CONTACT:
Reg and Gena Adam, Mike Pero, 027 278 1500 (Reg) or 027 278 1400 (Gena).
AUCTION:
Saturday, December 13.
It's the kind of idyllic childhood we'd all love to give our kids.
Dean and Denise Bellingham's four boys have a big home where there's plenty of space for them and their friends to hang out but they can also spend time with their mates at the park or the beach down the road without their parents worrying.
That's been one of the big bonuses of living in Beachlands, a peaceful coastal settlement with great community spirit.
"We really wanted our kids to have the kind of childhoods we had when we were growing up, where it was safe to go out and play," says Denise. "We had been living in Manurewa. Here it just feels safer, like when we were kids."
Denise and Dean hadn't really considered Beachlands as a place to live until they dropped one of their boys off at a birthday party there 11 years ago. They liked the feel of the area and decided to visit some open homes while killing time before collecting him again.
"When we saw this place I walked in and thought, 'Wow, I can see us living here'," recalls Denise. "It had everything we needed."
The previous owners had done a great job of enlarging and updating the house, which was built around 1969.
Since moving in, the Bellinghams have carried out a few jobs, including decorating throughout, landscaping the garden, putting in a spa pool and turning the double garage downstairs into a rumpus room. Part of that space has been partitioned off and is now used as an extra bedroom.
They have also covered part of the spacious front deck so that even when it's raining they can still sit out and admire the stunning view of the water and Rangitoto island.
"It's a great outlook -- there is always something happening out on the water, from cruise ships coming in to yachts racing," says Denise.
The family has spent many happy hours on the front deck. When it gets too hot they can move to the back deck, which is also partly covered and gets the late afternoon sun. Just about every room in the house opens up to either one of the decks, which have been ideal for the boys -- Ryan, 16, Dallas, 14, Nathan, 12 and Kingston, 5 -- to play on over the years. There's also plenty of space on the flat rear lawn to kick a ball around.
Another feature is that the master bedroom is at the opposite end of the house to the boys' rooms.
"I can come in here for some peace and quiet," she says.
The master suite, which includes a bathroom with a spa bath and separate shower and a large walk-in wardrobe, was part of the extension added on by the previous owners, and they certainly didn't stint on space.
"I couldn't believe it when I first walked in -- it's huge," says Denise. The living room, dining room and kitchen are also generous, with plenty of room for the whole family as well as the boys' friends, who seem to spend a lot of time there.
Image 1 of 9: Space to spread out in a safe neighbourhood by the beach -- it's every parent's dream
"I'll lose one child to a sleepover and then gain two others," says Denise. "But that's what it's like around here -- the kids are in and out of each others' homes."
With four boys, the large laundry -- which was the original kitchen and has lots of built-in cupboards -- has been a godsend.
Denise and Dean have got their eye on an even bigger house nearby. "We don't want to leave the neighbourhood -- I couldn't imagine living anywhere else," says Denise.
