Freemans Bay: Builder's own

When it came to making a three storey house easy to live in, this couple knew the tricks of the trade.

61a Wood Street, Freemans Bay.

A house where the designer is a working mother of 7-year-old twin boys is bound to have all the practical details sorted. As Julie Grgicevich says with a laugh, "It doesn't matter how stunning a house is; if it doesn't have enough storage, then I don't want to know."

Beautiful houses are something she and husband Vince know a lot about. Their company Global Construction Services builds them all the time for other people.

"But when this came up we thought, 'Why don't we do something for us? Put all the ideas that we have into one fantastic home?"'

Perhaps the shonkily built 80s pole house previously on this site wouldn't seem a particularly enticing prospect to most renovators, but its sunny situation and magical views over the city and harbour were appealing, and nothing concerning building fazes Vince.

"But this was way worse than it should have been," he recalls. "In the end, nothing has been kept except the concrete pad and one external wall."

That's why this richly detailed weatherboard home is being marketed as a new house.

In line with the front door on the ground level is a discreetly concealed dumb waiter. As Julie points out, "This is a house on many levels but that shouldn't make living in it difficult."

The dumb waiter whisks the shopping up to the spectacular kitchen and living space on the top floor where it can be decanted straight into a walk-in pantry.

Vince, as builder and money manager, points out that things like dumb waiters do not come cheap, but the decision to install one came after careful consideration of the benefits it would confer on the finished home. As Julie says, "Who wants to struggle upstairs with loads of shopping?"

No-one, and up here is where the home's owners would want to live. Once again, Vince, the pragmatist, was aware of how much more expensive it would be to install living accommodation on the top floor, but again the decision to do so was made with an eye on how it would be to live in the completed home. Both of them agreed that they were not going to jeopardise the final product for a bit of penny pinching.

And it is this top room that truly is the piece de resistance. Light filled, with dramatic views that swoop across the valley of Freemans Bay, past the Sky Tower and out to Rangitoto beyond, it makes every one of the steps in between worth while. A roomy kitchen gives onto a large living and dining space, which in turn leads out onto decks with room to entertain a family or an army.

On the floor below is the second living space, which can also be used as a home theatre or TV lounge, The master bedroom with its own full size bathroom are also on this middle floor, which has a tranquil outlook to a courtyard.

On the ground floor, one of the two bedrooms is wired for business use and has its own access from outside.

Privacy and security are provided not only by the inability of outsiders to look in, but also by electronically controlled gates at the bottom of the driveway. These, like all the electronics in the house, can be activated by remote control. The house can warm up for its owners if they are caught in traffic on the other side of the city.

Vital Statistics

BEDROOMS: 4

BATHROOMS: 3

OFF STREET PARKING FOR UP TO FOUR CARS

SIZE: Land 330sq m, house 235sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: Houses in the area are selling for in excess of $1 million. Auction at The Big Sale, October 17, Ponsonby Bowling Club.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 1-1.45pm, or by appointment.

CONTACT: Karen Spires or Geoffrey McRae, Bayleys, ph 309 6020 bus, 027 273 8220 (Karen), 021 946 610 (Geoffrey).

FEATURES: A practically new home with views over Freemans Bay to Rangitoto. Media room, bedroom that could be used as an office, remote control electronics, security gate. Seven year Master Builder guarantee.