When work brought John Walker to Auckland 27 years ago, he and wife Lynette didn't have time for extensive house-hunting.
With the pressure on to start his new banking job, John says this Folkestone St home was the first they looked at, they liked what they saw, didn't have time to come back so they bought it.
And it was perfect timing for the family moving up from Wanganui, as John says: "Our two girls were at secondary school then and both wanted to go to university so it made sense to make the move up here and they could still live at home and go to university."
John says the the two-storey Mediterranean-style home was a builder's own and is about 45 years old.
Built with brick and block, the home is mostly plastered -- with a mix of smooth and rough finishes -- and has some cedar cladding. Curved doorways and windows, iron balustrading and the tiled foyer add to the home's Mediterranean feel.
From the foyer you can access the double garage and laundry or head the other way to the two downstairs bedrooms, bathroom and a lounge/rumpus room opening to its own deck.
"We used to have homestay students, so this was ideal for them or when people came to stay because they could have their own space and do their own thing," says John.
Upstairs there are three more bedrooms -- two off the lounge -- and two more bathrooms, one an en suite to the master, which opens out to a deck running along the back of the house.
The kitchen and family room form an L-shape and wrap around a deck with sea views.
Image 1 of 7: Curved doorways and the tiled foyer are just some of the features of this home. Photos / Ted Baghurst
John says the kitchen and bathrooms were revamped about five years ago.
"We haven't changed the house around a lot but one of the things we have done is stay on top of the maintenance so there's not much that needs tidying up before we move," he says.
"One of the main things we did was shift the laundry downstairs and use that space for a new bathroom."
The neutral colour scheme in the kitchen extends to the dining room and adjoining lounge at the rear of the house.
A glazed corner of the lounge has even better sea views. "When the America's Cup was on we got a great view of the racing from here because part of the course was in Murrays Bay," says John.
The lounge also opens on to the rear deck, which overlooks the brick and tile unit the Walkers added about 14 years ago for Lynette's parents. With two bedrooms, one bathroom and a single garage, the unit has allowed them independence while still enjoying their extended family.
Lynette is the gardener of the household and has kept the grounds in top condition. "If I'm outside cleaning the car, people going past often comment on the garden but I can't take any credit for it," says John.
Though the family is moving on, they will still be close together. The Walkers have bought a property in Orewa so they can be near their daughter and her children. And Lynette's parents are going to a nearby retirement home.
John says the property would be ideal for another extended family, or new owners could rent out the rear unit to cut their mortgage costs.
"This is a nice family home and it's served us well," he says. "It's got everything you need around here -- it's close to all the schools, the shops are close and the beach is close."
