Titirangi: Who bought that house?

Running for home

57 Kohu Road, Titirangi.

CV: $640,000

Sold for: $710,000.

Sold by: Harveys Titirangi, ph 817 8011.

Long distance running can take a lot out of you, but usually not $710,000.

But when Titirangi couple June and Steve McGowan spotted the open home sign outside 57 Kohu Road during their regular run up Mount Atkinson, they fancied a closer look.

"Within five minutes of walking in the house, Steve and I looked at each other and said, 'We like it'," recalls June.

The McGowans have lived in Titirangi for more than 20 years, restoring an elegant 80-year-old villa and filling it with antique furniture and rugs. This, too, was bought on instinct after Steve, recently arrived in New Zealand from Liverpool, fell in love with the Waitakere bush suburbs when playing soccer at Green Bay.

"We've looked round loads of houses, but never felt we could do better than our lovely old house with its fireplaces and matai floors," June insists.

June and Steve laugh that they are the happy owners of a heated pool and a modern house with floor to ceiling windows taking in the sweeping views; things they didn't know they wanted eight weeks ago (the house made Heraldhomes' cover on March 12).

Much as they love the work done on the house by the previous owners, June and Steve have some plans to add their own touches, introducing vintage wood doors to complement their antiques.