St Heliers: Solid values

A former developer snared a prime site and built her home to last, writes Donna Fleming.

1 Brookfield St, St Heliers.

Val Cottle admits she knows far more about house building than she does about housework. The Auckland woman doesn't enjoy cooking but does like planning kitchens.

She's very knowledgeable when it comes to construction methods and can chat quite happily about plumbing, grouting and roofing.

A property developer until she retired three years ago, Val amassed a wealth of experience and knowledge during the 30-plus years she spent building homes for other people. So when it came to constructing her own dream home, she knew exactly what she wanted.

She found the perfect site in Brookfield Street, St Heliers.

The section, with a rundown home, had stunning views across tennis courts, a bowling green and a reserve to the beach and Rangitoto. After a bidding war with another would-be purchaser, it was hers.

"I knew from experience how difficult it was to find land in St Heliers. This site was ideal because it faces north, has wonderful views and can't be built out," says Val, who built and sold homes while her husband Alex had his own milk round. "It was a prime piece of land and I was determined to have it."

When it came to building on the site she remembered a Mediterranean-style home she'd seen in a magazine on architecture in Florida and decided she wanted something similar, with a large, arched front door, terracotta roof tiles and shutters on the windows.

She made good use of the sloping section by having the house built over three levels. The top floor has the imposing entrance from the street, the formal and informal living areas, a dining room, study or third lounge, gourmet kitchen and a powder room.

A floor down are the bedrooms and bathroom and below that, on the ground floor, are the laundry, games room/home theatre and the double garage.

Val also had some very definite ideas about how she wanted the house to be constructed. It is built almost completely from masonry - even the floors and most of the internal walls are concrete.

Only the walls between the formal and informal lounges and the dining room are made of wooden framing.

"Having so much of the house built of concrete made life a bit more difficult when it came to things like putting in the plumbing but it means it's a very solid house that will last a very long time."

Val may not be a keen cook but didn't stint on anything when it came to the kitchen. It has granite benchtops, a top-of-the-range Ilve gas cooker, plus a Bosch convection oven, a built-in cappuccino machine and a separate preparation area tucked out of sight where you could make lots of mess and not be seen by guests.

Val's must-have list for her home included glass balustrades on the decks so the views are not obstructed, limestone tiles for all floors that are not carpeted, and a lift.

She's added thoughtful little touches, like an outdoor shower by the pool and automatic lights triggered by a sensor in the laundry, which has no windows, and the lower stair case.

It took 15 months to build the house. A couple of months before work was due to finish, Val, who was widowed 11 years ago, decided for health reasons that it would be better to sell it and instead build a smaller home on one level. "It is a shame because I've put a lot into it to get it how I wanted it," she says. "But hopefully someone else will appreciate it."

Vital Statistics

SIZE: Land 625sq m, house 456sq m, decks 58sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: Upwards of $4m. Tenders close July 20.

INSPECT: By appointment.

CONTACT: Karin Cooper, Barfoot & Thompson, ph 575 9079, 0274 912 158 mob.

FEATURES: New Mediterranean-style solid masonry home, two gas fires, underfloor heating throughout, heated swimming pool, landscaped grounds, wired for sound with speakers on decks as well as living areas, games room wired for home theatre, lift.