SCHOOL ZONES:
Onehunga High, Hillsborough Intermediate, Waikowhai primary.
CONTACT:
Glenn Baker, Bayleys, 021 923 506.
AUCTION:
February 15, 6pm.
Elizabeth and her husband and two daughters thought they had hit the jackpot when they found their grand old house on the slopes of Queenstown Rd above Onehunga two years ago. The family home had been on a small section in Mt Eden, so had been looking for something bigger with more outdoor living.
"The location here is excellent -- we can go down to the new reserve and beach in five minutes, but we're only 15 minutes to the airport, five minutes to Royal Oak, 20 minutes to the CBD off peak," she says. "But best of all, it is a really friendly family community; it's so peaceful."
The couple can name all of their neighbours, who come from all points of the globe, and delight in the history and features of their Arts and Crafts-style villa.
A year ago they had plans drawn up to subdivide the lower, street-side area of their property for a four-bedroom townhouse.
With resource consents granted, the family have instead moved to Sydney for work and are selling the property and plans.
With the upzoning of the area under the Unitary Plan to mixed housing suburban, the couple also had their designers, draw concept plans for a three-house development option as well, if new owners wanted to relocate the villa and build anew.
Image 1 of 5: This property is in a great location and has resource consent for a second dwelling.
"The villa style is what attracted us, so our 10 neighbours approved the concepts that repeat the look of the villa with roof pitches, balconies and weatherboard finish. We added schist fireplaces and split levels to give outdoor living," says Elizabeth. "When we bought the house, we did up the driveway and added planting to make the most of the hill and mark out the boundaries."
The couple didn't stop there, completely re-wiring and re-plumbing the house, adding insulation to floor and ceiling, a new roof and new paint through the house. In the open plan kitchen and dining room, the cabinets and benches were fairly recent, so they just had to upgrade appliances and install a new Swiss-made wooden floor.
New LED lighting was fitted throughout for a clean, low energy house. The french doors to the north-facing deck means they have plenty of outdoor living, but the couple also enjoy the old front porch at the entry.
The lounge and one of the bedrooms open to this space so owners and guests can sit outside for charming views all around the ridge as far as One Tree Hill. The lounge has its original beamed ceiling, mantelpiece and a charming bay window, a feature repeated in the master bedroom.
The arrangement of open plan living on the sunny side of the house, with separated living and bedrooms has worked well for the family, giving them the best of modern and traditional. It was an easy ride for the girls to their schooling, and the regeneration of the Onehunga foreshore was an unexpected bonus for the family.
The area is rapidly improving with public facilities, transport and bike links, but the old school neighbourliness that attracted this family is still apparent. With its development potential, the property is ready for the next family.
