123b Bassett Rd, Remuera, Auckland. Photo / Fiona Goodall / Getty Images
When Derek and Anne Drummond bought their Remuera section about 23 years ago, they had a vision of building an appealing, comfortable family home.
And they needed a fair amount of vision because at the time all there was on the bare site was a goat.
"He was called Morrison," laughs Derek, referring to the lawnmower brand.
They enlisted the help of architect David Stringer to build a multi-storey home on the private site at the end of a right-of-way.
"We wanted open plan living and easy indoor-outdoor access, and because we had two young boys at the time we were conscious of the deck area being contained and having a gate on it," says Anne.
Derek says: "Because you see the house as you are coming down the driveway, when we had it designed we wanted something that was appealing to the eye."
The classical styling of the plaster home is reinforced by features such as cedar shingles and wooden shutters.
The ground floor has a double garage and an undercover storage area, while the mid-level has the living areas, opening to a north-facing deck and patio.
Matai floors in the kitchen and family room give way to carpet in the adjoining dining room and lounge, which can be closed off.
Warmed by a woodburner and gas heating, the family room and kitchen open out to a large patio that is sheltered and private.
Bifold windows over one of the kitchen's stainless steel benches open out to the courtyard creating a servery and a connection with the outdoors.
"This set-up is great," says Derek.
"Even when you are in the kitchen you can interact with family and friends sitting outside."
Anne says: "And when the boys were younger if I was in the kitchen I could always keep an eye on them when they were playing out here."
There is a bedroom on this level, along with a separate toilet and a laundry that opens to a small courtyard at the rear. Upstairs are three more bedrooms. The smallest, which sits at the top of the landing and next to the master bedroom, is set up as an office.
"It was originally a nursery, because it is right next to our bedroom," says Anne.
Off the landing are the main bathroom, another bedroom and double doors which take you into the master bedroom, with walk-through wardrobe to the en suite.
Privacy is afforded by a mix of natives and exotics in the garden that Anne has been developing over the years.
The couple have enjoyed their home's central location, good schools, transport links and its proximity to parks, something Derek appreciated when he was coaching cricket and rugby.
With their boys getting on with their own lives, Anne and Derek are downsizing, but with no firm plans in mind.
Their vision for this property, though, should suit another family who want good schooling and a central location.
The mortgage is just the start of it.