Remuera: Larger than life

A rambling home with a pool and a tennis court is just too much for a maturing family.

4 Waiata Avenue, Remuera.

Lots of storage space is always top of the wish list for a large family, and older homes don't always deliver on this score.

Number 4 Waiata Avenue in Remuera, however, is different. The 1920s home has got storage galore, and the beauty is it's all original and crafted of oak.

Each of the six bedrooms has good-sized, built-in wardrobes, some with sets of drawers incorporated into the shelving.

The cupboard space in the master bedroom is a work of art. Almost an entire wall is devoted to a vast, built-in wardrobe with mirrored doors. Just in case this doesn't cut it, there's also a walk-in wardrobe.

In the en suite there's a built-in oak vanity with little drawers down both sides, which are the ideal size for stashing all those lotions and potions.

On the lower level, the games room has a whole wall of oak shelving and cupboard space.

Owners Sheridan and Andrew Harmos knew they were on to a winner when they discovered the property was on the market eight years ago.

With four children - Nick, 18, Sophie, 16, Georgia, 14, and 11-year-old Phoebe - and all their gear in tow, a spacious home was all-important.

"We were renovating a place in Epsom at the time, and it was a huge job," says Sheridan. "We learned this place was on the market, it was the ideal size for us and ready to move into, so we got in quick and snapped it up."

Since they've been there, they've repainted, re-carpeted and re-wallpapered. They also installed a smart new kitchen a year ago, with marble benchtops and splashbacks, a pull-out filing cabinet-style drawer under the built-in seating to stop the paper mountains and a compactor.

The home's long list of character features includes a stunning fireplace in the formal lounge with an oak-panelled mantelpiece, herringbone oak parquet floors, leadlight windows and ornate plaster ceilings.

The large dining area sits between the formal lounge and the family snug, which is handy for the kitchen.

Up the carpeted stairs, with an oak balustrade, there are two bedrooms, a bathroom (with wonderful pink flamingo wallpaper chosen by Georgia and Phoebe), the master suite and an office, which is really another bedroom.

The two older children, Nick and Sophie, have their bedrooms in the self-contained area downstairs. As well as the games room, there's a bathroom, the laundry, a large wine cellar and a small kitchen.

This floor opens to the gas-heated swimming pool and patio area, which has a lovely arbour covered with wisteria. The floodlit tennis court is at the back of the section.

An English-style garden at the front, with a gorgeous jacaranda tree, has neat box hedging, roses and small pockets of lawn.

Sheridan remembers the children's birthday parties, the sleep-overs and the big leaving party that friends threw for them before they moved to New York to live for a year.

"We had tables set out all through the house, it was really lovely," she says. "We rented the house out while we were away, and when we came back we had to wait quite a while before we could move back in, which wasn't much fun. We just wanted to get back into our house."

These days, Sheridan and Andrew find that the family doesn't make the most of the space they have. "With Nick away studying in Otago and the girls out a lot, we don't seem to be here much to use what we've got here," says Sheridan. But they're not going far, and they will be sorry to say goodbye to the place.

"It's a lovely home and we've loved living here," she says.

Vital Statisics

BEDROOMS: 6

BATHROOMS: 3+

GARAGE: 2

SIZE: Land area 1400sq m.

PRICE: Interest expected around $4 million. Price by negotiation.

INSPECT: By appointment.

CONTACT: Adele Clegg, Barfoot & Thompson, phone 524 0149 bus, 529 5296 ah or 021 946 186 mob.

FEATURES: 1920s family home in Remuera with bags of original character features, including leadlight windows and built-in oak cabinetry. A new kitchen, heaps of storage, a gas-heated swimming pool, floodlit tennis court, English-style gardens and a large wine cellar are all part of the package.