Rural splendour in Warkworth

200 Hamilton Rd, Warkworth, Auckland. Photo / Supplied

200 HAMILTON RD WARKWORTH

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SIZE: Land 2.96ha, house 294sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: CV $1.125 million. Auction August 3.

INSPECT: Saturday 2-3pm.

ON THE WEB: bayleys.co.nz/185333

SCHOOL ZONES: Matakana Primary, Warkworth Primary, Snells Beach Primary, Mahurangi College.

CONTACT: John Barnett, Bayleys, ph 021 790 393 or (09) 425 7640.

FEATURES: Spacious, architect-designed home with informal and formal spaces that open out to north-facing covered terraces. Views over surrounding countryside, landscaped gardens, bush walks and a spring-fed pond. Pasture for sheep, cattle or horses.

A long-term plan to leave Auckland for the lifestyle of Warkworth was fast-forwarded when Martyn and Lisa Hamilton laid eyes on an architect-designed home in Hamilton Rd.

Although the couple thought they would eventually live in Warkworth, they had been looking for a rural property nearer Auckland - without luck, for about a year - when Martyn saw the Hamilton Rd property advertised.

"Our twin girls were about 18 months then, and they were starting to get more mobile, so we wanted an environment where they could run around," says Martyn.

One look at the Hamilton Rd house and the surrounding land convinced them to buy it about a year ago.

"We really liked the idea of everything being on one level," says Martyn of the home designed by local architect Grant Neill.

Martyn says the 14-year-old plaster house with ColorSteel roof was a builder's own home built on bare former orchard land.

"He was really fastidious about how it was built and using the right materials."

The Hamiltons also liked that the home had child-friendly cork floors - soft enough for kids to take a tumble on and easy to clean. And the living areas open straight out to patios and lawn.

"It's a great house," says Martyn. "It's warm in winter and cool in summer."

A patio on the western side is off the formal lounge and master bedroom, while the mostly covered north-facing patio is off the informal lounge and kitchen. The home has another wing with two bedrooms and a bathroom. The laundry and triple garage are in this wing.

Just inside the front door is a study, or fourth bedroom which, like the garage, has pull-down stair access to the attic where there is standing room and plenty of storage space.

Elevated outdoor entertaining areas have views over the countryside including the olive grove next door. Another neighbour is Mahurangi River Winery and Restaurant.

The property has paddocks where the Hamiltons have run cattle to keep the pasture under control but, Martyn says, "it would be ideal if you had a child that wanted a pony".

"The previous owners did a lot of land-scaping and there's a beautiful pocket of bush on the property with kahikatea, puriri and kauri that I've cleared up a bit to get it growing again."

Martin has also laid metal paths though the bush to make it easier for kids to go exploring. Rainwater tanks with a capacity of 54,000 litres are ample for the house, while a spring feeds a pond and provides water for the garden and stock troughs. "If you wanted to, you could filter the spring water for drinking," says Martyn.

With the couple having recently had another child and Martyn needing to devote more time to his property business, the family is moving closer to Auckland. The Warkworth dream is on hold - for the moment.