SCHOOL ZONES:
Newton Central School, Mt Albert Grammar, Auckland Girls’.
CONTACT:
Marc Collins, 0274 485 961.
*Plus 1 off street
A wider-than-usual street for Kingsland and an eye-level perch amid native trees and palms have been particularly memorable for Cantabrians Lucy and John Willetts.
Their steep, characterful street has been great to walk up and down as a connection to their wider neighbourhood, but it has been its width that has stoked a little of the nostalgia of their former home.
Lucy says: "It's unusual to have skinny streets in Christchurch."
Lucy, a teacher, and John, a workplace change manager, moved here in December 2014 -- two months after they bought the property, and three years after they moved north from Christchurch in 2011 to a rental opposite Eden Park.
With the local rugby/cricket venues and cafes sorted, this young couple began casting their sights a little further afield for a home to buy.
They didn't want to venture too far from the neighbourhood haunts they had become attached to and just 1.2km from Eden Park they found this perfectly peaceful city-fringe house nestled in the trees.
Two rear double bedrooms -- one for them and another for visiting family -- open-plan living out to their small, private front deck, a lockable office/games room downstairs and their big 'second lounge' at the back of the property.
That elevated back timber deck is where the big barbecues happen here or for get-togethers ahead of a walk to Eden Park's sporting fixtures.
It's where their extended family, on respite from the Christchurch rebuild can cast their eyes towards the Sky Tower and enjoy what Lucy refers to as 'the functioning city' that is Auckland.
"Being able to see the Sky Tower, that's important," she says.
Image 1 of 7: This perfect Kingsland perch is just a stone's throw from all the action. Photos / Ted Baghurst
Checking out the view down to the house was important when they first came to inspect the property.
"We wanted to see how it looked from up here. It felt nice and homely," says Lucy. At ground level, their front boardwalk steps meander past the soaring Nikau palms and mature trees.
"The steps are great. We can hear people coming," says Lucy. Built in 1981, this textured woodgrain weatherboard home has an established feel with its timber joinery, pitched ceilings and all-encompassing picture windows, which filter the light through the trees.
John and Lucy were intrigued by the 'treehouse' vibe and fauna that is unlike anything they grew up with in Christchurch. The palms and trees are within arm's reach of their dining room deck through which the morning sun pours in until the middle of the day.
There is even a green view through the window high above their new kitchen, which they had redesigned on the same footprint to better connect with the wider living area.
Working with their designer Charlotte Roberts, they chose white engineered stone bench tops, white laminate cabinetry and a light laminate timber floor in an area that was previously closed off by the bench upstand.
They used the same materials in their laundry.
In their bathroom -- with its separate gas hot water supply -- they spruced up their perfectly good long white vanity with new cupboard doors, drawer fronts and handles.
They considered spending their money on landscaping the back of the property with its timber retaining walls, but instead opted to do the kitchen and finish off the contemporary renovation that the previous owners had started.
Happy with all they've achieved and enjoyed here, they're looking further afield for a slightly larger home to settle into for the longer term.
