Family first on many levels in St Marys Bay

17 Cameron Street, St Marys Bay, Auckland. Photo / Ted Baghurst

17 CAMERON ST ST MARYS BAY

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SIZE: Land 668sq m, house 443sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: In excess of CV of $2.92 million. Tender closes August 30.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 1-1.30pm.

ON THE WEB: barfoot.co.nz/456828

SCHOOL ZONES: Ponsonby Primary School, Ponsonby Intermediate School, Auckland Girls' Grammar School, Western Springs College.

CONTACT: Brian and Jan Parish, Barfoot & Thompson Ponsonby, ph 376 3039 or 021 924 858.

FEATURES: A six-year-old, three-storey home in St Marys Bay, with wide harbour views from the top-floor master suite and the spacious living area and deck on the central floor. Downstairs is a self-contained guest suite with its own private courtyard. Also pool and cabana.

The very feature that first drew Helen and Mike Moore to their St Marys Bay home is now the reason they're leaving.

The size of the nearly new home was the deciding factor when they bought it four years ago. Helen's young granddaughter and her nanny had moved in with the couple, and they wanted a house that would accommodate them all comfortably - giving Helen and Mike plenty of space for retreating and entertaining, the nanny her own quarters, and plenty of spots for the little girl and her friends to play.

They hadn't been looking for a new house when Helen decided to pop into the open home along popular Cameron St near the top of the hill in St Marys Bay. Helen, who had lived in the suburb for more than 15 years, had known that property was so tightly held on to that her chances of finding a home that better suited them were low.

But there it was - all 443sq m and three storeys of it. On the central floor a large open-plan living area and a bedroom both opened to a wraparound deck. Downstairs was a self-contained guest suite with its own living area and courtyard. Upstairs was a spacious master suite with an extra room that could be used as a study or nursery, opening to a deck. Even the garage was enormous - with room for four cars - and reached by an internal lift so there'd be no need to lug groceries up the stairs.

"It was going to suit us so well," says Helen. "For the family and the lifestyle."

Not only would Helen be able to stay in the suburb she loved, but she would be upgrading to grandstand views of Waitemata Harbour. The house, built by its then owner, a builder, was designed to capitalise on the views. From the master bedroom, the scenery sweeps around from the Auckland Harbour Bridge in the west, past Rangitoto Island and to the city in the east. Helen says the entire scene sparkles at night.

So the couple put in a tender, and won. Their granddaughter really got lucky when they subsequently installed a gas-heated pool, reached through the house via a new cabana room. They also added Cromwell schist surrounds to the two fireplaces in the living area, for interest and texture.

The house was so conducive to flexible living that when Helen's granddaughter moved out, the nanny and her partner stayed on in the guest suite. "We could go a whole week without seeing them," says Helen. "Anna and I would meet in the laundry when we were folding our washing."

Helen says the house has worked brilliantly for them because it's so flexible. After the nanny moved out, Helen's elderly father moved in - and the lift really paid its dues.

It's also been ideal for entertaining - the house has effortlessly hosted a friend's wedding, the nanny's engagement party and several big birthday parties.

But now that it's just Helen and Mike and their two Retradoodles living in the home, it's hard to justify all that extra space, especially since they travel a lot and spend as much of their summers as possible on their boat.

"There are a lot of areas we don't use," says Helen. "Sometimes, we go a week only living on the top level if we're out a few nights and not using the kitchen."