RENOVATION & EQ REPAIR - LIMITED ACCESS HOME
A complex renovation and earthquake repair on a steep, limited-access site, delivered with a clear focus on modernising the home and achieving reinsurance. The project included structural repairs, reconfiguration of the layout, an additional bedroom, and a new detached garage.
Through early insurance engagement, careful staging, and close collaboration with the client, the home now feels and functions like new. The kitchen and living areas were designed around cooking and entertaining, opening seamlessly to the deck — with long-term peace of mind restored.
A Complex Steep-Site Renovation, Delivered with Confidence
THE OVERVIEW
Project Type: Renovation & EQ Repair of Limited Access Home
Location: Sumner, Christchurch
Services: Design collaboration, construction, site management, engineering methodology + assistance getting home reinsured.
THE BRIEF
Severely damaged in the earthquakes, this home required extensive structural repairs. The client also saw the project as an opportunity to reconfigure and modernise the layout, add an additional room, and construct a new detached garage — while ensuring the home could be reinsured once the work was complete.
THE CHALLENGE
This project presented multiple layers of complexity:
- A steep site with difficult access
- No on-site parking and limited options nearby
- Existing driveway and garage areas requiring significant remediation
- Levelling and repairing a home constructed on stilts
- Navigating insurance requirements alongside construction
OUR APPROACH
We recognised early that the client was effectively rebuilding two things — a home to live in, and a home an insurer would stand behind.
To achieve this, we:
- Engaged our insurance broker early to create a clear pathway to reinsurance
- Took time to understand how the client used the home, shaping the design around daily living and entertaining
- Selected joinery solutions that opened the kitchen and living areas to the deck
- Carefully staged works so construction could continue through complex civil and structural phases
- Managed site access, deliveries, and parking to minimise disruption and maintain good relationships with neighbours
- Held regular meetings to ensure the client remained involved and confident throughout the build
THE OUTCOME
The completed home feels and functions like a new build, while retaining its original footprint and position. The kitchen now sits at the heart of the home, supporting the client’s love of cooking and entertaining. Just as importantly, the project concluded with the home successfully reinsured, giving the client long-term peace of mind.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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As insurers become increasingly apprehensive, starting a project with the end in mind — including a clear pathway to reinsurance — is essential.
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Steep, limited-access sites demand a team with the right experience, technical knowledge, and problem-solving ability
- Regular communication is critical on owner-led projects, allowing clients with a clear vision to stay closely involved and confident throughout the build
WHAT THE CLIENT SAID
We’re more than satisfied, we’re proud. I’m really happy with the result not just from the point that it looks like a new house, but just the way it conforms to the way I live you know, with my kitchen, with my boy and my kids it’s better than what I was hoping for.
If you want to work in a least stressful environment, if you want to get someone that’s professional and do a really good job and that’s very approachable I would recommend Strathclyde. I’ve taken a few people around giving them a tour and it raises eyebrows how good this work is.
Thinking about a complex or steep-site renovation?
Talk to us early — we’ll help you plan with confidence.
