Developer Saves Vintage Homes While Adding Housing Density

Wellington developer Ross Quidilla could have torn down two 1920s cottages and maxed out the land with townhouses. Instead, he chose to keep the vintage homes and tuck four new houses behind them, proving that adding housing doesn't mean destroying neighborhood character.

The six-home project on Bell Rd in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, sits so quietly on the street that you might walk past three times before realizing anything changed. The original cottages got careful renovations that kept their stained glass windows and lead lights while making them modern and livable.

Quidilla's architect warned him he'd make more money demolishing everything and starting fresh. He did it anyway because he liked the way the homes looked on the leafy street.

"If we can keep the houses, we always consider that," Quidilla says. "We don't just go in and bowl it."

This isn't his first time choosing character over maximum profit. He's done the same thing on developments in Newtown and Ngaio, building new homes behind preserved older ones.

The result feels nothing like typical wall-to-wall townhouse developments. Each home stands alone with its own deck and small garden, plus they all back onto Bell Park with playing fields and walking tracks.

The Ripple Effect

The homes aren't cookie-cutter copies either. One vintage cottage now has five bedrooms including a separate annex perfect for multi-generational families. The new builds vary in layout, with different bedroom configurations and living spaces.

Real estate agent Diane Cummings says the thoughtful design attracted strong interest even during tough market conditions. "They're standalone and people like that," she notes.

The development sits in a neighborhood with everything walkable: schools, shops, a bakery so popular weekend queues stretch out the door, and a 35-minute commute to Wellington's city center.

Quidilla says he's not sure which he enjoys more, renovating old homes or building new ones. Building new is easier, but restoring vintage homes brings more satisfaction.

"If you don't make money, but you are proud of what you create, to me, it's enough," he says.

The homes sold for prices ranging from $745,000 to $895,000, showing that respectful development can work financially while keeping neighborhoods feeling like neighborhoods instead of construction zones.