6 Esplanade Rd, Mt Eden, Auckland. Photo / Ted Baghurst
They're still relatively young, so it's a surprise to discover that Andrew and Emma Post have owned their perfectly situated single-bay villa in Mt Eden for 17 years — and that it was their first home.
"We're both qualified pharmacists and because we were here for a while before our little girls — Olivia, 8, and Emily, 6 — came along, we were able to pay a fair bit off the mortgage," says Emma.
While they didn't necessarily realise it at the time, the pair had bought well in terms of school zones with Auckland Grammar just a few blocks away. Their daughters are attending Mt Eden Normal Primary.
"Because we've been here for a while, we've seen many changes," says Emma.
"Lots more families have bought in the street and it's easy to understand why.
"We're on a bus route, and there's a train station just around the corner."
While Andrew works largely from home, he appreciates the convenience of their situation.
"We're close to the city, to the motorway, and to Mt Eden Village," he says.
"To be honest, most things are within easy walking distance so we don't spend a lot of time in the car, one way or another."
Andrew and Emma say that the house today bears little resemblance to the one they bought around the turn of the century.
They've heard rumours that it might have been a hippy establishment for a while in the 1970s, but that's hard to imagine now.
"It looks fairly modest from the street, but inside it's really quite large," says Andrew.
The pair have done some major rebuilding which included integrating a once-separate garage — which now enjoys internal access — and adding a large laundry and a designated storage room.
The piece de resistance is the huge master suite which sits above it all, with a generous bathroom and a walk-in wardrobe.
"We absolutely love it up here," says Emma.
On the main level, the two girls have large, lovely bedrooms and a crisp, cool bathroom, while a spacious lounge with high ceiling and a gas fireplace leads to a big, open, modern kitchen and dining space with a huge covered deck beyond, which is essentially another living room.
"It's really good that the sides come down. And, even in winter, it's a great place for the girls to play. We use the outdoor fireplace a lot in winter."
While the section is compact, it has the advantage of being fully fenced, and Andrew and Emma have managed to squeeze a trampoline and large free-standing pool into the yard, which has lawn and a spectacular camellia hedge.
Privacy is another advantage in that you can't see anything much but the neighbours' roofs.
When asked why they're contemplating leaving this golden spot, Andrew and Emma say they just feel like a change.
"We're looking ahead to the girls' high schools and it seems like a good time to make a move. The best thing is that we're under no pressure. We'll just take things as they come."
They'll miss the street and their neighbours — but, more than anything, they'll miss the house.
"It's incredibly comfortable with full insulation and four heat-pumps, which we tend to use more for cooling in summer than heating in winter," says Emma.
"We've been very happy here."