SCHOOL ZONES:
Remuera Primary and Intermediate, double Grammar zone.
CONTACT:
Roy Champtaloup, ph 027 555 5557.
A call from their agent to view this early 1900s bay villa on the northern side of Remuera's Ohinerau St intrigued Paul and Carol Lovrich, but they weren't holding their breaths.
They were open-home-weary, having traipsed around at least 100 homes after selling their Herne Bay house and renting in Remuera.
But this weatherboard and iron roof bay villa was special.
"Our agent said it would be perfect for us as we had three young children and so did the family selling," says Paul.
Paul recalls his first impressions: four bedrooms, one level, flat section. "I remember standing at the kitchen bench looking out at the garden and thinking this would be great for a young family. I practically bought it on the spot. But I said there was one condition -- I had better let Carol come and have a look at it."
Carol, at home with 3-week-old twins Max and Millie and older sister Jessie, arrived at the house as fast as babies that little allows. She, too, had no hesitation in signing on the dotted line. "By that night we were the new owners," says Paul.
The attractive villa has a covered roller-door access carport for two cars at the streetfront, with entry from here along the return veranda or through the gate and camellia-lined path to the stained glass front door. The formal lounge is on the right from the hall, with another door through to the kitchen/dining and living.
From the hall, bedrooms one, two and three plus the master bedroom with en suite, are on the left as is the family bathroom.
Then you have the hallway door, again with beautiful leadlight, opening to the family room, kitchen, dining and lounge, and bifold doors to the kwila deck, backyard and the pool the Lovrichs added, plus trampoline, playhouse and Jessie's practice netball goal.
The house has been painted but the couple have kept the home authentic to its heritage. They especially love the ornate plaster ceiling in the formal lounge.
"That sold me, plus the garden," says Carol. "It's not a huge house but it works well for our family."
In their decade here, the children attended local primary schools and now are at intermediate and high school.
Ohinerau St has been a great family base for Paul and Carol, who work in Newmarket, and for the children's sports and extracurricular activities.
Carol's and Paul's workplace is handy enough to pop home for lunch. And there are supermarkets, shops, cafes and restaurants nearby in Remuera and Newmarket.
Paul says over the years they have looked at other open-homes -- such as when the kids wanted a pool. But they soon concluded this home was exactly what the family needed, and Paul, who has a background in landscaping, hired a digger and dug out space for the 8m x 4m in-ground heated pool, then he and Carol landscaped and planted the back yard, leaving enough room for the kids to run around.
They also renovated inside, adding the master bedroom's en suite, painting, recarpeting and revamping the second bathroom to match the style of the new en suite.
