SCHOOL ZONES:
Whenuapai School, Hobsonville Point secondary.
CONTACT:
Clare Ellis, 021 614 778, Bayleys.
AUCTION:
June 1.
After living in Hong Kong and Dubai for 16 years, Elaine and Mark Tutty were happy to settle down with their children in Greenhithe.
But, Elaine says, after renovating their home, they began "hankering for a change".
"We happened to come over to Herald Island one day and thought this was an interesting little place," she says.
"It was being close to the water and the view that drew us here really. Plus this house had a rumpus room, which we thought would be good for our kids because they were teenagers then."
So, in 2006 the Tuttys bought the elevated two-storey home, which had been built in the 1990s and was looking a bit dated - and a bit tired after being a rental for a while.
Mark slaved away for ages removing wallpaper when they redecorated. "It was something like 500kg. That's what they said when they weighed what I was taking to the rubbish dump."
Their renovation included changing the layout slightly to make it work better for them, as well as upgrading kitchen and bathrooms.
They have also cleverly landscaped the gardens to give them privacy without obscuring the harbour views from their north-facing living areas and decks.
Sitting across the road from the waterfront Christmas Beach reserve and playground, the Tuttys' home has wide views across and further up the Upper Waitemata Harbour.
"I quite like hearing the kids playing in the park, and my son used to kick a ball over there," says Elaine. "Sometimes it would go in the water and he would just dive in after it."
77 The Terrace, Herald Island, Auckland. Photo / Fiona Goodall / Getty Images
She says the family has enjoyed the proximity to the water, taking kayaks out or using a runabout for a spot of fishing.
"I work in Takapuna but I feel like I am a million miles away from that when I get back home because it is so peaceful here."
To the right of the home's entrance is an internal access double garage, while heading left takes you past three bedrooms and the tiled downstairs bathroom into the kitchen/living area, which opens out to the deck.
Adjoining this open plan space is a lounge and dining area where the couple had a wall removed to create better flow.
Behind the kitchen, which has stone benches, the laundry was removed (and shifted to the garage) to make way for a butler's pantry.
Opposite the front door, stairs take you up to the next level where the rumpus room sits on top of the garage.
As Elaine points out, it is more of a media room with a big screen and sound system as well as a bar and pool table.
"The kids always used to use this room and it was great knowing where they were," says Mark. "And you could always close the door."
A bridge across the foyer takes you past the upstairs bathroom the couple added and a bedroom with harbour views.
Mark and Elaine's bedroom suite features an en suite, walk-in wardrobe and bedroom with adjoining lounge that opens to a north-facing balcony looking out to the harbour. In one corner of the lounge there is also an office set-up.
"We saw this room as a bit like a hotel suite so that's how we set it up," says Elaine.
The renovated en suite has a glass shower and a spectacular angled mirror that follows the roofline.
An internal balcony allows light to flood from the upper level windows into the family room below.
Getting to an age where they are considering retirement, Mark and Elaine are downsizing with the hope they can also spend a bit more time travelling.
