A passion for property renovation, and discipline for sticking to the budget has led to a successful career for single mother-of-three Cherie White.
Ms White lives in Sydney, but has a holiday home in Papamoa, and is now returning to Tauranga regularly to renovate and sell property.
Her latest project has attracted plenty of attention - an 11-week makeover of a rundown rental property in Matua's Tilby Drive.
When Ms White bought the three-bedroom brick home it had stained carpet, an original 1970s kitchen and separate dining room and every surface was damaged or worn-out.
Now the immaculately presented property has a new kitchen and bathroom, open-plan kitchen and dining room, new carpet, fresh paint and crisp white blinds throughout.
The project is Ms White's 15th renovation, including one other in Tauranga, four in Palmerston North and the remainder in Sydney. Her formula for success involves intricate planning and research, with the physical renovation just one of the eight steps she follows for buying, renovating and reselling a property for profit.
Ms White did months of research, including viewing the property in person, before deciding which Tauranga suburbs to invest in.
"I've become a real expert in two or three suburbs," she said.
Matua offered homes for sale in the $300,000 to $400,000 price range, right up to $600,000 to $700,000 upwards - price variance within a suburb was key, she said.
"You've got to have a real appreciation for market value ... that's when you make your money, when you buy. The only way you can buy well is to know your market."
Before buying a house she has to be able to visualise the renovated result. If she can't she walks away.
"You have to love renovation to do it. Every day will provide you a challenge and you have to really rise to that challenge and you have to enjoy what you're doing. You can't just be doing it to be making money because it would break your heart if you did."
It was important not to get too emotionally involved in a property, she said. "I have a bit of a rule where I renovate with integrity and with quality. You can't renovate with any emotion. It has to actually have a payback."
Tauranga's Doug Beck has owned The Renovation Company for 25 years and completes renovations ranging from $500 to $500,000.
The biggest pitfall for owners buying a house to renovate was not knowing the full cost of the project before they started, he said.
"You've got to be very sure on what you want to do. You've got to be very tight on the budget and you just can't overspend," he told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend.
Buyers also needed to understand the market they were in. At times, a renovation could make a house more saleable, but not necessarily fetch a higher price.
"Each area just has its own limit. You've got to be careful what you spend and where," he said.
He recommended living in a new property for a year before making final renovation decisions.
Common Tauranga renovations included new kitchens and bathrooms and the addition of extra rooms. In 1970s homes it was also common to turn a separate dining room and kitchen into a single open space and build outdoor living areas, he said.
"The houses that were built in the 70s and early 80s have got the best bones in them," Mr Beck said.
He highly recommended getting a pre-purchase report on any property, to avoid nasty surprises. "That generally will tell you everything," he said.
Owners also needed to factor in the large cost and time associated with gaining council consent for renovation work.
Tauranga Refresh Renovations franchise owner Mike Archer agreed - knowing what you wanted and having a budget were key, but also highlighted the need for a contingency within that budget. "Have 10 per cent in that budget up your sleeve for the unexpected. If you're really tight on your budget then straight away you've blown it," he said.
Getting concept drawings right before moving to more technical plans was also vital to saving money and time.
"If you're umming and ahhing then you haven't really made a decision. You're not sold on what the architect's trying to do for you," he said.
He always warned clients of the premium cost involved with changing plans at the building stage.