CONTACT:
Fleur Denning and Nicola Kelland, Kellands Real Estate, ph 021 0272 3624 (Fleur) or 021 474 645 (Nicola).
When Charlotte and Christopher Swasbrook bought their Parnell home nearly 10 years ago, they were so sure they were going to demolish it and rebuild that Christopher didn't even look inside before they signed on the dotted line.
The property's appeal was its waterside location looking out over Hobson Bay, along with its large site at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac. The two-storey 1950s house was liveable, but not exactly their dream home.
"I had a look through, but my husband didn't even go in the door before we bought it," says Charlotte. "The plan initially was to bowl it and build two houses. We also considered building one big house. Things didn't quite work out that way!"
The house got a stay of execution when Charlotte became pregnant with their first child, Edward, not long after they moved in, and they decided taking on a major construction project with a small baby was not a wise idea. They then had a second child, Harriet, and by the time the children were a little older, they realised that they were happy to continue living in the house and that it was more than big enough for a couple and two children.
"The layout works really well for us and we realised we didn't need a much bigger place," says Charlotte.
Although the plans for a major renovation were scrapped, they have made changes. All the interior walls were painted a crisp white, which provides the perfect backdrop to display their collection of quirky art. The family bathroom was updated and the en suite in the master bedroom taken out and turned into a large walk-in wardrobe. A guest powder room was added to the downstairs entrance lobby.
The biggest job was installing a new kitchen. Walls were removed to create a big open-plan dining and kitchen space, and the Swasbrooks decided to treat themselves to a luxury imported Varenna kitchen from Studio Italia.
"It's such a lovely kitchen, with so much storage space -- it is great to use," says Charlotte.
They also added a large deck off the kitchen, which faces west and is the ideal place to enjoy the late afternoon sun. "The deck was one of the best things we have done -- we use it a lot."
Previous owners had added a second living area off the main lounge at the front of the house. When the children were small it made an excellent playroom; now it is home to the billiard table.
There are three bedrooms on the main level -- two of which have views through pohutukawa of Hobson Bay -- and a further bedroom/living space downstairs that Christopher's mother is using as a granny flat.
Also on this lower level is another bathroom and two large storage cupboards. There's also a wine cellar and garden storage under the games room.
Charlotte says the family has been spoiled having such a big section. Because it borders reserve land belonging to the Queen's Chain, it feels even larger. "It's actually the end of the Queen's Chain -- you can't go any further, so we don't get a lot of people going past," says Charlotte. "The kids just treat it like it's part of our garden.
"It's so quiet here, the most noise you get is from the birds, yet we're only five minutes' drive from the city. It's also easy to walk to many great parks."
When Christopher and Charlotte lived in their previous Parnell home they owned a bach, but ended up selling it after moving to Waitoa St. "There was no need to escape the city anymore once we were living here because it is so peaceful you feel like you've got away from everything just by coming home."
They're selling the house because Christopher's business means they will be spending a lot of time in New York. Charlotte accepts that the proportions of the site means the person who buys the property is likely to either develop it -- it is subdivisible (subject to approvals) -- or build their dream home. Either way, there's a good chance the house will be knocked down.
"Because of its age, you don't need resource consent to demolish it, so it probably won't be around for much longer. That was our intention, but it has turned out to be a great home."
