St Marys Bay - Added value

REVAMP: The old deck (left) was one of the many features that were ripped out and replaced to make the home more comfortable.

76 St Marys Bay Road, St Marys Bay.

It's hard to believe that this stunning, newly renovated St Marys Bay villa was once considered so unattractive, no one wanted to buy it. No one, that is, apart from current owners Suzanne and Bruce.

``We had been looking for a house for 18 months, going to lots of open homes,'' says Suzanne. ``We thought the house was out of our league but the agent persuaded us to come to the auction. We turned out to be the only ones bidding and suddenly we owned it.''

Two weeks after the auction the couple moved in. They knew that the three-storey house was perfect for them despite the fact that it needed a total renovation from top to bottom. Its exterior was an insipid pale blue, the rear deck was illegal, and the back garden covered in bricks. Inside, faded red carpets and 1950s formica benches disguised many of the original features.

``The worst part of the house was the funny little granny flat on the ground floor,'' says Suzanne.

Coping with these conditions was not easy but the couple was determined to live in the house for a reasonable period before renovating. ``You have to live in a place first to see what works and what doesn't work,'' Suzanne explains.

When they did eventually start their renovations 18 months later, they had to gut the entire lower floor. A new concrete floor was built at a lower level to correct the stud heights and new plumbing, wiring, drainage and wall linings were also installed.

What was a haphazard arrangement of dark spaces is now a light-filled space with well-proportioned rooms off a wide central hallway that leads directly to the garden. To one side of the hallway are a large laundry and storage area, a bathroom and a bedroom with two more spacious bedrooms on the other side.

The main living rooms upstairs are equally impressive. The 70s-style kitchen has been transformed into a sleek contemporary space with brushed stainless steel appliances and wide, laminate charcoal bench tops.

Both dining and adjoining living room open onto the newly built deck at the rear of the house and overlook the garden. The neutral colour palette of putty, cream, charcoal and black brings the rooms into this century while at the same time enhancing traditional features such as the fireplace, panelled doors and wide matai floorboards.

Outside, new steps lead down from the deck into the private, subtropical garden.

One of Suzanne's favourite rooms is the small sitting room at the front of the house. ``I think it could make a nice library,'' she says. French doors connect this room to the wide verandah and front garden with its small, but perfectly formed emerald green lawn and bubbling water feature.

``The existing 70s peach plastic theme in the bathrooms was a real horror story,'' remembers Suzanne. She opted for the same contemporary colours, materials and fittings for each of the three bathrooms _ putty coloured ceramic tiles, square sinks and stainless steel fittings.

From the top level of the house you can see the harbour and Westhaven marina while enjoying the tranquillity of the large master bedroom. There's also another lounge area up here that could be used as an office plus a fifth bedroom or dressing room and a bathroom.

``That's the amazing thing about this house. It has an enormous amount of space that is certainly not apparent from the street.''
So much room in fact that Suzanne and Bruce now feel that it is too big for just the two of them. ``We need something smaller,'' she says, ``but for a family, it's the perfect house.''

VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 5

BATHROOMS: 3

GARAGES: 2

SIZE: Land 364sq m, house 307sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: CV $1.37 million. Auction 6.30pm, November 2.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 2-2.40pm, Wed 6-6.30pm.

CONTACT: Daryl Spense, Ray White Ponsonby, ph 376 2186, 021 955 387.

ON THE WEB: www.rwponsonby.co.nz # PON11180

SCHOOL ZONES: Ponsonby Primary, Ponsonby Intermediate, Western Springs College, Auckland Girls Grammar.

FEATURES: Character villa features including matai floors, fireplaces, high stud and verandah. Three separate living areas. New kitchen with gas hob and electric stove. Heating. Private garden. Views of harbour.