SCHOOL ZONES:
Remuera School, Remuera Intermediate, Epsom Girls Grammar.
CONTACT:
Lorraine Young, Harcourts, 021 764 032.
As an architect , Englishman David Duggan was looking for nothing short of perfection as he searched with New Zealand-born wife Deborah for an Auckland base.
"Debbie actually found this place and we were particularly attracted to it because of the solid construction, which is mostly blockwork and all done in accordance with best building practice," he explains.
This nomadic couple have spent most of their 30-year marriage wandering the world in one way or another.
David was one of the original architects on the iconic Canary Wharf tower in the redeveloped Docklands area of London and Debbie is a teacher. When the tower was completed and the 1990 Thatcher-era recession hit Britain they moved to the Middle East.
"I did some architectural design in Muscat for the Sultan of Oman," explains David, "and I also played a part in the gorgeous Shangri La hotel there."
A later move took the pair to Dubai, at which point David moved into project and design management, then they found themselves in Doha, although at this point Debbie opted for an Antipodean hiatus.
The Kiwi connection had always remained strong so when their two children decided to study in New Zealand, the couple felt the time was right to buy a house here, and settled on Remuera.
"This one seemed an ideal size and we loved the location, with a bus stop on the doorstep and lots of nice shops and cafes right nearby," David says.
"Ours is incredibly quiet, with amazing views from the side windows and it looks over the common garden, which is maintained by the body corporate. We feel as if it all belongs to us!"
That's because the low-maintenance, open-plan dwelling sits at the rear of a handsome block of six homes.
It is large, 297sq m and has views towards Mt Wellington -- through windows recently double glazed -- definitely a strong selling point.
Starting at the bottom of three levels, the property has a massive two-car garage with internal access, a storage unit and a workshop.
Above that, a central kitchen connects two generous living spaces, each of which has its own distinctive personality.
All appliances are state-of-the-art. There are two separate, private outdoor living areas on this level, too.
On the top floor is the master suite -- with en suite and walk-through wardrobe, hidden behind
a part-wall. Occupants here can commune with the outdoors on the glass-sided, secluded balcony.
An impressive list of chattels includes a security system, central vacuum and wooden shutters. The Duggan home is always warm in winter thanks to gas heating coupled with a heat pump.
Ironically, having returned to New Zealand to live permanently, David and Debbie are selling the property because they've realised it's "too perfect" and doesn't have enough for them to do.
"As a complete contrast, we're moving to a 120-year-old villa at Paremoremo, which has big gardens," David laughs.
