CONTACT:
Barry Monds, 027 497 7723, or Jacki Revell 027 497 2277, Harcourts.
When Chris Scott and Liz Griffin were searching for a holiday retreat a few years ago they realised that building their own place was the only way to get what they wanted.
The couple was living in Birkenhead on Auckland's North Shore when they began looking for somewhere outside the city they could drive to in less than two hours.
"We drew a circle around Auckland and looked in every direction," says Chris, who worked in the construction industry for many years.
He knew of Te Aroha but had forgotten what a hidden gem the spa town was until he and Liz took a motorbike trip there in late 2012 to check out properties.
They quickly settled on a section that was within metres of Mt Te Aroha's foothills and the centre of town.
"It was a really scruffy, scrub covered piece of land on the edge of the bush near Te Aroha Domain, but we could see its potential because of its location."
The elevated, 505sq m section looks east towards Mt Te Aroha and west across Te Aroha's township to the Hauraki plains.
Te Aroha Mineral Spas are 300 metres away and some excellent mountain bike and walking tracks begin near the property's doorstep.
Chris and Liz wanted their new house to have a heritage feel so they opted for a simple rectangular shape that had gable ended walls, a steeply pitched roof and an unobtrusive lean-to at one end.
Their two-year labour of love is a beautifully crafted, solidly built cottage that has a timeless feel and would look equally at home in Central Otago or the Cotswolds.
Image 1 of 6: With wooden joinery and oak floors, this home wouldn't look out of place in Central Otago or the Cotswolds.
Careful thought has gone into every detail of the two-bedroom, two-bathroom house which has 260mm thick, stone coloured brick walls that provide excellent insulation.
Chris ordered a special batch of rumbled concrete bricks to get an organic look that is complemented by the low garden walls around the house built of hand-picked, local Tirohia stone.
The internal layout is also simple. The kitchen, dining and living spaces are all in one open plan room that has a fireplace at one end and a high, tongue and groove, pitched ceiling that matches the farm-style kitchen cabinetry.
At the east end of this space, near the kitchen, stairs lead to a mezzanine level bedroom that looks down over the main room and also has native bush views.
Beneath the mezzanine level is a master bedroom with a large en suite that includes a double-sized shower with sculptured white ceramic wall tiles.
A second large bathroom in the lean-to area includes a granite walled shower, toilet and beautifully restored 100-year-old, clawfoot bath. The hallway to this area includes a laundry behind bi-fold doors and a separate toilet.
Both the master bedroom and the main living area have arch-topped, panelled French doors that are double glazed, face north and open to a wide front patio that includes a raised area with built-in seating and a barbecue space.
"We made a deliberate decision not to have the doors full height so that the sun would not be too overpowering in summer," says Chris.
They also opted for wooden rather than aluminum joinery throughout the house to make it feel traditional and commissioned a custom-made run of solid, wide-planked American oak for the floors, which are laid over a concrete base.
The landscaped gardens include a barrel-roofed hut which can be a third bedroom.
