SCHOOL ZONES:
In walking distance of King's College
and Otahuhu College
CONTACT:
Aaron and Sonya Telfar, ph 0274 485
965
When Aroha Haggie and Gavin Scott bought their 1890 homestead in the heart of the bustling South Auckland suburb of Otahuhu nine years ago, they couldn't wait to find out all about its history.
"I discovered that it was built by the Johnston family, who had a local saddlery business," Aroha explains.
It would have been a farmhouse with no other homes for kilometres around, which is a bit hard to imagine now. "We are just its fifth owners."
Despite a very central location, the house is neatly concealed from the busy road at the front by a large fence and, with views to Sturges Park at the rear, it still has a country-living sort of feel about it.
There's a two-car garage and off-street parking for at least four more cars.
"I think it's the most solidly built house I've ever seen," says Gavin with evident pride. "The whole place is double-brick with solid kauri used everywhere - even the piles are kauri - and the wall linings are gib on sarking, so it's incredibly quiet and warm."
"It had a bit of a wild colour scheme at the time we bought it, though," says Aroha, shuddering as she remembers the orange lounge and purple bathroom.
"We had to do a very urgent repainting job in some of the rooms."
A huge basement is ideal for a rumpus, storage purposes or a home gym, while on the main floor sit four generous bedrooms, two of which still have fireplaces. The master bedroom at the back has glorious park views and is so private no curtains are even necessary.
The living room has a warm and friendly vibe, featuring built-in shelving and another fireplace.
A huge and handsome modern bathroom with quality fixtures and fittings has his-and-hers basins, a necessary feature for this busy couple - Aroha works in healthcare management while Gavin is an engineer.
The pair are developing their food business, Scott's Baked Goods, on the side. Needless to say, the kitchen and dining areas are magnets for friends and family. The exposed brick in the dining room is a distinctive design feature and, while the bright fanlights in the kitchen are a later addition to the original house, they fit in perfectly.
Aroha loves to prepare food for her loved ones here, gazing out across the large backyard with its English country-style garden.
Expansive terraces are ideal for family gatherings, of which there have been many. "My whanau just love coming here to stay with us," says Aroha. "And they have been hugely helpful, too," she adds. "We installed a new roof and new spouting, and everybody got on board and helped."
The couple also love the neighbourhood with its myriad cafes and restaurants, and melting pot of cultures. "We like to buy local when we can and there are lots of lovely little fruit and vegetable shops nearby. But Sylvia Park is just five minutes' down the road, too, so that's been wonderfully convenient."
Aroha and Gavin are selling their heritage-protected homestead to open up options for their business, but also because they feel the house is a little big for them. "I think it needs a family," Aroha says. "There's just so much space both inside and out in the garden for kids to play and pets to run around. We'll miss it but we have lots of exciting things ahead and we'll always have lovely memories of our time here."
