SCHOOL ZONES:
Mt Eden Normal, Balmoral School, Auckland Boys Grammar, Epsom Girls Grammar.
CONTACT:
Neil Bailey, UP Real Estate, 021 556 82
Eighteen years ago Richard and wife Ana were looking to move from Balmoral into the double grammar zone when they became intrigued by a house that wasn't even on the market.
Ana spotted it across the road from an open home they had been attending, and the couple liked the way the house was tucked back off the road and screened by mature trees
When they found out it had been on the market previously but withdrawn, they asked a real estate agent to approach the owners -- and negotiations began.
"The thing that really attracted us to the house was the privacy and the space," says Richard. "You don't hear the road, you don't hear or see the neighbours. I was in a pretty stressful job for 30 years and it was a retreat for me."
The couple not only liked the hidden nature of the property but also that the house does not reveal its grand proportions.
"It is understated from the outside but large when you walk into it," says Richard. "Almost everyone who walks into it can't believe it is five bedrooms with two living rooms and three bathrooms."
Image 1 of 8: Peace and quiet are hard to find in the city but this home boasts that and more.
And out the back of the large property is a swimming pool and pool house. Not to mention a volcanic seam running through the property topped by a volcanic rock bench seat with views of the Waitakeres. And the volcanic activity also created a cave on the property that the couple's three children have enjoyed playing in over the years.
Although the 1910 villa had been renovated before they bought, Richard and Ana wanted to make the layout work for them
"We realised we were going to be here for some time so we were going to develop it," Richard says.
"We changed the house almost completely; there were only two rooms not affected."
So in 2002 they began a nine-month project that saw spaces switched around and the addition of a fifth bedroom with walk-through wardrobe to its ensuite. The result of the couple's first renovation has created light and open living spaces that connect with the outdoors.
The kitchen-family room is flooded with light from two long skylights and flows out to the loggia, the deck and pool area. A formal lounge with window seat and gas fire opens to the private garden.
A double garage was also added outside the front door, which is framed by elegant fretwork on the verandah. Curved garden beds and layered hedging subtly guide visitors to the entrance.
Richard and Ana turned their attention to the outside in 2007, having a 15m x 6m pool installed, along with a spa pool, and pool house.
They went for a modern look for the pool house, which has double glazing, underfloor heating, a bathroom and provision for a kitchenette.
"We saw the pool house as a place that teenagers could go," says Richard. "They could have their teenage mates out their with a sound system but still be at home and be safe. Now it's become a bit of a gym."
Five years ago, they modernised the kitchen, which has stone benchtops and a breakfast bar.
Over the years Richard says they've enjoyed the proximity to downtown Auckland and being able to walk down to the village, which has a buzzing restaurant and bar scene.
