SCHOOL ZONES:
Henderson Valley School, Waitakere College.
CONTACT:
Celia Challis, Harcourts, 021 397 003.
AUCTION:
March 21.
After enjoying working and living overseas, Nicqui Kurzeja and Don Maclean decided to settle down a little while after the arrival of daughter Mazzy.
Don, a geologist, has travelled to far-flung and remote corners of the world in his line of work (in some minds his present posting in Huntly might also qualify), while Nicqui had worked as an au pair in Monaco before crewing on superyachts and sailing to exotic parts of the world.
After Mazzy was born four years ago, they had their eyes on a family home in Titirangi but Don, a keen cyclist, thought the terrain around the village was too hilly.
So Henderson Valley, with flatter terrain and less traffic, was much more appealing, especially after they spotted this bush setting with a character-packed 1920s bungalow, which had been shifted from Avondale before being extended.
"This house has a real soul to it," says Nicqui. "We have loved living here and we have a really good bunch of neighbours."
When they moved in, Don and Nicqui made cosmetic changes such as painting, wallpapering and putting in new drapes and light fittings. And there were major ones such as updating the bathroom, with the old clawfoot bath now out in the bush beside the original cottage and renamed "the jungle bath" by Mazzy.
And when Nicqui returned from a trip away, she got a surprise to find Don and a builder cousin had enclosed part of the downstairs to create a laundry and storage area, with wine cellar under the stairs.
From here you move up the stairs past a striking angular window before arriving at the pantry at the rear of the kitchen. Here, plenty of storage space augments the country-style kitchen with its timber cupboards and new appliances.
The kitchen flows into the dining area and lounge, which open to a welcoming veranda that overlooks the garden and is warmed by an electric heater.
Image 1 of 6: With a bush outlook, a comfy cottage for guests, and cosy surroundings, you can sit-back-and-relax
At the rear of the home is the new bathroom with a deep, curvaceous bath, and two bedrooms that look out to the rear of the property where mature trees grow and a stream runs through.
Upstairs, the master suite has a high, gabled ceiling, exposed beams and whitewashed timber panelling. It's a large, airy space with the bedroom on one side of the landing and a large lounge on the other.
Nicqui, who is a counsellor, has set up her office in a corner of the lounge. She and Don enjoy the open-plan space but she says it could easily be divided to create more bedrooms, and they have had plans drawn up to add an en suite.
Huge windows on opposite walls provide views, light and ventilation. Doors open on to a north-facing balcony with wide views.
The original homestead has been shifted to the rear of the property where it provides added accommodation for guests. It has a kitchen and bathroom with the bedroom and lounge opening to a veranda. An adjacent shed has been converted so it can be used as an office and it too has windows looking out to the leafy property.
Nicqui says there is a great sense of community in the area, with the kindergarten and school highly regarded.
With Don's work contract coming to an end later in the year, the couple have decided to sell up to free themselves up for wherever the next chapter in their lives may take them.
Nicqui says: "We have been here for three years but we thought we would be here for 30 years when we bought."
