Views and a private garden

Viaduct Point. Photo / Supplied

APT 316, VIADUCT POINT, 125 CUSTOMS ST WEST, CENTRAL AUCKLAND

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SIZE: (approx) 101sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: $530,000.

INSPECT: Phone for times.

ON THE WEB: http://www.citysales.co.nz/

#10143

CONTACT: Gabrielle Hoffman, City Sales, 021 0216 6611.

ANNUAL FEES: BC levy $7561, ground rent $7479.

Athina Tsoulis and Barry Reay took their time checking apartment options in Auckland City before deciding on this two-bedroom unit at the Viaduct Point.

The professional couple - Athina is a feature film-maker and Barry holds the Sir Keith Sinclair Chair in History at Auckland University - bought the east-facing, third-level apartment in 2002.

"We bought it new off the plans after looking around the waterfront at the time," says Athina. "We liked the vibe of the Viaduct as its future promised to be an exciting area.

"We were living, and still are, in Ponsonby. We were looking to the future as our children had just left home and we were thinking of downsizing.

"We liked that it was built with a concrete framework as we were well aware of the leaky home syndrome by then. We have had no problems whatsoever with the building and it has won an architectural award."

Residents are allowed to have pets but they can be only a certain height - 30cm tall to the shoulder.

"I guess they feel apartment living would not be suitable for large dogs," says Athina.

"We had a german short haired pointer who was still very young, but we figured that we would have a few more extra years to wait before we could think about living in the apartment.

"Sadly, our dog died in October 2015 and we began planning the next stage of our lives and moving into the apartment.

However, I have been holidaying in Greece every year during the New Zealand winter and I began to fantasise about purchasing a home in Greece where we could spend two to three months each year.

I was born in Greece and am bilingual. It is such a magical place to relax and soak up plenty of sun. So, our plans have changed."

The apartment has been rented out solidly since it was first built.

"People usually stay one to two years in the apartment and it has not caused us any headaches in the past 15 years. It is managed by Crockers and they find good tenants and manage all aspects of the rental."

Their tenants have been professional couples who rent the building as it is a convenient location and comfortable. She says other residents include families with young children: "Often those who have lived overseas where apartment living is a way of life."

As well as retired couples: "They do not have to worry about house maintenance."

The two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with open plan kitchen/lounge has a layout that, on entering the apartment, you face the lounge and balcony area with the wooden-floored kitchen and its stainless steel bench on your right.

A passageway to your left leads into the two bedrooms on the right, one with fitted wardrobes and the main bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe.

On the left of the passage are the two bathrooms facing the entrance of each bedroom.

The lounge and the main bedroom have a balcony each. The second bedroom has wooden shutters.

The balcony off the lounge faces the street. To the left you look down Customs St West towards the Viaduct Harbour.

Viaduct Point has an enclosed garden that only residents can access.