Remuera: Stars, sails and furry friends

Photo / Geoff Dale

For the home-seeker wanting views and proximity, a sky-house in Remuera's Oakridge apartment building may be the answer. Richard Pamatatau reports.

10 Middleton Road, Remuera.

They say you can tell a lot about a place by the people you meet on the way in - and just inside the porte-cochere of Oakridge on Middleton Road, the chatty well-groomed lady with a bob gave Heraldhomes the local run-down.

With her Louis Vuitton bag, comfortable layered cream and beige clothing and obvious affection for the building, it was a good start and she was more than happy to stop and talk on her way out to Newmarket.

Like many in this almost sold-out Perron development, she's a Kiwi who has lived in and out of the country for years and enjoys apartment living and its conveniences.

Her sixth-floor home, while only four below the penthouse level, is a wonderful place to live with its closeness to everything, she says, and of course there is always the lock-up-and-leave factor.

" We love this building because it is beautifully made, the other residents are lovely and while we don't work much anymore, it's close to town for meetings and those things."

Real estate agent Joan Vujcich, an apartment convert, is marketing the complex and sold its neighbour Ascot, which was built by Australian outfit Mirvac. She is a penthouse girl who is never going back to the suburbs where she brought up her family.

"This building is made to last with quality materials and, of course, the views from my penthouse are to die for and cannot be built out."

She and Oakridge resident David Rainbow consider it a very special property.

"That's why it has attracted a certain sort of buyer, including some quite famous but private people," she says.

Joan says the 200sq m apartment on the ninth floor is one of the best spaces on the market. One of four, it occupies the northern end of the building and offers security and comfort. There is space to bring up a family, or it could be a bolt-hole for an older couple quitting a large home.

Sliding and stacking glass doors across the front of the main living area harness the verandah space to create indoor-outdoor flow. And because the view over the Orakei Basin to Rangitoto is so expansive the big apartment seems bigger.

And for the person with a love for stars, sailing and community, a strategically placed telescope could provide hours of distraction, whether watching the night sky, harbour or comings and goings across the valley.

The building allows residents to keep small cats and dogs, and level nine has its own pussy which has had the foresight to claim balcony rights across the front of the building.

The master bedroom has a large, walk-in wardrobe, dressing room and bathroom.

There are two other bedrooms with plenty of wardrobe space - one of them would make a superb reading room - for owners wanting somewhere to reflect while gazing west to Mt Eden over Newmarket.

Even though Newmarket is busy this sky house is quiet. You could be a million miles away from the city's bustle.

Visitors can be identified by the security system. There is also a fully equipped gym. The body corporate fee is $6000 a year, which ensures the building is maintained and the lawns are mowed.

Vital Statistics

SIZE: 200sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: $2.2 million.

INSPECT: By appointment.

CONTACT: Joan Vujcich at Perron, ph 021 330 778 or 0508 PERRON.

FEATURES: Stunning views, solid construction, close to Newmarket, large rooms , good security, small dogs and cats allowed, lots of storage, pool, gym and outdoor gardens with lawns.