Rained cats and dogs, house leaked a lot, so… recladding it is!

 

Kia ora, everyone! 

Welcome to my second blog entry about the ongoing renovations in my Wellington home. When I last posted, I was all set to tackle the electrical rewiring, and I’d even lined up a sparky to come in and sort out the outdated wiring. 

Well, wouldn’t you know it—Wellington’s infamous weather threw me a curveball. We had a massive downpour a couple of nights ago, and suddenly, I found water dripping in places it definitely shouldn’t be.

Initially, I shrugged it off, thinking maybe I’d left a window open. But no such luck. Turns out a portion of the exterior cladding wasn’t as watertight as I’d hoped. Before I knew it, a puddle started forming in my hallway, and I discovered a small patch of water damage in a spare bedroom. 

Talk about a rude awakening!

So, quick pivot in plans: the recladding, which was sitting on my to-do list for “eventually,” has shot right to the top. The storm made me realise that while it’s easy to get excited about designing new kitchens or sprucing up the bathrooms, basics like keeping the rain out are non-negotiable. This place might have spectacular panoramic views, but those views don’t count for much when water starts sneaking in!

I spent the next day calling around for quotes and reading up on Residential Construction tips about preventing leaks. I learned that proper and thorough recladding is not just cosmetic—it’s an essential step in good Home Improvement. It protects the underlying structure from our notoriously windy, wet weather and helps maintain the house’s value over time. The last thing I want is a bigger headache or, worse, a hefty insurance claim.

It turns out that a few local builders here in Wellington specialise in these types of refits and renovation services. I chatted with a couple of them, and there’s one name that keeps popping up when you type “recladding” into local forums: Peaky Builders. 

Needless to say, my electrical rewiring project is on hold until I can get this water intrusion sorted out. I’m hoping to save the rest of the house (and my budget) from any further mishaps. Once the recladding is in motion, I’ll probably look into a few other renovations I’ve been meaning to get done. After all, if I’ve already got builders onsite, I might as well see if a few tweaks here and there could make life a bit easier down the line.

It’s definitely been a rollercoaster so far, but that’s all part of the journey, isn’t it? When I bought this 500 sqm property, I knew I was signing up for a decent amount of work. And while a sudden leak is never fun, I’m determined to keep my chin up and see this project through. I’ve got faith that, once we sort out the recladding, I’ll be back on track to making this house the dream home I’ve always envisioned.

Thanks for reading along, and I’ll keep you posted on how things unfold. 

Fingers crossed, the next rainstorm won’t be quite as eventful! Whooo!