SCHOOL ZONES:
Meadowbank School, Remuera Intermediate, Selwyn College.
CONTACT:
Gary or Vicki Wallace, Bayleys, 027 4988 585 (Gary) or 021 988 585 (Vicki).
TENDER:
Closes 4pm, February 25 (unless sold prior).
*Multiple off-street parking
Getting an expert to check out this property's suitability for a tennis court before purchase was one of a sports-orientated family's first steps towards reinventing it.
This large family home secreted down a 70m driveway is complemented by facilities you'd find at a resort or sporting complex. A putting green, heated pool with underwater viewing window and multi-purpose tennis court bolstered by a tennis pavilion and cabana are part of the mix.
The Lindberg family bought here in 2002.
Shelly Lindberg says: "We were specifically looking for a property with land to put a tennis court on. Both Phillip and I had grown up in very sporting families and we wanted to recreate that lifestyle for our children.
"You don't get a lot of sections this large. We actually got Graham Vivian from Tiger Turf to measure up before we put an offer in so we knew it would take the tennis court."
The 1940s home which sat on these big grounds was fairly compact.
However, the Lindbergs were prepared to significantly renovate and extend it to create the environment they were after. They chose architects Sills van Bohemen, builders PSL Construction and their friend and landscaper Tim Wiseman of Outside Room for the overhaul.
Preconceptions about Remuera Rd bustle start to fade as you leave traffic behind, taking the lengthy video-intercom-controlled gated driveway.
"People are very surprised when they find out what's down here. It's like a hidden treasure."
A courtyard with hearty wood-burning outdoor fire, covered spa pool and golf putting green introduces the home, flowing off its upper level.
Leisure facilities ramp up to the north of the two-storey weatherboard and bagged brick home.
A cabana under an adjustable LouvreTec roof looks down on the tennis court below and a neighbouring heated pool with outdoor shower.
Image 1 of 11: With sports facilities such as a putting green and tennis court, this resort-like home will really work to your advantage
Terracing puts the cabana and pool on top of the tennis pavilion, allowing swimmers to look through an underwater pool window at whoever's playing.
"The kids have loved diving down there," says Shelly.
Steps lead down to the tennis court. Its moveable net on wheels and multi-purpose surface have seen it used for everything from kids' birthday parties to hockey practice.
The accompanying pavilion's sliding doors open wide to the court, fronting a lounge-kitchen with an intercom to the main home, a bathroom, gym and storage areas.
"It's like a mini stadium crossed with a resort," says Shelly, looking over the sunny stepped outdoor set-up much enjoyed by children Annabelle (15), Sam (13) and Tom (10).
The home's lower level main entry is near internal-access double garaging bolstered by plentiful off-street visitor parking.
The ground floor has an office, children's playroom, one bedroom, one bathroom and a carefully considered laundry.
"I love my laundry," says stay-at-home mum Shelly, pointing out generous bench-space, a pull-down ironing board and clean clothes sorted into named baskets.
Multiple living areas upstairs include a north-facing deck off a formal lounge-dining room with a gas fire.
A covered patio links to the master suite and provides a view corridor from the kitchen-family room-informal dining over the tennis court and out to Rangitoto Island.
"I stand in my kitchen each morning and judge what the weather's going to be like by whether I can see all the way out to Rangitoto."
Kitchen extras include a bar fridge and split DishDrawers plus the home has gas central heating and an internal vacuum system.
The master bedroom enjoying north-facing views, quadruple wardrobing and an en suite is accompanied by the third and fourth bedrooms, a family bathroom and guest toilet.
A new chapter in this family's lives sees them selling what they've created.
