Site for sore eyes in Devonport

98 Stanley Point Rd, Stanley Point, Devonport, Auckland. Photo / Geoff Dale

98 STANLEY POINT RD DEVONPORT

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SIZE: Land 911sq m, house 310sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: Properties in the area have sold upwards of $1.4 million; set sale date 4pm Thursday, May 5 at Bayleys Takapuna office.

INSPECT: Easter Monday 2.30-3.15pm, Wed April 27, 6.15-7pm, Sat April 30 and Sun May 1, 2.30-3.15pm.

ON THE WEB: bayleys.co.nz/101597489

SCHOOL ZONES: Stanley Bay Primary, Belmont Intermediate, Takapuna Grammar.

CONTACT: Linda de Vine, Bayleys, ph 021 923 276 or 489 0985.

FEATURES: Large 1980s house in standout position on Stanley Point. Riparian rights, private jetty and adjacent to the Blair Reserve.

Whether it was clowning around off their private jetty at the foot of the garden, or hanging out in the pool outside the oversized games room, Tony and Denise da Silva's teenagers were spoilt for choice.

Denise remembers those times well. "What initially attracted us to the house was, of course, the views straight out towards the harbour bridge and the way a flat lawn had been created near the jetty, and yet when it rained we had this massive rumpus room. Even now when we have family gatherings, all the adults spread out upstairs, while the younger generation head down here."

This house, originally a 1940s stucco home, was renovated in the 1980s. "Even though it has dated over time, the layout is very clever," Denise says. "I have always liked the way the teenagers' bedrooms were around the corner from any of the living spaces. You couldn't see the mess and yet they were right next door to the TV room and their own bathroom."

The main entrance level is dominated by living spaces - kitchen, dining room, seating areas - but no matter where you are, all eyes are drawn out through the windows to the harbour and the bridge, framed by pohutukawa and transformed by ever-changing plays of light on water and sky.

"Living here you become very aware of being near to nature," says Denise. "The colour of the sea constantly changes and the sunsets are just wonderful in winter. In summer the evenings have a lovely soft light over the water."

The kitchen is capacious, with a wall of windows and large adjacent seating and dining areas. Denise has kept the beachy feel by furnishing them with rattan furniture and sea-green cushions. There is a complexity to the way the house is laid out, with rooms accessed via an arrangement of corridors, lobbies and different levels. Up a flight of stairs is the master bedroom with en suite and storage. Denise loves the harbour views that she can see for miles from the comfort of her own bed.

The level below is given over to what, in days gone by, was the rumpus room. Today it could serve equally well as a media room or extra living space for all the family. In its present configuration, it is furnished with more casual furniture and a pool table.

A small guest bedroom, a pool bathroom and laundry, a sauna and a potential wine cellar line its perimeter, while straight off the lower deck is the swimming pool. "It's funny, given we have this right here, but we all prefer swimming off the jetty as long as the tide is right," remarks Denise. "It always has that touch of magic down there that a swimming pool can't quite match."

Unlike most homeowners, Denise is remarkably sanguine about the future of her home. "The value is in the land, not the house. Both our neighbours bowled the houses they bought and built beautiful new houses.

"That will very likely happen here, but there's no necessity for it. What is here now is very comfortable, but we know that a new owner will want to make their mark.

"We're looking forward to spending more time at the bach, even though it is no closer to the water than this. It's certainly not as big, though, and it's time for us to downsize."