SCHOOL ZONES:
Panmure District School, Sylvia Park School, One Tree Hill College.
CONTACT:
Sue Bennett, Harcourts, ph 579 1073 or 0275 555 783.
when it came to buying their first home two years ago, crystal connolly and ben jackson were prepared to compromise and settle for a house that didn't tick all the boxes but was within their budget.
So when ben suggested going to view an old cottage in mt wellington, crystal thought it was a waste of time, because they'd never be able to come up with the money for a character-filled home, let alone a historic one on a large piece of land with an outbuilding.
But she was persuaded to have a look, and she and ben instantly fell for the property. They were delighted when they found they could afford it. "We thought we'd only be able to buy a townhouse, so for a first home, it is pretty amazing," she says. "People are always surprised when they visit us. They don't expect to come down a long drive off mt wellington highway and find something like this."
Originally known as van damm's cottage, the house dates back to around 1850 and was one of the first homes in the area. Previous owners include sculptor greer twiss, and the brick fireplace and chimney in the garden is where he fired some of the pieces he worked on.
One of the reasons ben and crystal liked the two-storey house so much was that previous owners had done a great job of renovating it while preserving its period charm. Many of the rooms have original horizontal tongue and groove kauri walls as well as tongue and groove ceilings, and these have been perfectly complemented by a french farmhouse-style kitchen, with matching tongue and groove cabinetry, installed by earlier owners.
The downstairs bathroom had been given a quirky makeover and features a river stone floor, copper shower and a claw foot bath. Upstairs, the en suite off the master bedroom had been turned into a contemporary wet room complete with a monsoon shower head, shortly before crystal and ben bought the house.
"We loved the fact that we could just move in and not have to do anything," says crystal. "We could just enjoy living here."
Throughout the home are many reminders of its heritage, such as the kauri floors, stained glass, sash windows and period fireplaces. It may be a historic home, but it is comfortable to live in, thanks to 21st-century conveniences such as a heat pump.
There are back-to-back fireplaces in the dining room and lounge, and the fire in the lounge helps to keep the house warm in winter, while in summer french doors out to the veranda can be opened up to let breezes cool the house.
French doors also lead out to the veranda from both of the downstairs bedrooms. Upstairs, the master bedroom features dormer windows -- which frame a view of the panmure lagoon -- and two enormous wardrobes with built-in drawers. "There's so much storage space, which we have been really grateful for," says crystal.
There's also plenty of storage in an outbuilding which it is believed started life as stables and is also understood to have been greer twiss' studio. "We had planned to turn it into a sleepout, as it has electricity and water," says crystal. It would also make an ideal home office, children's playroom or man cave.
Outside, there's a large lawn, a sunny deck and a courtyard shaded by an enormous olive tree.
Image 1 of 6: Herald Homes
136A Mt Wellington Highway.
13 August 2014 NZ Herald photo by Ted Baghurst.
The home also has a unique feature that harks back to another era -- a well. "There can't be too many places that have one of these," says crystal.
Being so close to sylvia park, motorway on- and off-ramps and the train station at panmure makes the house a convenient place to live.
Ben and crystal's first home will always hold a special place in their hearts, although it is now time to move on.
"We feel very lucky to have lived here and will be sad to leave it behind."
