Go for greener pastures in Kumeu

28 Broadwood Rise, Kumeu. Photo / Geoff Dale

28 BROADWOOD RISE KUMEU

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SIZE: Land 1ha (approx), house 320sq m plus 130sq m covered verandas.

PRICE INDICATION: CV $1.3 million. Auction October 13.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 1pm-2pm.

ON THE WEB: www.bayleys.co.nz/150438

SCHOOL ZONES: Riverhead School, Massey High plus buses to North Shore schools.

CONTACT: Bridget Dickson, Bayleys, ph 831 0413 or 021 616 017.

FEATURES: Brick Queenslander-style house with high-quality construction. Three-metre high ceilings, work-from-home wing, mains gas, flood-lit tennis court and heated outdoor living lifts this lifestyle-block house into a class of its own.

What's immediately striking about Ian and Fiona Rosenberg's home in a sunny, tucked-away enclave on the rolling hills behind Kumeu is its wide sheltering verandas and solid brick walls.

Closer inspection, however, only adds to this impression of strength and maturity, for this is no ordinary house. Ian built it himself, ticking every box and micro-managing every detail. "I was determined that this should be a home not just a house," he says.

"Going that bit further is often just time and I didn't mind giving this. It's partly my personality and partly the way I learnt from my father."

As a result, this house abounds with small but telling details, both aesthetic and practical. There's the meticulously calculated chamfering of the roof timbers, which support the wide eaves of the covered verandas, to the height of the veranda roof beams. Then there's the lowering of the window sills, carefully designed to maximise winter light and warmth while keeping the interior cool in summer.

When Ian and Fiona designed the house 10 years ago, their children were tiny. They wanted a house "they could grow into", with a layout that worked for parents with small children but also with enough separation for teenagers. The result is a masterpiece of well-considered design with four bedrooms, three living spaces, three-and-a-half bathrooms and lots of storage.

"One thing I'd noticed when building was the amount of room wasted in hallways," says Ian. "We wanted to be able to use every metre.For example, that's why the children's living room also acts almost as an over-sized lobby to the guest wing and garages. Also because most of the rooms have doors to the outside and the eaves over the verandas are so wide, there's a passageway around the house no matter what the weather."

The centre of the home is the large farmhouse-style kitchen with African granite surfaces. Along with the family dining and living areas, this heavily used area has under-floor heating while the adjacent formal living and dining space has a gas fire. Unlike many country areas, Broadwood Rise is serviced with mains gas, plus high-speed internet cabling and three-phase power.

At the easterly end is the bedroom wing with the windows strategically placed for the sun. Through a sound and fireproof wall is the self-contained guest quarters, and Fiona's office.

Outside, under a pergola which in summer is shaded by a copiously fruiting Albany Surprise grape vine and kept warm in winter by a stone fireplace, is the outdoor living area. "This is one of the areas we use the most. Big orange moon, raging fire, music blaring, kids riding their bikes on the tennis court under the floodlights ... fun times," remembers Ian with a smile.

With direct access from the outside and a handy parking area is Fiona's hairdressing business. "It's taken me 10 years to persuade her to move," laughs Ian.

"But her salon is just too small now. That was the deciding thing for Fiona. For me, I've got several houses in my head I want to build and I just want the excitement of doing one. We've already started on the design for the next one. It'll be unique. Can't wait!"