SCHOOL ZONES:
Kaukapakapa School, Mahurangi College.
CONTACT:
Jim McCallum 021 112 6460 or Looie James 027 706 5790.
We fell in love immediately with the potential the house had to be an amazing family home.
Louise and Kelvin Beaumont have done "all the hard stuff" on the dream property they are now reluctantly selling before its thorough renovation is complete.
Just eight months after buying their lifestyle blockjust north of Kaukapakapa, Kelvin has been offered a job he can't refuse, so the couple are moving to Hamilton with their three young boys -- Jack, 9, Max, 8 and Cooper, 3.
The Beaumonts have previously renovated two houses and built a third, but this fourth project was to be long term.
"We were always looking for this sort of property and it has taken us 10 years to find it," says Louise.
"The sense of peace and privacy here is so amazing -- it is just magical. You come back here after a busy day, take a deep breath and all your stress just disappears as the tranquillity washes over you."
Louise says they bought their 2.9ha property with the needs of their growing boys in mind.
"As our children have got bigger, so has our requirement for land. They are very sporty, active boys and living here, they have plenty of room to run around."
Racing around the paddocks, riding their bikes up and down the driveway, feeding the ducks and collecting eggs from the Beaumonts' free-range chickens are all part of the day's activities for the boys.
A late 1920s Californian bungalow was relocated to Makarau Rd from St Heliers by the property's previous owner, who lived there for 20 years.
The two-bedroom bungalow still had its original leadlights and timber flooring as well as beautiful pressed steel ceilings in the hallway, master bedroom, living room and dining room.
"We fell in love immediately with the potential the house had to be an amazing family home."
Image 1 of 5: The opportunity of a lifetime means this family need to sell their slice of paradise. Photos / supplied
Eight months of renovations have included putting in a large new designer kitchen that has incorporated the original butler's sink, renovating the original shower room and installing plaster cornicing in the kitchen to blend with the pressed ceilings in other rooms.
The deck has also been rebuilt, all of the boundary fencing is new and new posts and rails have been added to the fencing around the house.
The house was already off-grid, but the Beaumonts have installed a state-of-the-art solar system to cope with modern family living.
"Our solar system is definitely a choice, not a compromise," says Louise.
"We knew we needed something that would cater for all of our power needs including tablets and the tumble dryer. With three boys you have a lot of washing."
Another excellent new feature is a rural-grade wood burner, which can be dampened down to heat the house well in winter.
The single-level, north-facing house has an open-plan dining room and kitchen at one end of its central hallway and a living room with beautiful rural views at the other.
It also has two good-sized bedrooms including the master and a smaller room that can be used as a study.
The Beaumonts' concept plans include extending the house to four bedrooms and a second bathroom.
The well-contoured property already has a large, mature orchard that includes apple, pear, fig, peach, olive, hazelnut and lemon trees.
Louise says it is its perfectly set up for ponies and they were on the verge of getting livestock.
The property is on a sealed road that is part of the bus route for Kaukapakapa School and others on the North Shore.
