b'feature houseWeve seen people put everything they ever wished for into a house then have to sell it because they cant afford it anymore.ReseneNeutral GreenSays Fleur: You can easily spend half a million and its all invisible. Youre going to spend money on things in the walls that you cant see but they have to be done. And there are always unforeseen circumstances. You can change the cosmetics later on. Her rule of thumb for a residential renovation budget is to allow 60% for the physical building work, 20% for consents and consultants, and 20% on top for contingencies. The 60% may sound shockingly low but it is the reality once all other costs like consent, contingency and GST are factored in. Know your numbers and stick to your budget. Its sensible to be conservative.TopRoger and Fleur Ford with their youngest childStickingtobudgetmeansshoppingcleverly,liketheup-market Christopher.ensuite hand basin the Fords bought for $20 because it had a small AboveThe family area beside the kitchen is finished chip, and which they had re-enamelled.in Resene Neutral Green.Asidefromalickofpaint,thebedroomswillhavetowaitfor Above rightFleur calls this her disco wall, finished in thenextstageoftherenovation.SaysFleur:Thebedrooms a metallic paint, Resene Lodestar.wouldtakeabatteringwithyoungkidsanywaysooncethey areabitolder,wellrenovatethatpartofthehouse.Resene Enamacryl MetallicResene22 tinted to Resene Lodestar Black White'