the appliances, although they will take the fridge with them to their new place.
She said that with the boys growing up and needing more space, the family decided to move to the countryside. “Perhaps we could do Escape To The Country as the sequel,” she quipped.
Barfoot & Thompson agent Brigid O’Connor, who is marketing the three-bedroom property with Sacha Collins, told OneRoof that the kitchen Walls had designed was a “showstopper”.
“This house is a standout for the level of heritage and the contemporary design.”
She declined to say what the house would fetch at its auction on October 16, saying that her clients were keen to sell. "They have found their next home,” she said.
While O’Connor is not expecting the mad crowds who flooded the open homes for Alex Walls’ own home, she expects good interest in the property. “There is that factor of having a designer element from the show. It is super-genuine.”
Walls' own home, which she built with her engineer husband, goes to auction on Thursday and is expected to sell.
- 33 Koromiko Street, New Lynn, Auckland, goes to auction on October 16
