When the Hays moved into the Ringwood St house with Tim, four, Jeremy, two, and four-month-old Penny, it had been vacant for some time.
"The oven didn't work, there was no fridge, the garage was falling down, the grounds were overgrown and some local kids had lit fires inside. There weren't even any toilet seats," says Jan.
The striking 3751sq m property looks out to Waiake Beach, The Tor, across to Takapuna Beach, Devonport and over to the Sky Tower.
It is also perched just a few metres above Winstone's Cove, a secluded swimming beach accessed by two pathways on the Hays' property.
One of these is a shell path that meanders through native bush down to the water from the self-contained guest accommodation the Hays built on the property.
Over the years, the Hays have also done extensive renovations to the main house, creating a series of welcoming rooms that connect effortlessly with each other, capitalise on enviable ocean views and are sympathetic to the age of the house.
These included adding a second level above the main living and dining room to give them two extra bedrooms and bathrooms when their children were teenagers.
The main home now includes five bedrooms, two bathrooms, two large lounges, a study and a farmhouse style kitchen off the dining room.
On the ground level, the living rooms, kitchen and three bedrooms open out to verandahs and patios on three sides of the house.
The grounds in front of the house and leading down to the beach include a series of gently tiered, level lawns connected by brick stairs and wide, low maintenance borders.
Closer to the house more formal planting includes rose beds surrounded by clipped hedging and a small kitchen garden.
Jan and Peter have done most of the landscaping and have always enjoyed maintaining the property themselves.
It may be that the care and attention to detail for the home they've loved for nearly four decades rubbed off on their children, who all went on to train as architects.
Penny was primarily responsible for designing Cove Cottage, the private 127sq m self-contained accommodation on the property and for its stunning interior.
The cottage has two bedrooms with en suites, a large central lounge and fireplace and full height sliding doors that open to a west facing deck on one side of the lounge and a walled patio on the other.
At one end of it is a double garage for the main house and the property also includes four car parking spaces and a petanque court.
Jan and Peter are now ready to downsize and say they will leave feeling happy that their six grandchildren have also been able to experience some of the magical childhood their parents enjoyed while growing up at 5 Ringwood St.
