CONTACT:
Peter and Lisa Cleave, ph 021 756
246 or 021 756 245.
Returning to New Zealand in 2008 after three years in Australia, Charlie Oscroft and his wife were looking for a family home in a quiet part of Remuera.
This 1930s era home had been passed in at auction but Charlie, who works in commercial property with Colliers, could see how it would suit them and their daughter. So much so, they have made few major changes to the weatherboard home in the time they have owned it.
The one substantial improvement they have made is to level and landscape the sloping front yard as part of building a deck off the house. French doors now connect the semi-open plan living area with the north-facing outdoors space.
"Before, you sat right down low out here and you didn't have much of a view but now you can sit out on the deck and see One Tree Hill and get all-day sun," says Charlie.
Two sides of the deck are bounded by built-in bench seats, with steps to a lawn that is framed by a pohutukawa and a magnolia and is flat enough to accommodate a trampoline.
Charlie adds: "We recently painted and repaired the exterior - not because we were thinking of selling at the time, it was just the right thing to do for the house."
Inside, the home has been redecorated throughout, with new appliances in the kitchen, some rooms recarpeted, and a new bath in the main bathroom. Sun pours into the front of the house, which is semi-open plan with a large living room and an adjoining dining area. Although the home has been modernised, there are still original features such as leadlight windows and tawa floorboards, which have been repolished.
Walking though the dining space brings you into an open-plan kitchen and lounge with timber sarked ceiling and wood panelling. The bench separating kitchen and lounge serves as a breakfast bar and has a built-in bookcase.
"We were thinking of taking out the woodburner but we kept it because it makes it lovely and warm in here and the heat travels upstairs to make that warm, too," says Charlie.
On the ground floor there are three bedrooms as well as a bathroom, separate toilet and separate shower. The rearmost bedroom, down steps, has been used as an office.
Occupying the entire top floor, the master suite is an airy, light-filled space with views to the north and south. As well as an en suite and walk-in wardrobe, the master has a north-facing balcony with views back to the city.
"You get great breezes through this room and if you bring a bean bag up here, a book and a glass of wine, it's perfect," says Charlie. "It's also big enough that you can spend family time up here."
The Oscrofts are downsizing, but will remain in the area so they can keep their 8-year-old daughter at Meadowbank Primary.
