KEY POINTS:
A beachfront house was irresistible to a holidaying Hamilton couple.
26 Woodlands Ave, Snells Beach.
Holiday romances can be notoriously short-lived, but when Todd and Lynley Kilmister fell for a Snells Beach bach more than four years ago they were pretty sure it was for real.
The Hamilton couple and their two children were holidaying up north and enjoying a day on Snells Beach when Todd decided to take a stroll along the sand.
He spied a bach for sale right on the beach and got Lynley to come and have a look too. After wandering around the property and a bit of peering through windows, they became excited about the prospect of buying it.
"On the way home we couldn't stop talking about this house so we pulled over in Orewa and phoned the agent from the supermarket," says Lynley.
Once they were back in Hamilton they got their finances in order and bought the property.
"We didn't know anyone where we were going, we didn't have jobs up there and we didn't know anything about schools in the area," says Lynley, "but we didn't care; we just wanted this house because it was right on the water."
Because it was such a step into the unknown, the Kilmisters kept their Hamilton house and rented it out just in case their new lives up north didn't work out.
But they haven't looked back since making the move and have spent a lot of time and effort turning the bach into a home.
A new kitchen with stainless steel appliances has gone in, and the bathroom has been modernised.
A self-contained loft was built above the garage. It has a bedroom, lounge, dining room, bathroom and kitchenette and can sleep up to five people. When friends or family aren't using it, the Kilmisters rent it out.
The couple also extended the deck so that it wraps around the house, and built some retaining walls when they landscaped the property with plantings in sympathy with the surrounding native bush.
The heart of the home is the open plan living area that has a woodburner and opens out on to the north-facing deck overlooking the beach. A gallery-like corridor off the lounge takes you though to the bedrooms.
Lynley estimates that it takes "seven seconds" to walk to the beach, which, because it's tidal, is safe for children. The kids enjoy kayaking, while Todd can wheel his boat out on a trailer from the property down to the water when he wants to go fishing.
"When we bought this house, everyone was saying `You're mad; you don't know what you're doing'," says Lynley. "Now everyone's telling us that we would be mad to sell because they just love coming here for holidays."
As their children have grown up, the couple need a bigger house so they are selling to buy a lifestyle block in the area.
And as a sign of their commitment to their new lifestyle, the couple plan to sell their former Hamilton home to help with that purchase.
VITAL STATISTICS
BEDROOMS: 4
BATHROOMS: 2
GARAGES: 2
SIZE: Land area 1131sq m, house 160sq m (approx).
PRICE: $1.295 million.
INSPECT: By appointment.
ON THE WEB: www.harveys.co.nz # H4972
CONTACT: Ben and Nola Kloppers, Harveys, ph 09 425 8589 bus, Ben 021 425 599, Nola 021 425 597.
FEATURES: Three-bedroom bach with new kitchen and bathroom. Self-contained one-bedroom loft accommodation above double garage. Bush setting with lawns down to the reserve and beach.
