SCHOOL ZONES:
Newton Central School, Kowhai Intermediate, Western Springs College.
CONTACT:
Chris Batchelor, 021 217 7026, Bayleys.
AUCTION:
Newton Central School, Kowhai Intermediate, Western Springs College.
A couple's first home is always special, but for Karin and Nick Speight, their terrace home has major significance. They got engaged there on settlement day, in March 2013. Swedish-born Karin thought the new pad was all theirs at 6pm, but Nick had secretly arranged for access at midday. He organised a surprise three-course catered dinner, brought in a dining table and put bubbles on party ice as they had no fridge yet.
He "fabricated" picking up the keys from the agent with Karin later that afternoon and they drove around together that evening.
"I rushed in, wanting to be the first one in," Karin recalls. When she saw Nick's efforts she assumed it was simply a nice romantic dinner, but then accidentally discovered the ring that Nick had intended popping the question with.
"Nick was pouring some wine and I was going to put the ring back, but then he turned around and saw me with it, so it was too late," she says.
"We'd only been there for a couple of minutes and I hadn't even worked out what to say," Nick says.
"So I asked him if he was going to get down on one knee," Karin adds.
Karin and Nick had been seeing each other for 18 months at that stage and had been living in flats around the area. They decided pretty quickly this was the home for them - it was only the second place they looked at, but they were impressed with its location, sunniness, warmth and views. The double garage was also a strong selling point.
Image 1 of 7: Well-positioned home is minutes from Ponsonby Rd. Photos / Fiona Goodall, Getty Images
"We'd been in apartments, but being able to get cars off the road really appealed," Nick says.
The Speights' home has the prime spot at number 19 - on the end, facing north-west, with plenty of sun and views over the neighbourhood. The complex was extensively rebuilt in 2011 and Karin and Nick freshened up their terrace with paint and wallpaper.
The ground floor has a double garage, with copious built-in storage, the laundry, a linen cupboard and even a built-in ironing board.
Up the hardwood timber stairs, the middle level houses the living and dining area and kitchen. The kitchen has a stainless-steel island benchtop, with plenty of room for Karin and Nick's much-loved coffee machine. Ranch sliders off the living area open to a glass-balustrade balcony, big enough for a barbecue, outdoor chairs and flower pots.
The couple had imagined entertaining their friends at home and strolling up to nearby Ponsonby Rd for drinks and dinner. But life hasn't turned out that way. Ten-month-old Henrik arrived 11 months to the day after their wedding.
"He was born in June, but when we brought him home we didn't even need to turn the heat pump on because it was so warm here with the sun and double glazing," Karin says.
Henrik's room and the master bedroom are on the top floor. Both are doubles, with carpet, generous wardrobes and doors that open to a small balcony, which has views over to the Waitakeres.
They have roller blinds, along with motorised external louvres to provide shade. The bathroom has sleek, glossy black floor tiles, a large shower and plenty of storage.
Karin says that since she has been on maternity leave with Henrik she has loved walking up to Western Park and Ponsonby Rd with him in the stroller. But as Henrik is now pulling himself up and preparing to walk, it's time to move from their newly-wed home to a family abode. They have bought in St Heliers. Their settlement day probably won't be as momentous as their move to Scanlan St was, but the Speights are fine with that.
