Wanganui: Clicking into place

A Kiwi living in London moved to Wanganui after buying a home on the internet, writes Lucy Richmond. 

5 Edmonds Drive, Wanganui 

It's one thing surfing the internet for a bargain on TradeMe, but Valerie Gardiner prefers to buy bigger items, like houses. Having lived in London for 24 years and following the death of her husband, she decided it was time to come home to New Zealand. The question she faced was where would she and her two teenage children, Pascale and Luke, live? 

Weighing up the pros and cons of the big cities, beach locations and even Australia, Valerie decided on Wanganui, which is where she went to school. 

From London she spent a year talking to real estate agents in the area and getting friends to send newspapers. 

"My parents viewed a hefty percentage of the Wanganui property market while I checked out the internet sites daily," says Valerie. 

"Wanganui is full of lovely old houses, and I was sure I would find my New Zealand treasure, which I could restore. But when I was looking they were hard to come by or they had some flaw that made them less desirable."
 
Just when Valerie thought she would have to rent and continue her search when she got here, No. 5 Edmonds Drive in St Johns Hill caught her eye. 

"It even had what they called a prayer room, which is now my office." 

Finally arriving in Wanganui after a three-month trip around South America, the Gardiners were eager to check out their new family home. 

"We had only ever seen the house on the internet, so you could imagine the air of expectation. Our arrival on a damp November day was timed to perfection as we turned up at exactly the same time as our container. 

"Pascale and Luke raced around baggsing bedrooms, while the remnants of our life in London surrounded us in boxes." 

Along with its six bedrooms, three bathrooms, formal living rooms and large kitchen, the home boasts an impressive list of extras, including a gym, three balconies on the first floor, laundry chute between the levels, sauna, central heating and a heated swimming pool, which Valerie put in. 

"The house would particularly suit someone who could work from home," she says. "I have found commuting to Auckland no trouble at all - either from Wanganui or Palmerston North, which is 50 minutes away but with more flights. I can be in Sydney in five hours, I can take a relaxing three-hour drive and visit the Hawkes Bay vineyards, or be skiing on Mt Ruapehu." 

Valerie and the children love the property, but after two years they are moving on to embark on a new project. 

"The house met all of our expectations, but we have found something we love even more. 

"It's an old four-storey warehouse by the river with a restaurant, which I am looking forward to developing. I am planning to build an apartment on the top floor of the building." 

Vital Statistics 

BEDROOMS: 6 
 
BATHROOMS: 3 

GARAGE: 2+ 

SIZE: Land 1762sq m, house 368sq m. 

PRICE: $920,000. 

VIEW: By appointment. 

CONTACT: Anne Williams, Bayleys Wanganui, ph 06 348 0573 bus, or 0274 501 929 mob.

FEATURES: Architecturally designed, contemporary family home with gym, prayer room, three balconies, heated swimming pool, sauna, central vacuum system, central heating and extensive landscaping.