With the discovery of their Muir Ave home, the two were blown away.
It overlooks - or in fact, is practically part of - Ambury Farm with the entrance only metres from their home. The boys adore the farm where they can see cows being milked and sheep shorn with the added bonus of horses and goats.
Sure, the house was a tired and somewhat dilapidated monument to the mid-80s with peeling wallpaper and dated decor, but that didn't hold Rob and Joanne back.
"It still had loads going for it and we were prepared to put in the hard work and turn it into our dream home."
That work, initially planned to take place over four or five years, accelerated in pace late last year when Rob unexpectedly scored a great new job - in Matamata.
Juggling renovations with two little boys, by now both walking, was a challenge but the result is sensational and you could be forgiven for thinking you were walking into a brand new house, solidly constructed using block and fibre cement with tile and concrete roof.
The fully-fenced exterior benefited from a coat of paint and landscaping, while the interior was completely transformed.
For a start, Joanne got her dream kitchen.
With a big chef's hob, huge sink and self-cleaning oven, it's perfect for entertaining, and the flow between kitchen, dining, and sun-drenched living is excellent.
Also on the top floor is the new, tiled family bathroom, a master bedroom with views of the farm and the two boys' cute little bedrooms.
Downstairs features a large rumpus-cum-media room, plus Rob's home office - all in one open space.
There are a further two bedrooms, copious storage and a huge laundry with lots of built-in cupboards. "I can hide the washing away until I have time to fold it," says Joanne.
Outside there's plenty of room for a super-size trampoline and a sandpit for the boys. A garden shed houses bikes, tools and wood for the wood-burner.
The level section has potential for further landscaping if the new owner happens to have green thumbs.
The property has many other advantages.
"People often don't realise this but we're practically next door to Onehunga. In fact, we're zoned for Onehunga College and Royal Oak Intermediate," says Joanne.
"Our boys would have gone to Waterlea Primary."
Onehunga train station is an easy bike ride and Rob quickly gets to work in Penrose, 15 minutes' drive away.
When Joanne goes to coffee group, as far away as Mount Eden, she sometimes makes it in 10-12 minutes - off-peak, of course.
"We are perfectly placed for the airport, supermarkets and Mangere Bridge village centre, which we love."
"It would have been a wonderful place to bring up our boys," says Rob.
