Hush in the city

35 Gibraltar Crescent, Parnell. Photo / Michelle Hyslop

35 GIBRALTAR CRES, PARNELL

5

4

2*

SIZE: Land 505sq m and 1/3 share in 1235sq m; house 353sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: CV $1.68 million. Auction April 9

INSPECT: Sun 2pm-2.45pm or by appointment

ON THE WEB: raywhite.co.nz/BDW20588

SCHOOL ZONES: Parnell primary and intermediates, Auckland Grammar, Epsom Girls' Grammar

CONTACT: Linda Galbraith, ph 021 966 028

FEATURES: *Plus two off-street

John-Paul Brisigotti is from Central London and is used to the hustle and bustle of a large city, so when he and wife Queise moved to Auckland nearly 10 years ago they tried living harbour-side in Ponsonby for a while.

While they wanted to be in the centre of the action they didn't want all the chaos and noise that went with it, but neither did they want the suburbs.

"One of the things that attracted us to Parnell is that Parnell is wonderfully in the middle of everything but not the noisy bit," says John-Paul. "It's nice and sedate."

The couple also decided to look for a new house instead of an old one. John-Paul owns a Georgian house in London that is more than 200 years old with five creaky floors.

The house they chose here is only seven years old and comes complete with five bedrooms, four bathrooms - and quiet stairs.

The house has everything you need, he says, from spaciousness to Miele appliances in the kitchen. "But down here what has surprised us most is that you can hear a pin drop in the evening," he says.

"There is not a car going by. The Domain, obviously as your back door, blocks out a lot but even my parents, when they came the first time from London, said it's literally silent here and you would never know you were right in the heart of the city."

John-Paul says what caught his eye first was the large entrance-way that opens to a nearly 10m vertical space, and includes the stairs up and down. On the mezzanine floor is a big skylight, another space for the two children to watch TV, and the other bedrooms.

The master bedroom overlooks the Domain and has an en suite with a large spa bath, and the house has a central vacuum system.

John-Paul runs a toy soldier business called Battlefront that makes war games and miniature models, and has dedicated the fifth bedroom, on the main floor, as his office and gaming space.

"I basically make hobbies for a living. I'm like a big boy who's never grown up," he says.

Image 1 of 6: 35 Gibraltar Crescent, Parnell. Photo / Michelle Hyslop

"We specialise in games based on cult TV shows, so Spartacus for example, and we're about to launch one for Sons of Anarchy the TV show, but we also make table-top miniature games for World War II and other historical periods."

The bathroom to his office has been turned into a room for Aires, the couple's golden retriever, while the walk-in wardrobe is used to house what look like hundreds of DVDs and games.

They are selling up because they are relocating to the United States where John-Paul has two companies; he has another two in England and a factory in Malaysia. The head office and design studio is staying in Auckland, but Aires will be on the same plane to the US as the family.