SCHOOL ZONES:
Meadowbank School, Remuera Intermediate, Selwyn College.
CONTACT:
Neno Radinovich or Brett Innes, Barfoot & Thompson, 021 270 1487 (Neno) or 021 023 06431 (Brett).
AUCTION:
February 26 (unless sold prior).
*5-bedroom house + 1-bedroom cottage
**+off-street
Parents helping their kids on to the property ladder are nothing new but around 20 years ago Ben Silk's father gave him a leg-up on to a distinctive rung with a particularly scenic outlook.
"People who come around often comment on the view and they also like the Deco curves," says Ben of his big Art Deco home with expansive land promising development potential.
About 20 years ago, Ben and his then girlfriend were flatting up the road underneath his parents' place while looking to buy a first home. His late father, Norman, was a bit of a property investor who bought this modified three-storey Art Deco home which was already split into two flats and accompanied by an additional detached unit.
"Then my dad asked us if we'd like to be half-owners and live in the upper two floors. We thought it was amazing so we jumped at the chance.
"I think the thing that captured us the most was the upper levels' beautiful outlook to Remuera, the city, past Orakei ridge and on to Rangitoto."
Ben understands the circa-1940s stucco house once belonged to former All Black captain Sean Fitzpatrick's grandfather, prominent early Auckland businessman JB O'Loughlin.
He recognises what's more likely to appeal to current-day buyers is the land size of 1224sq m. It's located about 100m down Meadowbank Rd, just metres from the Remuera border and close to cafes and shops. Those with an eye to the future will note the proposed Unitary Plan zones this address for terraced houses or apartments.
Meanwhile its current 6A zoning suggests three-dwelling potential. The existing home sits towards one corner of the triangular site hinting it may be possible to retain it while developing the rest of the land.
Image 1 of 7: On a generous site, this could be a forever family home or redeveloped into flats
Ben later bought his father's share of the property, which he's always shared with tenants. He and ex-wife Alison raised their three sons while living in the upper two levels of the distinctive home and the boys have continued to live here part time. "They learned to ride their bikes on the big driveway and there was plenty of room for their trampoline and sandpit."
Entrance steps lead up to the main residence spread across the first and second levels. The first floor's north-facing curved lounge and dining room open to an elevated balcony.
"It's quite an amazing feeling up here, looking out over neighbouring houses at the view.
"The whole north-west corner of the house is curved plus there's another big curve in the middle which previous owners copied when they added a conservatory to the lower level."
The first floor also has a kitchen, sunroom-study, laundry and toilet plus the entrance hallway with stairs to the second floor. The upper level's line-up of four bedrooms includes the master with impressive views from its front balcony.
Ben says: "It's beautiful sitting on this deck with a drink on a calm night."
Much of the interior has been modernised over the years but there are still some vestiges of Deco such as the lines of the staircase, elaborate cornices and bathroomware in one of the upper level's two bathrooms.
The tenanted lower level with big concrete patio houses an expansive lounge-dining area Alison believes was originally a ballroom. It also has a conservatory-bedroom, study, kitchen and laundry plus a slate-clad bathroom and an unexpected internal sauna room courtesy of previous owners. A tenanted compact separate unit in the grounds has one bedroom, a dining-lounge, kitchen and bathroom. Copious off-street parking accompanies standalone triple garaging plus workshop space.
Ben no longer feels he needs such an expansive property now his boys are in their mid- to late-teens.
