SCHOOL ZONES:
Victoria Avenue School, Remuera Intermediate, double Grammar.
CONTACT:
Martin Morgan and Sarah Codling, Ray White, 0274 981 999 or 215 5860 (Martin); 021 062 6857 or 631 1500 (Sarah).
AUCTION:
December 10.
If Maria and Branko Grgurinovich could pick up their Remuera home and move it lock, stock and barrel to Coromandel, they'd do it in an instant.
The house the couple built 16 years ago is their dream home, and they intended never to move. But they've now decided to be based fulltime at their holiday home at Cooks Beach, and so are parting reluctantly with their city house.
"We are torn because we love this house so much," says Maria. "But we love the beach and the lifestyle we have there."
Unfortunately, unlike some other Kiwi homes, their immaculately-maintained house does not lend itself to being cut up and put on the back of a large truck to be shifted elsewhere.
The three-level executive-style home was carefully designed to fit a sloping site that was the back garden of their former home.
Branko and Maria bought the large section at the end of a no-exit street in 1979, thanks to the fact that carpenter/joiner Branko worked for Fletchers, which was developing the subdivision close to Newmarket.
The couple built a large house, which provided the ideal family home for them and their three daughters for 20 years. But, when the girls started to leave home, it was clear the house and garden were going to be far too big for Branko and Maria. So they subdivided, sold the family home and commissioned architect Alan Shanahan to design a house that suited the rear site, and their lifestyle.
The Grgurinovichs cannot speak highly enough of Alan. Not only did he listen carefully to what they wanted -- they drove around Auckland photographing houses they liked the look of and presented the pictures to him -- but he also adapted his plans as necessary when they wanted changes made during the building process.
And when initially they said they wanted a house with plaster cladding, he said he would only design one with a cavity system.
His insistence has meant the house never has had moisture problems, as shown in a weather-tightness report the couple had commissioned.
"He put a lot of thought not only into how the house looked, but also how it worked for us," says Branko. "It is a practical house."
The elevated site means there are great views across the rooftops of neighbouring houses towards the city, with Sky Tower and the Auckland Museum in the distance.
Generous windows throughout means the outlook is framed perfectly from just about every room.
A triple height semi-circular wall of windows, behind which sits the stairwell, creates an impressive facade at the front of the house.
On the ground floor is a large double garage with a workshop area and a storage cupboard. There's also a lift, which makes it easy to get the shopping and other heavy items upstairs.
The middle floor has three bedrooms -- two of which open to a deck or patio -- two bathrooms and a living area. There's also a laundry on this floor, with lots of cupboards and shelves, and plenty of room to put up an ironing board.
The top level is where Maria and Branko spend most of their time. The master bedroom suite, with a large walk-in wardrobe and en suite is up here, along with the open plan living/dining/kitchen, study and a formal lounge.
Branko laid the parquet floor himself, and it looks stunning. Even better, it is also hard-wearing.
The kitchen, which has composite stone benchtops and a double-size oven with gas hob, looks as good as new, despite the fact it is 16 years old.
As well as big picture windows in the living area, there are bifold doors out to a deck that is the ideal place for al-fresco dining. Branko built the outdoor oven, which has a spit roast, and has been well used over the years.
Image 1 of 7: Architect ensured this spacious multi-level charmer would always be warm and dry, and that its occupants would bless the day they moved in
The easy-care garden features palms, cabbage and olive trees and a stately gingko. An exterior staircase leads up to the flat roof, where a roof terrace is ideal for entertaining.
"Just the other night we had family over and sat up here eating pizzas," says Maria.
They've enjoyed living so close to Remuera, Newmarket and the city, and the girls were able to walk to school at Epsom Girls' Grammar.
"We've always been proud of the house and we hope that the next owners appreciate it as much as we have," says Branko.
