SCHOOL ZONES:
Shelly Park School, Somerville Intermediate, Howick College.
CONTACT:
Victoria Koszegi, Barfoot & Thompson, 021 029 67430.
AUCTION:
July 28, 5pm on site.
Renovating houses is what builder Phil Penney and wife Dina do well.
This is the third home they have done up in about six years and Dina says the trick is to choose a property they both love and that "gives you a good feeling when you walk into it".
"If we love a house when it looks old and crusty then we know that after we renovate, it will be something really special."
After finishing their second renovation in Cockle Bay, the couple spent time looking for their next project before finding this two-level home in nearby Somerville, where they have lived with daughters Lara, 9, Amelia, 7, and Evvie, 6, for two years.
The house, at the top end of a quiet cul-de-sac and about four minutes' walk from Meadowlands Shopping Centre, was designed by Auckland architect Ron Sang and built in the early 2000s.
"The concept of 'feng shui' made sense to me when I walked into this house for the first time because it just felt so relaxing," Dina says.
Looking past threadbare carpet, old curtains and dated colour schemes, Dina and Phil were wowed by Sang's signature floor-to-ceiling windows, glass doors and double-storey voids that fill the house with light and connect it seamlessly with the garden.
"Phil is particularly good with colour and can picture the finished product," says Dina.
Nothing needed to be done to the footprint of the 291sq m house, which has beautifully integrated, semi-open-plan living spaces, four double bedrooms, two bathrooms and ample storage space, including extra room in its internal access double garage.
The Penneys' changes have included cladding the house with smart, dark brown vertical weatherboards, replacing all the joinery, and double-glazing the windows and glass doors.
New carpet has been laid to complement existing granite tiles in the kitchen, bathrooms and foyer that are in excellent condition.
Image 1 of 7: Behind the big red door is a delightfully renovated family home. Photos / Ted Baghurst
The old curtains and vertical blinds have gone, the walls are all painted white, and new cupboard doors and appliances have spruced up the east-facing kitchen, which looks brand new.
Extra windows have been added in two upstairs bedrooms to make the most of the light and views from the home, which looks west over towards the Sky Tower from its elevated site.
Outside, Phil has built raised vegetable gardens and renovated the gazebo, which now has a clear pull-down screen that provides wind protection and has made it a much more useable outdoor space.
He has also built a secret playroom with a pull-down ladder in the roof space above Evvie's bedroom.
Behind its electronic security gates, this home's "wow" factor begins at the front entrance, where a striking, double-width red door opens to the double-height foyer.
This leads to the formal lounge, dining room, family room and kitchen, which run east to west along the north side of the house and open to a private garden with level lawn.
The back "wall" of the dining room is a bank of tall bi-fold doors that push back to reveal Dina's home office, which gets great sun and is in the heart of the house and can be hidden when not in use.
Behind the kitchen and looping back towards the foyer are a large laundry with a door to the outside and a separate toilet.
Stairs off the foyer lead to a large landing that doubles as an open-plan lounge and has four bedrooms and the family bathroom opening off it. The two north-facing bedrooms and the master bedroom have their own balconies.
Phil has already lined up a new project in Cockle Bay but Dina says this time she is reluctant to move.
"We always leave our houses in a beautiful state but this one is really special."
