SCHOOL ZONES:
Westmere Primary, Western Springs College.
CONTACT:
Jennifer Temm Munns, UP Real Estate, 027 222 1555, Jennifer@uprealestate.co.nz
AUCTION:
Onsite August 5, 11am (unless sold prior).
* 2 off-street
Looking at unsuitable properties can be disheartening but it can also be a good incentive to move quickly when somewhere wonderful comes along.
That was Brent and Kylie Gladding's experience when they saw this renovated Westmere bungalow. In 2009, they were pre-marriage, pre-cat and pre-children, watching property prices rise while inspecting houses they didn't like.
IT project manager Brent says: "We were living in Kylie's apartment in Grey Lynn and we wanted to buy somewhere together; somewhere with a back yard."
a Monday lunch hour, the earliest opportunity to view it after the previous owner listed it online for private sale the day before. He loved what he saw.
"I was impressed with how spacious its living and dining area were. We'd looked at lots of places that seemed okay initially until you figured out you couldn't fit a dining table in."
"Brent rang me and said, 'It's perfect; I would have put in an offer on the spot but the owner doesn't want to consider any until tonight', says Kylie. "So I came to see it after work and loved the fact it was so open. It's light and easy to live in as well, with heaps of storage."
They promptly bought the circa-1930 bungalow. Brent understands that, two owners back, its owner, a builder, renovated extensively and extended it in 1996 to live in as his own home, which explains its abundant power points, thorough wiring and additional storage.
Number 3 Faulder Ave has offered the Gladdings a lovely lifestyle over the five years in which they married, had children and acquired a lively Burmese cat.
Their improvements include installing a dining area skylight, office and master bedroom shutters and what's effectively an outdoor room.
A hedge fronts their double off-street parking pad off a driveway shared with the property behind. Their cars can remain idle as they head out to favourite cafe, Catroux's coffee, less than two minutes' walk away.
The exterior retains bungalow features such as eave brackets and some leadlight upper window panes. Adding a gate to balustrading around the front patio has child-proofed this area.
Image 1 of 7: In the 1930s architects understood space and light -- reasons why properties of the era are still so popular
First-time visitors typically walk inside and remark on how much bigger the home is than its front suggests. Polished native wood floors extend through a long, light-filled living/dining room/kitchen with an open fire plus a sunny office off the front.
Kylie appreciates the way the kitchen, with stainless benches and a wide gas oven, steps down to a second living area so she can bake keeping an eye on the children.
She's programmed to wake to crying children regardless but Brent appreciates how their rear master bedroom, accompanied by a second bathroom and laundry, is separated from the two side bedrooms.
These have wardrobes topped with extra cupboards, a built-in desk in one and an accompanying bathroom. All can be handily shut off from the living area when children are sleeping.
The Gladdings' biggest project was adding the outdoor room at the rear. It's largely covered by an adjustable louvre roof and has weatherboard sides for privacy. This decked entertaining space boasts
a mains-gas fireplace, a bar-fridge, sink and outdoor seating incorporating storage.
a sprinkler system) where a lush fully fenced lawn is edged with pleached trees.
Kylie says, "All the other dads come over and say, 'Oooh, you've got a beer fridge'."
The couple enjoy their friendly neighbourhood and living on a road that's not a thoroughfare. However, practicality has won out as they're moving to the North Shore where both sets of grandparents are.
