SCHOOL ZONES:
Titirangi Primary School, Woodlands Park School, Green Bay High School.
CONTACT:
Cameron Hems, LJ Hooker, 021 204 2240.
AUCTION:
Cameron Hems, LJ Hooker, 021 204 2240.
Finding a property with plenty of sun was critical for Nick and Leanne Hems when they decided to move to Titirangi from Blockhouse Bay seven years ago.
They had both grown up in West Auckland and were keen to move back when the youngest of their three children had finished secondary school.
"But we knew from experience that most houses in Titirangi don't get much sun," says Nick. "And people tend to live with impractical driveways and very little parking."
So in his hunt for the right house, Nick would ride his motorbike all around the areas they liked, looking at which properties were the last to lose the sun each day.
The Hems knew they were on to a winner when this house in a quiet subdivision at the no-exit end of Landing Rd came up for sale.
When its previous owners built the two-level house 10 years ago, they had first pick of the subdivision's 11 sections and chose one of the most elevated with plenty of room for easy off-street parking and room for a boat.
The north to northwest-facing house is perched on the upper, eastern side of 2003sq m of gently sloping land and is cleverly designed so every room gets maximum light.
"The guy who built it was also a civil engineer and it was certainly built to last according to all the latest codes," says Nick.
The 248sq m home has a brick base, tiled roof, top-quality aluminum joinery and an eco tank for the toilets and laundry which saves serious money on water bills.
It is heated with a gas fire and heater with electric underfloor heating in the three bathrooms but the Hems say the house is so naturally warm in winter they rarely use the gas heating.
Image 1 of 7: This Waitakeres home avoids the scourge of the area's many sunless hours. Photos / Fiona Goodall, Getty Images
Leanne loved the views from the house and how it connects so effortlessly with its outdoor living areas. These include a sheltered north-facing outdoor dining space off the indoor dining room and a patio that wraps around the north and east sides of the house and opens off the main living areas.
A few steps down from the front patio is a sturdy gazebo that houses a large, well-used spa pool and provides cover for more outdoor seating.
The property looks out over native bush and exotic deciduous trees that attract birdlife and are a tranquil backdrop without being too close to encroach on the house.
"We love the peaceful lifestyle out here. But it's also great knowing you can be back in the city very quickly when you need to be," says Leanne, who works as a secretary at Blockhouse Bay Primary School, 10 minutes' drive away.
Titirangi's village is a few minutes' drive up the road and it takes Nick, who is a design engineer, about 25 minutes to get to work in Mangere Bridge.
In their seven years here the Hems had made only a few cosmetic changes to the inside of the house including putting new benches in the large north-facing kitchen.
Most of their changes have been in the garden, where Nick has built the gazebo and where Leanne has planted subtropical and Mediterranean plants in meticulously landscaped areas you can see from the house.
All of the living is on the ground level of the house, which includes a large entrance. To the left of this are the open-plan family room and kitchen and a semi-separate dining room that adjoins a separate formal lounge with gas fire.
A hallway to the right of the entrance leads to a large guest bedroom, bathroom, full laundry with outdoor access and the double, internal access garage.
Stairs off the entrance lead up to a landing with a north-west facing picture window that has treetop views. On this level are a third bathroom and three double bedrooms including the master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe.
The Hems are moving to a house in Oratia so that Nick has more space to indulge his passion for doing up vintage cars and motorbikes.
