"We also had teenagers and having a separate floor for them was a huge advantage for us as the parents.
"And the fact for us that it had no garden but it did have a swimming pool appealed."
Lizzie and Rosie say the townhouse has done their family proud.
They all enjoy entertaining, making use of popular Pasta Italia cafe nearby in Brighton Rd to cater for their grandparents' joint 70th birthday celebration - and the twins' own 21st birthday.
"We had 120 people here for our 21st and there was plenty of room here for everyone," says Rosie.
"It's a great house for a movie night or to go out by the pool. We've always got our mates around."
The property has double frontage, with the garage entrance from Brighton Rd. The guest entrance on Freemont St is by way of a keypad-entry gate, which opens into the pool area, with a walkway across to the house.
Here, the front door opens into the main living space - with the stairs on the left to the next two levels - and then the lounge area, opening to the pool through sliding glass doors, with a room division provided by a spectacular wood-panelled chimney, soaring three storeys high.
On the other side of the double-sided gas fireplace is the dining area and kitchen.
The benchtop of the kitchen island is polished concrete, matching the flooring, and other work benches are stainless steel with pull-down shutter doors to hide away kitchen appliances and pantry items.
Up on the second level are the twins' bedrooms and bathrooms, passing a floor-to-ceiling bookcase which Jan and Gary asked Priest to design so it is a feature while still blending in with the home's design.
Rosie's room and balcony faces Freemont St towards the harbour and has a view of Rangitoto Island; while Lizzie's is at the Brighton Rd end of the house.
How did the girls decide who had which room?
"We tossed a coin," says Lizzie.
Lizzie won the toss, but Rosie admits she sulked so hard that Lizzie gave in and let her sister take the room with the island view.
"We were 13 then," explains Rosie, "and now we have agreed that when this house sells and we go flatting, Lizzie will get first choice of rooms!"
More stairs lead to the level with large master bedroom, which also has a lovely shuttered balcony area with views out to Rangitoto.
"This would have to be my favourite area of the house," says Jan.
The en suite here, too, is impressively luxurious in size, with its double shower and double vanity and then also the option of an outdoors shower, which the twins say is great in summer.
The house is now for sale as Jan has a new role in Wellington.
"This house worked so well for us as a professional couple with teenagers," she says, "but it would also work well for a professional couple who don't have children as they could convert one of the bedrooms into a study."
The girls sigh as they contemplate leaving the family nest to go flatting. It's been so convenient, close to school and university and Parnell's cafes, plus their Mum's Auckland workplace was only an eight-minute commute door-to-door.
"It's great for Mum's career that she's moved to Wellington," says Lizzie, "but this has been our home so it's a bit sad.
"We'll have a swim in the pool as our last hurrah before wego."
