SCHOOL ZONES:
Red Beach Primary School, Orewa College, Kingsway School.
CONTACT:
Jenni Finlayson and Duncan Ritchie, Bayleys. Jenni 021 506 920 or Duncan 021 400 811.
AUCTION:
March 25.
On paper, the brief for this property looked ideal. A builder's own brick and tile home, a swimming pool, a spa pool and a tennis court for fun, a recreational park that was the green view across the road and the beach just 10 minutes beyond that.
In person, when Joy Stewart and her family had chosen this property ahead of two others, it was even better.
Joy's granddaughter, Andrea Mitchell, remembers the open home. "It was a no-brainer. The pool, the beach, the tennis court ... this place won hands down."
Certainly that was Andrea's verdict the day she went with a couple of her young cousins, mother Carol, aunt Val and grandmother to help finalise a choice of new home.
Typically of Joy's astute approach to business and inclusive attitude to family, she gathered everyone together afterwards for their thoughts. Briskly moving emotion to one side, she brought out pens and a pad of paper and asked each of them to write down the pros and the cons of the properties seen that day, giving each house a final rating out of 10 points.
According to Carol, the eldest of Joy's three children, their mother would never have done it any other way.
"She had a heart of gold. She was a people person and she loved socialising. Mum was an only child which was why her own family was so important to her."
Back in the mid 1990s Joy, then aged in her 70s, decided to invest in one well-positioned property with all the elements of both a family home and a holiday home, so she could bring her entire family together whatever the occasion.
Image 1 of 8: With a pool, spa, tennis court and entertaining areas you can expect plenty of visitors
For Joy, now aged 90 and living in a residential aged care facility, this home was ideal for a life that included daily swimming, tennis and visits and stopovers from a family now numbering six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Much of the ease of it all has been to do with the size and layout of this home with its subtle changes of level. From her kitchen and family room/conservatory, Joy could walk straight out to the slate-paved courtyard to the in-ground pool and the spa pool with dining and lounging areas on opposite sides of the deck.
Inside the front door to the left, a rumpus room-style teenage pad with kitchen facilities has been a boon for large-scale sleepovers. Further along and up the stairs, the lounge with log-burning fireplace has elevated views and access to the courtyard.
Off the hallway to the right, stairs lead up to two bedrooms near the main bathroom and a separate toilet. The next door right off the hallway leads to the laundry and out to the tennis court through a secure gate. Further along the hallway again is a right turn past the children's attic and left up a few more stairs leading to the master suite with a view of the courtyard.
This home has been at the heart of memorable family traditions including Joy's grandson's waffles on Christmas morning and the annual Stewart Cup tennis tournament that Carol has organised for family and friends for the past eight or nine years.
The house and tennis court on separate titles are now on the market for sale together or separately.
For her offspring, who've been bringing Joy back for regular visits and a swim until very recently, it's time to hand the keys over to another family.
