SCHOOL ZONES:
Newmarket Primary School, Remuera Intermediate School, double Grammar.
CONTACT:
Steve Williams, 027 295 6153, or Caroline Yau, 021 618 211, Ray White.
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST:
Close 4pm August 13.
When Barbara and Murray Lilley decided to move back to New Zealand from Australia, they had a definite idea of the home they wanted but not much time to find it.
So in 1999 Barbara left Canberra to come to Auckland with "only a few days to look".
"A lot of the places I was shown were dark and poky," she recalls. "But when I saw this house, I loved the views and the light."
It also met Murray's requirements of being centrally located, having a home office and "a bit of a garden for entertaining but not too much".
And the location meant that their three daughters could go to Epsom Girls' Grammar.
Built in 1994, the home was one of the first in the Broadway Park development and Murray remembers when they moved in they were "surrounded by grass".
Things changed a lot in the following years but the home has retained its privacy, views and sunlight due to its elevation and the way it and the other houses around it are oriented.
At the end of a right of way, the two-storey dwelling has an internal-access double garage with what was the third garage space converted seamlessly into a large office for Murray.
A hallway runs behind his office to the garage and has a wall of cupboards concealing wine racks.
A bedroom with en suite is across the foyer from where under-house storage is accessed.
The upstairs level has views to the north and east over the valley linking with the recently restored and revegetated Newmarket Park.
Murray says walkways through the park connecting it with Hobson Bay are one of the home's pleasures along with its proximity to Auckland Domain and Parnell.
A gas fire warms the east-facing main lounge and dining room, which has timber floors and a balcony running its length with views over the valley.
Image 1 of 5: Exquisite flowers frame outdoor space that only requires a quick, light touch
This room also has a wall of glazed doors to the north, providing access to the back lawn.
Adjoining the lounge is a north-facing open plan kitchen and family room that flows to the outdoor entertaining area framed by a luxuriant bougainvillea.
The kitchen/family room also has timber floors as well as a timber-sarked ceiling.
Glazing on the northern and eastern sides fills the space with light and invites you outside where the tiled patio steps down to a small lawn framed by a camellia hedge.
"It's very sheltered and private out here and especially in summer it's great for entertaining," says Murray.
It's also easy to maintain.Murray says it takes him 20 minutes to knock the lawns into shape and a minimal amount of time on the weekend to keep the garden tidy.
Behind the kitchen is a separate and fully fitted laundry. The main bathroom and separate toilet is further down the hallway.
On this level there are three bedrooms with the master having both an en suite and walk-in wardrobe.
Murray works from home a lot, so he says the fibre-optic ultra-fast broadband -- enjoyed by all members of the Broadway Park Residents Society -- has been a huge blessing.
Other shared facilities include two swimming pools, spa, gyms, sauna and tennis courts.
Now their daughters have left home, the couple are looking to downsize.
