Thanks for the replies! My wife suggested we talk to a local real estate agent, so i think that is a good idea... just that Im not sure how helpful they are likely to be if we arent selling yet :) As for saving for our dream house, I dont disagree, however if doing this up nicely over the next ~5 years or so while we live here nets us some extra in the eventual sale, then that of course will help us as well. Interesting thing happened today actually. I got a knock on the door and one of the older neighbours asked if he could take some lemons from the tree. I of course said yes. Anyway he was telling me he had lived in the street for 40 years. I asked him if the house had always looked like this, and he said no that ~30 years ago the old old owner did a massive renovation and pulled off the timber and put up the bricks and gutted the inside of the house. Interesting stuff!

Get the professional sander guys in to repair the living areas and kitchen but don't go too dark with the stain as it will kill the lovely grain in the matai. I'm thinking a couple of tones richer than the timber knots showing in your photo, definitely no yellow tone at all. In NZ stepping on to carpet especially in a kiwi winter is so much nicer than a cold floor board shock!!! A nice area rug for the lounge and you're done.

I read an interesting comment somewhere, where a lady invited a group of her friends over to lovingly point out all the problems they saw (through fresh eyes) with her home on preparation for sale. She said she was surprised at marks and damage that she had lived with for so long she no longer noticed them. We "owner built" a home previously, and when we came to sell 7 years later, we painted the garage and did those jobs that we had put off, and it became sad to finally see her at her best, at the end, when we could have been living in a completely finished home all that time. I read about a lady who decluttered her home, had it professionally cleaned (build clean, or bond clean) and had a professional styler do her home and she realised just how nice it could be and decided not to sell. :) ta

I didn't like any of the stock standard vanities I saw being sold. By chance I happened to see a second hand vanity being sold on FB so I brought it ( see photo). I liked its shape and solid profile but didn't like its colour. I took it to a auto car spray painter and had them spray paint it in Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal (a greige grey). They did an awesome paint job with a mirror like finish. I brought a piece of primestone (marble look) for the top, two small towel rails to be fixed in the underside of the vanity that is sticking out so I can hang hand towels on either side. I brought a new tap for it (but kept the vessel basin). I ordered in some new legs for it online because I didn't like the legs on it (see below). Its currently at a joiners getting put together. I've actually enjoyed the process of pulling it all together. Sure by the time it has been put together I probably would have spent the same amount that it would have cost me to do a custom vanity however I think there is something to be said for re-using something a second time round rather than buying into consumerism that abounds us. All up I've spent $1,074 NZD for the vanity, the spray paint job, new legs from www.prettypegs.com, the new towel rails from Reece Plumbing & buying a new Elementi tap. That doesn't include the joiners costs - yet. I needed storage in my vanity. This one fit the bill for me. Good luck with what you choose to do! I am doing a bathroom remodel as well and enjoying it.