Now that their daughter Haisley is two, there's nothing Jade and Suraya Washer enjoy doing more on the weekends than baking. The couple moved into their brand-new Fletcher Living home in Whenuapai before Christmas last year, and the island bench in the kitchen and practical, easy-clean flooring are two of the many features they're now enjoying — along with the lack of maintenance required, leaving them more quality time to spend with their daughter. "We're stress-free in this house," says Jade. "It's so much easier to clean up after a toddler and a dog."
Jade and Suraya were living in a two-bedroom Fletcher Living home in another part of Whenuapai, but with toddler Haisley on the move — along with their 20kg labradoodle Nylah — the family were eager to upgrade to a more spacious family home, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a garage.
The Fletcher Living development they live in is quiet, with brilliant family appeal, says Jade, a warfare specialist and survival instructor who works a little over a kilometre away at the RNZAF Whenuapai Air Base. Suraya also works at the Air Base, recently making the switch from fire-fighting to logistics to accommodate for family life, a priority in their neighbourhood. "We see kids riding bikes and roller-skating past our house most afternoons," says Jade.
Jade and Suraya live in a row of terrace homes; Jade says he and the neighbour directly next door will often catch up for a chat outside their respective garages. Two weeks after they moved in, they received an invitation to a neighbourhood meet-up at the village green. "It was a great way to introduce ourselves to everyone, especially since we're all relatively new to the neighbourhood" says Jade. "We've had baking going back and forth between us and the neighbours ever since!"
Meanwhile, weekdays couldn't be easier. Jade often bikes to work, while Suraya drops Haisley off to the day care across the road, and (one day) will be able to walk her to the local primary school. Living and working in such close proximity means they have the luxury of time, along with the ability to live a virtually "self-sufficient" lifestyle, say the couple. Their Fletcher Living Whenuapai neighbourhood also boasts a cafe, playground, lots of open green spaces, links to excellent schools and abundant transport options.
In 2018, the couple purchased their first house through a Fletcher Living scheme for first-home buyers who work at the Air Base, with their brand-new two-bedroom house price-capped at an affordable $650,000. They lived there for three-and-a-half years, before deciding it was time to upsize. The couple dealt with Debbie Dickens, a New Home Consultant from Fletcher Living, for both house purchases and say they've been impressed by the level of service they've received. "Any correspondence we've had has been really warm and inviting, and answered our questions," says Jade. "They've been really good to deal with."
The family have also relished having more space. The new home's layout is two storeys, with the living, kitchen and garage on the ground floor. Upstairs are the carpeted bedrooms, including a main bedroom and ensuite, spare bedroom and Haisley's bedroom, along with the bathroom, where she loves to play with her bath toys. Haisley and Nylah (the labradoodle) have plenty of room to run around outside, as the house looks out onto a park. "It's really easy for us to get out with the dog," says Jade. "And with the park next door, we feel like we have a greater sense of space."
Most weekends the family will take a long walk around the neighbourhood with the dog and pram, or will take a drive to nearby beaches and bush walks. But Jade says even tinkering in the garage with the door up and the sun pouring in has become a favourite part of the weekend.
Now that the weather is warming up, the Washers are looking forward to having friends round — it also helps they have a spare bedroom and lots of additional space to host friends and family. All of which gives Haisley and Suraya another good excuse to do some weekend baking. For the Washers, this is living.
To see if a Fletcher Living home is right for you and your family, visit fletcherliving.co.nz
Three things Jade and Suraya love about their Fletcher Living home
- The garden came with herbs already planted, so the family now enjoy rosemary, thyme and parsley, along with the fruits of a lemon tree. "We planted a couple of trees we brought from our old house that had value to us," Jade adds.
- The house has a 10-year Master Builder guarantee, and a 6Homestar rating. "It's been so incredibly cosy over the winter," says Jade. "Because of how well insulated it is, it's been really comfortable, even with all the wooden floors."
- Suraya says she's looking forward to maximising the home's indoor-outdoor flow to the lawn by opening up the big sliding doors in the living area as the weather warms up. "Having that lovely cool air come in creates the perfect temperature. And the sun coming through the backyard into the main living area of the house is so nice during summer."