Bigger is not always better and Josh Grimshaw's Whangaparaoa home is a case in point. With one bedroom and at roughly 50sq m, it is definitely compact.
But it is also easy to look after, and for the right person, it will have everything they need wrapped up in one small but perfectly formed package.
The home, which quite possibly started life as a bach, has had a top-to-toe makeover.
The previous owner replaced the roof and painted the exterior, and since buying it earlier this year, Josh has transformed the rest of it, along with the garage.
There is a new gas hot water system and modern kitchen with sleek cabinetry and a new oven. The bathroom has a separate toilet and there's space for a washing machine.
21 Everard Avenue, Army Bay. Photo / Supplied
The high-beamed ceilings help to make the house feel more spacious, and there are lots of windows to let in the light.
"It's turned out to be a really nice, bright place," Josh says.
He decided to also work a bit of magic on the garage that sits alongside the house, insulating, lining, painting and carpeting it, along with putting in ranch sliders.
It is still consented as a garage and not deemed a habitable space, but could be used as an office or studio.
"It just gives you that extra bit of room," points out Josh.
Outside, he put in new retaining walls behind the house because he felt it was time they were replaced and landscaped using mulch and easy-care plants like agaves.
The existing front deck, which had seen better days, was also re-built. "Now you can sit out there and enjoy the view with no worries."
21 Everard Avenue, Army Bay. Photo / Supplied
The house looks out across neighbouring homes to nearby Shakespear Regional Park, which includes three popular walkways and a sandy beach that is ideal for swimming and kayaking.
There is also a reserve behind the house, and a boat ramp just down the road. Gulf Harbour is a three-minute drive away, and the ferries from there get into the city in about 50 minutes.
Gulf Harbour Country Club is home to a world-class golf course.
Army Bay's location at the end of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula means there's not a lot of traffic, so it's a very peaceful place to live.
But Whangaparaoa town with all its amenities, including the Coast Plaza shopping centre, is a 10-minute drive away.
Josh imagines the house will appeal to first-time buyers looking to get a foot on the property ladder or people wanting an alternative to apartment living.
It could also prove to be the perfect bolthole for somebody wanting a quick and easy escape from the city at weekends.
"Whoever buys just needs to move their things in," he says. "Everything has been done."
