Tiptoe through the treetops in Muriwai

282 Motutara Road, Muriwai. Photo / Ollie Dale

282 MOTUTARA RD MURIWAI

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SIZE: Land 1217sq m, house 164sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: CV $620,000. Auction December 1.

INSPECT: Sun 3.15-3.45pm.

ON THE WEB: www.bayleys.co.nz/150465

SCHOOL ZONES: Waimauku School, Massey High School.

CONTACT: Simon Spiller, Bayleys Northwest, ph 417 0264 or 021 968 068.

FEATURES: Striking near-new home with glass walls and timber flooring in private setting within easy walk of beach and cafe. Easy-care grounds featuring mature native trees teeming with birds.

Having worked on the house next door, builder Mark Town was familiar with an adjoining overgrown section and knew it had potential.

The trouble was it was almost impenetrable because of weeds and runaway plants from an old greenhouse.

"It was so dense it was really hard to get in here, but when it came up for sale, I managed to get through and have a look around and realised it was flat," says Mark. When he climbed up a ladder he had with him he also realised it had some beautiful bush.

He and partner Melissa Browne, who were already living in Muriwai, bought the section in September 2006. Not only was it sheltered and private, but also more central.

"We used to live up the hill but it was quite windy up there and we always had to drive everywhere," says Melissa. "From here, it's five minutes' walk to the beach, the shops, the tennis courts and the golf club."

The couple's brief to an architect friend was for a home that sat lightly in its bush surrounds. "We worked out what trees we could keep," says Mark. "Because it was such an established section we wanted to have as minimal impact as possible."

"We wanted the floor level as high as we could get because we wanted that feeling of sitting in the trees not underneath them," he says. "And with the house sitting on poles it means underneath it you can see right through and see the greenery behind it."

With Mark taking on the building of the home with the help of a labourer, he opted for low-maintenance Onduline cladding, which has a dark colour that sits well in the bush. Stained Shadowclad ply has been used to break up the Onduline.

Walls of glass have been used to bring light into the north-facing house and make it feel part of the bush. That is seen to best effect in the double-height living area - an open-plan space incorporating the kitchen - which is mostly glazed on its north face.

This room is warmed by a woodburner and opens to a deck on the western side. A deck on the north shows the couple's commitment to retaining as much of the bush as possible - it has been built around a cabbage tree.

A mezzanine floor on the southern side of the living area provides office space or an extra lounge area.

Another key element of the house is the rich rosewood flooring, which Mark, like any builder worth his salt, had bought a while ago and stashed away for future use. Down the hallway there are three bedrooms and a bathroom. All the bedrooms have north-facing, floor-to-ceiling picture windows and floor-to-ceiling glass louvres for ventilation.

Opening to its own deck at the end of the house, the master suite has a his-and-hers wardrobe module separating the bedroom from the en suite. A luxurious stand-alone bath sits in the main bathroom, which has bifold windows that can be opened to the lush bush.

Adding to the home's natural setting are the nikau and cabbage trees that shoot out of the gravel driveway leading up to the house. It's a nice touch in an age where the bland concrete driveway dominates and the reward has been the couple's enjoyment of the abundant birdlife.

After clearing away the undergrowth to build, Mark and Melissa landscaped the section and replanted with mainly natives - and there's some lawn for their 20-month-old son Felix to play on. Having enjoyed the home for the past couple of years, Melissa and Mark are planning their "next adventure" - a move to Taranaki for a change of lifestyle although Mark, a keen surfer, will still have access to some good breaks.