"We searched for months and couldn't find anything. Then we had a call from an agent who said not to sign up to anything until we'd seen this house. We took one look, fell in love with it and bought it before it went on to the market," says Dianne.
The beauty of the solid kauri house, which has twin gables and a full-length front veranda is that, despite its formal appearance, it lends itself effortlessly to family living and has been a great gathering point over the years.
During World War II, the house was a home away from home for American GIs stationed nearby in Cornwall Park.
Dianne recalls a previous owner knocking on the door and showing her old photos of the soldiers sitting on the front steps with their trucks parked on the large, semi-circular front lawn that is now formally planted and fronted with beautiful, mature trees.
During last year's Rugby World Cup, the Whiteacres easily accommodated 12 overseas guests and the house was a convenient after-school gathering base for their daughter Charlotte's friends when she attended St Cuthbert's College nearby.
"We have photos of Charlotte and her friends sitting at the bottom of the stairs from her kindergarten days right through to the school balls. Our boys also had some great parties here. We have just loved filling up this big house with people."
Five bedrooms and four bathrooms spread over three levels, as well as a paved back courtyard garden with a swimming pool and spa, made life easy when the age gap between the Whiteacres' oldest and youngest children spanned 10 years.
"There has always been a space to go to for some peace and quiet."
A central stairway off the large hall where you enter the house leads upstairs to the master bedroom and en suite, two large double bedrooms and a bathroom.
The main living spaces on the central level include an informal family room and formal living room - both with cute, street-facing alcoves large enough for day beds, a formal dining room and a spacious farmhouse kitchen that catches the morning sun.
When the Whiteacres entertain large crowds, the hall acts as another room, creating a circular, easy flow between all these spaces.
As well as two bedrooms on this level, there is a fifth bedroom on the lower level, with its own bathroom and French doors that open on to the back courtyard.
Now that their youngest child is 21 and two of the others are living in London, the Whiteacres are ready to move into a smaller house and love the idea that another family with several children will enjoy this home as much as they have.
