Epsom: Friend of the family

9 Coronation Road, Epsom.

A gracious home has been a magnet for families over nearly 100 years. 

Epsom has long been held as a benchmark of elegant, leafy suburbia. In fact, just as New Zealand is known in the wider world as a great place to raise a family, Epsom, within the smaller universe of Auckland, is often thought of as the suburb of choice to do just that. Not only do the children have the right of entry into desirable grammar schools, but the streets lined with traditional houses in their tranquil grounds seem to hark back to gentler times. Coronation Road, with its spreading oak trees and gracious homes, is a favoured location for families and film location scouts alike. 

As Lawrie Lamb remembers, "Years ago when our girls were young, we wanted a house that had a history, and all the things space and a good location bring with them. The owners selling this house wanted a family to buy it. We seemed a perfect match." 

They were such a perfect match that of the three owners it has had in its 98 years, two have been Lambs. 

"We call ourselves the 'new Lambs' even though we've been here 19 years," says Lawrie. "The 'old Lambs' bought it from the original owners, the Stewarts, in the early 1950s and owned it until we bought it in 1988 . It's a home that gets into the blood, you just don't want to leave it." 

Leaving a home full of memories is never easy. 

"We've had everything here. We've even hosted a friend's daughter's wedding with a string quartet in the corner - it's been full of friends and laughter forever." 

Lawrie and her husband Jon have been instrumental in morphing the house from its original four-bedroom, one-bathroom format into a complex that includes the original home, still with four bedrooms, but now with three bathrooms and the addition of two cottage annexes in the garden. These provide independent accommodation for their now grown-up daughters. The newly built one, (completed in 2000), includes three car garaging and a full kitchen as well as a sleek bathroom. The older one, adjacent to the family living and kitchen in the main house in what was once the garage, is a roomy sleep-out which also has its own bathroom. 

Decks and gardens wrap the north-facing rear of the house where full-sized trees add beauty and privacy. Jon tells how "We've had 21sts, pre-balls out here - even croquet games fought by torchlight, because no-one will give up. The way it leads into the conservatory and the house, it all works so well for large gatherings." 

Upstairs, overlooking the garden, the master bedroom has a bed with its own mini-dais. The height this gives makes bed the perfect place to watch the light on the upper harbour glinting in the distance. "We had these bi-folds put in when the studio was being built, and on hot nights we sleep with them opened right back. You can't hear anything but the leaves rustling; it's so peaceful." 

But despite all the happy times Jon and Lawrie know it's time to move on. "The girls are moving into their own lives, and this is a house that needs a family to fill it up. We'd love it to find a new owner who would use all its spaces, just as we have done." 

Vital Statistics: 

BEDROOMS: 6 

BATHROOMS: 5 

GARAGE: 3+ 

SIZE: Land 1515sq m, house and cottages 496sq m (total). 

PRICE INDICATION: Upwards of $2.5 million. Auction May 3. 

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 1-2pm. 

CONTACT: Tim Brown, Bayleys Remuera, ph 520 8888 bus,
0274 873 393. 

FEATURES: Historic home with gracious grounds set behind high walls and automated gates. Two self-contained cottages, one with kitchen, bathroom, and flexible living; the other offering studio living and its own bathroom.