SCHOOL ZONES:
Westmere Primary, Pasadena Intermediate, Western Springs College.
CONTACT:
Blair Haddow, Bayleys, 021 544 555 or 375 8494.
*Offstreet parking for two cars
Sonya and Zoran Jerkovic got a nice surprise when they decided to add an extra level to their Westmere home.
They ended up with lots of extra space, which they wanted, but they also got a great view across their neighbourhood to Waitemata Harbour, Hobsonville and the North Shore in the distance.
"We weren't really expecting that," says Sonya. "The first time I realised how it was going to look, I thought, 'Wow'. Now the sea view is one of my favourite things about the house."
The couple bought the then three-bedroom, one-bathroom bungalow 10 years ago because of its location just off Garnet Rd, and the fact that it faced north-west, so got lots of sun.
Previous owners had done a great job of renovating the back of the house to create an open-plan living/dining/kitchen area that opened out to a large covered deck.
The Jerkovics loved the house but, as their family grew -- they have three children, Luke, Emma and Kate -- so did their need for more space.
Building upwards seemed the obvious answer, and a draughtsman friend came up with a design for the second level that met council rules such as height-to-boundary restrictions and also provided Zoran and Sonya with a peaceful "grown-ups" sanctuary.
They moved out for five months while the work was carried out five years ago, and were delighted with the result.
The new level includes a large master bedroom with a wall of wardrobes hidden behind sliding doors, a study area cleverly tucked into the eaves and a roomy bathroom with striking black tiles and a monsoon head in the shower.
The room Sonya particularly loves is the upstairs lounge, which has a large picture window framing the harbour view, and allowing sunlight to flood in.
Image 1 of 9: The addition of a second storey reveals a sparkling outlook to sun and harbour
"It's so lovely being up here on a Sunday afternoon, the sun coming in and looking out at the view. I'm going to miss that."
When the extra level was added they took the opportunity to redecorate the rest of the house, putting in a new tiled bathroom downstairs and updating the kitchen with a stone benchtop and new tiles and cupboard doors.
What originally had been Zoran's and Sonya's bedroom is now the children's lounge, but it could easily be a fourth bedroom. Luke's bedroom has a large wardrobe as does the room his sisters share next door. The girls' room also has the bonus of a sunroom, which could be used as an office or even converted to an en suite.
One of the things Sonya likes about the house is the ample storage, including lots of cupboards in the laundry. Gas central heating is another luxury she can't imagine living without. "It is such a lovely warm house. We've got a gas fire in the living room but we only usually put it on for ambience when we have guests -- we don't need it."
A heater installed on the covered deck allows them to sit out there on all but the coldest days. "The deck is great for entertaining -- we've had a lot of kids' birthday parties over the years," says Sonya.
Sonya says they've been spoiled having the Westmere shops and great cafes like Catroux, Garnet Rd Food Store and Meola Kitchen a two-minute stroll away.
The house is also handy to Cox's Bay and Seddon Fields, and it's a 10-minute drive into the city.
In fact, the Jerkovics love the location so much they are not moving far -- they've bought a house two streets away.
"It's a renovation project, and we're planning on doing something very similar to what we have done here. We're so happy with the way it has turned out we want to do it all again!"
