Natural selection in St Heliers

6 Lawndale Pl, St Heliers. Photo / Supplied

6 LAWNDALE PL ST HELIERS

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SIZE: Land 1011sq m, house 290sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: CV $1.4 million. Auction October 27.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 12pm-12.30pm.

ON THE WEB: www.barfoot.co.nz/441945

SCHOOL ZONES: St Thomas School, Selwyn College.

CONTACT: Karin Cooper, Barfoot & Thompson, ph 0274 912 158 or 528 6282.

FEATURES: Lovingly maintained cedar and brick three-bedroom home on bush-clad site with views to Rangitoto, ample garaging and built for sun.

When Laurie Sharp came across a steep, overgrown section for sale in St Heliers 25 years ago, he had to convince the real estate agents that it was still on the market. "I was driving along the road when I saw a For Sale sign half-hidden behind a high hedge. So I got out and went to take a closer look. The section was so covered with scrub and rubbish I couldn't see much," says Laurie.

The real estate agency had the listing for so long they'd almost forgotten about it, but Laurie knew he had stumbled on to something special.

He and wife Dorothy had been living on a lifestyle property in Ardmore for 20 years and had recently moved to Auckland to be closer to their three adult children.

"We'd bought a townhouse in Remuera to see what city life would be like," says Dorothy. "But when we saw this property, we knew we could build a house here that would have all the privacy and peace we'd had in the country and be close to the waterfront, the shops and the city."

One of seven houses in Lawndale Pl - a quiet cul-de-sac and well-kept secret off Glen Atkinson Dr - their tree-clad section stretches 1011sq m from the crest of the road down into a small valley that backs on to Glen Atkinson Reserve. "It's a wonderful street to live in because of the people in it. We all know each other and we all take care of each other's properties," says Dorothy.

Designed by architect Lawrence Sumich to capture the sun and take in sea and bush views, the Sharps' sturdy, north-facing house was built 24 years ago to their simple brief.

"It needed to include a formal living room, separate dining room, breakfast room and three bedrooms," says Laurie.

The three-level, brick and cedar house has an asphalt-shingled gable roof and wooden piles embedded in solid concrete foundations on its sloping section. The bottom level is devoted to a double-door garage big enough to accommodate three cars and a workshop space.

A boardwalk from this level winds through to the lower level of the garden, which was landscaped by Serena Blackie with additional walkways and wide ponga steps.

Clivias, hydrangeas, hellebores, camellias and acanthus enjoy the shade at the foot of trees including kanuka, kowhai, ponga, pittosporum and pokutukawa which attract native birds like tui, fantails, wood pigeons and kingfishers.

"The birdlife is incredible. We have just had the welcome swallows that are the first intimation of spring and soon we'll see the shining cuckoos," says Laurie.

All of the main living areas, including an east-facing sunroom, kitchen, dining room, living room, two bedrooms and the main bathroom, are on the middle level of the house, which opens out on to a north-facing front deck overlooking Atkinson Reserve.

A generous master bedroom with patio, en suite and walk-in wardrobe are up two flights of stairs on the top level where you can look beyond the trees and out to Rangitoto Island.

On this level the eaves of the house have been used to create two room-sized storage cupboards that open off the stairwell and the master bedroom.

The house may be almost a quarter-of-a-century old, but its clever design and top-quality materials, including solid rimu window and door frames, mean it has successfully stood the test of time. The well-laid-out kitchen - with solid American oak joinery, a new black-granite bench top and large pantry - adjoins the sunny breakfast room with pleasant views out to the quiet street. A spacious laundry off the kitchen opens on to a sheltered patio.

The Sharps will find it hard to leave their peaceful haven, but say it is time for them to downsize.