In cataloguing the charms of this 1920s character home, the signature line which helped make Ginsu knives legendary springs to mind - "But wait, there's more ..."
Partners Victoria Crone and Rod Snodgrass had very specific requirements when they bought here in 2011 having previously rented in Epsom. They wanted a home able at times to accommodate the five children they have between them: Caitlin, 19, Jack, 17, Megan, 13, Lachlan, 13, and Mackenzie, nine.
Rod says: "Back then, we had five kids in five separate schools: Victoria Ave, Remuera Intermediate, EGGS, AGS and Mt Hobson Middle School."
Victoria adds: "What was great about here was that all five schools were either zoned or accessible to us, which was pretty hard to find.
Space was as important as the school zones. "We loved this home's size. It's just big and beautiful, with high ceilings, spacious rooms and plenty of light. It's got lots of bedrooms, multiple living areas for all the kids, and the pool, which was something we really wanted," Victoria says.
The couple describe their avenue as a "double no-exit street" (a no-exit feeding off a no-exit) and say its peaceful friendliness appealed hugely. When Rod scoped the neighbourhood he spotted people he knew who'd loved renting just down the road so much they eventually bought off their landlord.
Victoria explains: "Pretty much the only people who come down here are people who live down here, so it's really quiet."
This big stucco home featuring timber shingles enjoys a wide, leafy rear outlook stretching from North Head around to their Remuera neighbourhood. The couple had the previously pinky-peachy exterior repainted the blued-grey of Resene's Cape Cod.
They switched the in-ground rear pool back to salt, which they prefer swimming in - and maintaining. Clearing plants around the pool opened it up to the sun, while other modifications meant some pool fencing could be removed.
This address has double and single internal-access garages, the latter fitted-out as a gym.
First-time visitors tend to react to the house's size. "They tend to freak out about how big it is because the top two floors seem big enough and then they realise there's also the bottom floor," says Rod. And Victoria summarises: "Downstairs is basically kids/casual/fun; upstairs is bedrooms; and the middle floor is a mix of casual and formal living."
The middle floor with entrance foyer includes a rear kitchen-family dining area. A formal dining room and two lounges all have gas fireplaces. A powder room is tucked away behind the staircase, which has a fine leadlight window above its intermediate landing.
Their upstairs master suite, with en suite, walk-in wardrobe and gas fireplace, is roomy enough to also house a desk near a corner bank of windows opening wide to the outlook. Upstairs, there are three other good-size bedrooms and a family bathroom.
Previous owners extended downstairs in the Nineties. Garaging accompanies a lounge-rumpus with second kitchen from which a New Zealand chef used to run cooking classes. The couple say this downstairs living, flowing out to night-lit outdoor entertaining with a deep Swedish tub, works brilliantly for teens and for parties. It's accompanied by a fifth bedroom, bathroom-laundry and toilet. The home has smart wiring and advanced security.
The pair are pretty busy between family and work; Victoria's about to become managing director of Xero's NZ business while Rod is the CEO of Telecom Digital Ventures. They've found the 614sq m grounds big enough without being so large they require endless weekend maintenance. They'd much rather take their retrodoodle, Milo, for walks to Orakei Basin, Mount Hobson or nearby beaches.
The couple had plans to evolve the layout, reconfiguring the kitchen-dining to open up to a sizeable rear deck. However, with older children at university or soon-to-be heading there, the couple re-evaluated and decided downsizing made more sense.
