Leading character in a great plot in Remuera

154 Upland Road, Remuera. Photo / Ted Baghurst

154 UPLAND RD REMUERA

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SIZE: Land 646sq m, house 209sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: 2008 CV $1.58 million. Auction on site, Sunday August 7 at 2pm (unless sold prior).

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 2-2:30pm.

ON THE WEB: rwremuera.co.nz/RMU20718

SCHOOL ZONES: Meadowbank Primary, Remuera Intermediate, Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls' Grammar.

CONTACT: Steen Nielsen, ph 0275 578 336 or 520 7661 and Megan Jaffe, ph 021 611 461 or 523 2810, Ray White Remuera.

FEATURES: Charming and deceptively spacious English cottage-style home with views over Orakei Basin. Formal living and dining rooms, separate family room with open-plan designer kitchen, expansive entertaining deck, sunroom, playroom and study. Internal-access garage and ample storage.

Hamish Macalister and Lana Pham bought their Upland Rd home two years ago, when they were living in Singapore. Despite never setting foot in the house beforehand, Hamish and Lana bought it with confidence. After seeing the house online, Hamish did his research, realising it appealed "not just aesthetically, but financially as well" when compared to other properties in Auckland's city-fringe suburbs. His mother, Gillian, made a scouting trip and reported back, vouching for the home's "lovely family feel".

Thinking back to what it was about this house that caught their attention from Singapore, Australian Lana says she loved the home's windows, while Hamish says he liked the combination of its 1930s' traditional styling, along with a new kitchen and renovated bathrooms.

It wasn't until the family moved in with their young daughter, Georgia, now 4, that Hamish realised there was a family connection to the street. He had grown up in Kohimarama, but learned his late father's parents had lived in a neighbouring Upland Rd home, which they had purchased from the widow of the renowned painter, Charles Goldie. "So my father grew up in the house next door," Hamish says.

What Hamish and Lana discovered about the house, and what first-time visitors find out, too, is that from the road the house is quite deceptive in scale. "It doesn't look big, but it just expands as you go through it, until you come to the deck and lawn at the back," says Hamish. "But it looks like a little cottage from the front," says Lana.

The home's English cottage features are typified by the arched timber front door, along with the arched windows that Lana so loves. There are also Arts-and-Crafts-era touches, such as a handsome built-in dresser in the dining room, as well as Art Deco references, such as the figure on top of the newel post at the bottom of the stairs.

Six months after settling in, little Campbell joined the family. The property has proved to be ideal for preschoolers. "Georgia just loves running around outside in the garden," says Hamish. Gates keep the children safe from the road and there are plenty of parks nearby for family excursions. A return driveway makes it easy to pull in and out of Upland Rd.

Inside, the home has a gracious feel. With its open fireplace and built-in shelves, the formal living room has a cosy, club-like feel. This in turn flows through into the dining area and then the kitchen, which features a composite stone benchtop and stainless steel appliances.

"I really like cooking so try to create my own Masterchef dishes in here," says Lana. Off to one side is a casual living area, next to which Lana has a light, bright office, where she runs her desktop publishing business. French doors off the informal living room open onto a covered deck and the garden.

Up the stairs, a landing takes to you the main bathroom, which has a beautiful tessellated tile floor and a separate bath and shower. Up another short flight of stairs, to the left, is the spacious master bedroom and en suite, both with magnificent views over to Mt Hobson and Mt Eden, with Georgia's bedroom to the right. At the end of the hall is Hamish's study and a further room used as a playroom, followed by Campbell's bedroom. A bank of bi-folding windows makes this space light and bright.

Hamish and Lana love this house and say they wouldn't be selling if they weren't moving back to Singapore.