2/3 William Denny Ave , Westmere. Photo / Supplied
2/3 William Denny Ave , Westmere. Photo / Supplied
Vinka Clemmetts laughs as she says that she and her husband, David, are serial house buyers, spending only a year or two in each house before moving on.
But she swears they are calming down now with the sale of their renovated Westmere townhouse.
"We sold a huge house in St Marys Bay because we'd bought a beach house in Pauanui and live there most of the time. This was just for a foothold in the city," she says.
"But we've bought a big house in Noosa, so will live six months there and six months at Pauanui. A third place, it's a bit much, even for us."
When they or their daughter are not using the stylish townhouse, the couple have been letting it on AirBnB, and it's easy to see why it appeals.
When they bought the sunny two-level 1990s property 18 months ago, it had been completely refurbished, right down to the foundations.
A glimpse at a neighbouring townhouse shows how striking the transformation was from beige stucco siding and green trims to stylish grey-white weatherboard and new white joinery.
The renovation cleverly added architectural details with hefty white board trims around the windows and an attractive band of small corbels in the gable that mimic those of the neighbourhood's bungalows.
Old ranch sliders were replaced by two walls of sliding glass doors that open the living and dining rooms to the sunny patio.
Vinka added luxurious linen and velvet curtains for winter nights, with white wood venetian blinds in the kitchen, but mostly the doors are slid back so the paved terrace becomes part of the living space and the kitchen window opens up as a servery to the garden dining.
The previous owner had landscaped the yard, so the couple only had to replace lawn with sturdy artificial turf for their three little dogs.
2/3 William Denny Ave , Westmere. Photo / Supplied
They refreshed retaining walls and fences with the same grey as the house, which bounces light into the house, carved off space for two carparks in addition to the single garage and closed off an area for bins and utility.
The kitchen had already been updated with crisp white quartz counters and new splashbacks, along with smart Bosch appliances (the cooktop is induction), but Vinka got to add a splash of colour with a vintage blue Smeg fridge.
She also energised the pure-white, bleached oak and grey carpet palette with a dramatic black paint in the stairwell.
2/3 William Denny Ave , Westmere. Photo / Supplied
The house has the bonus of a good-sized downstairs powder room and a carpeted single garage, which has room for laundry and storage.
Upstairs there are three good-sized double bedrooms. In the master bedroom, the renovation replaced dated arched windows and a juliet balcony with hefty modern white windows, updated the en suite bathroom and added crisp mirrored doors and handy shelf organisers in the wardrobe.
There are two more bedrooms, which have helped make this a handy short-term renter.
2/3 William Denny Ave , Westmere. Photo / Supplied
Vinka says that when they're in the city, she and David love the ease of getting around the neighbourhood, walking around the corner to the cafes and shops of Garnet Rd, the sea at the end of that street, or heading around to Meola dog park and the walks.
