Parnell: The mystery house

A house that's been lived in and loved for an unknown length of time has been home to a couple at the happiest stage of their lives.

62 Brighton Road, Parnell.

The first clue that this Parnell bungalow might have more to it than meets the eye came when its new owners noticed that their street number was 62, and their neighbour's was 66.

"So it must have been a double site originally," says Rachael Gilligan. "Then one day some builders were under the dining room and said 'Did you know you've got a well under here?'."

Just when the house was built is a mystery - early records were lost and those at the Auckland City Council start only from the 50s. Rachel thinks it began life as one of the many workers' cottages that made up a large part of Parnell, and that pieces were added to it over the decades. Floorboards change from kauri to rimu to matai, denoting where rooms were extended and added on. High, wide doorframes, and a high stud, are of turn-of-the-century villa proportions, while there is a 1930s-style bay window looking out of the lounge. The steep, narrow staircase leading up to two upstairs bedrooms recalls its cottage origins.

But far from being a hodge podge, this house embraces its varied history and spreads out with gracious ease. It's been lived in, and also cared for, not least by Rachael and her husband Matthew. In the three years they've lived here, they've done a complete cosmetic refurbishment inside and out, and also created one of the warmest old houses in town.

"A house we lived in before this one was new, and when we came here we nearly froze. We've insulated underneath and in the ceiling, put underfloor heating in the bathrooms and central heating through the rest of the house. Now it's toasty."

Just in time for the arrival of their first child, Joseph, nearly four months ago.

"It's been an extremely happy house - the one where we had our first baby - and in some ways I'm reluctant to leave it when we've had such a good run. But I want to move closer to my family round the bays - my sister had a baby just a few weeks before I had Joseph, and we're spending a lot of time together, and with our mum."

Matthew will miss the hop, skip and jump to his work in Newmarket - "if he has an appointment at 9am he leaves at five to," says Rachael.

The nearby Domain has been wonderful for exercising their "first baby": a German short-haired pointer called Jewel.

"It's 1.5km from here to the steps of the Museum - just right for a run there and back every morning," says Rachael. "Jewel loves chasing the ducks, which is what dogs like her were bred for, except she never catches them."

The family will be in the house just long enough this winter to enjoy one last show from the old magnolia tree in their front garden. Its buds are ready to burst and smother the branches in pink and white flowers.

Although we visited on one of the wettest days of the year, the living areas still captured plenty of light. The kitchen, family room and casual dining area, which flow out to a rear deck, are normally drenched in morning sun. The formal dining room and formal lounge enjoy sun in the afternoon. Upstairs, one of the bedrooms has views across Orakei Basin, and opens onto its own sunny terrace through French doors.

"When I first saw this place I loved the old fashioned, cottagey, family home feel of it. The living rooms seem spread out, yet you can walk around in a circle and pass through all of them. There are places to be together, and places to be alone."

One of those places might be the workshop in the double garage, a rare find in Parnell.

"I think men in Parnell weren't meant to have workshops," says Rachael. "Quite a few who have visited have been quite taken with that."

Such a luxurious bloke's space was possible due to the mysterious double-site nature of the property. Quite why that came to be, and why another home was never built beside this one, we may never know.

Vital Statistics

SIZE: Land 445sq m, house 170sq m.

INSPECT: Sunday 12-12.45pm, Thursday 12-12.30pm.

PRICE INDICATION: $1 million-plus. Auction July 24.

CONTACT: Megan Jaffe, Harcourts, ph 520 6114 bus, 021 611 461 mob.

FEATURES: Character two-level home with views from the upper floor. Family dining and living area, separate formal lounge and formal dining. Marble bathrooms with underfloor heating. Central heating throughout house. Workshop and loft in garage. Auckland Boys Grammar zone. Two doors from a friendly cafe.