It takes a lot of faith to buy a house you’ve never been to. And a lot of trust to leave builders to renovate it when you are not in the same country.
Liberty and Oliver Green did just that two years ago when they bought a 1950s terraced townhouse in Freemans Bay, and are very glad they did.
“It turned out to be a very good decision and we’ve loved living here,” says Liberty. “We love the style, the location, the fact that there are four bedrooms and that it is so well-built there’s not a single creaky floorboard or rattling window.”
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Brit Liberty met Kiwi Oliver in London 14 years ago, and they went on to renovate two homes while living there. Next they relocated to Bali, and when the opportunity to move to Auckland arose, they started looking for properties online. Oliver had grown up in Ponsonby and was keen to live in the general area again, so his interest was piqued by a property in neighbouring Freemans Bay.
The townhouse was in an enclave of terraced homes built in the 1950s to house dock workers. Liberty and Oliver are big fans of mid-century style, and could see the potential of the home, which was still in pretty original condition. Oliver’s family checked it out for them, and they decided to take a chance and buy it. They then trusted a builder Oliver knew well to start the renovation work.
“The first time I saw it, it was a building site,” says Liberty.
They were careful to maintain the character of the home while updating it for the 21st century and putting their stamp on it. One of the major changes they made was installing a new kitchen. Removing a superfluous door gave them more space to play with and now they have a generous room with striking black steel cabinetry from IMO Kitchens in Parnell.
The large laundry also got a face-lift. A toilet in there was moved to cupboard in the hallway, creating a new powder room. The laundry was then lined in plywood and now doubles as a huge storage space, housing everything from household cleaning items and gumboots to tools and toys, as well as the washing machine and drier.
“I wasn’t too sure about this room at first but now I love it,” says Liberty. “It has been great to have so much space and storage. We’re lucky – there is also massive storage under the house.”
The living and dining areas, also on the ground floor, are light, bright spaces that open out, via French doors, to a north-facing deck. It gets used just about year round, and is a great spot for the couple’s children Rocky and Delilah to play.
Original features like the wooden floors and 1950s joinery have been carefully maintained and add to the cool, urban vibe of the home. Most of the house has been painted a crisp white, although the upstairs bedrooms belonging to the children each have a feature wall of bespoke wallpaper made by a company Oliver owns, which commissions artists to custom-design wallpaper.
The four bedrooms upstairs all have high vaulted ceilings as does the stairwell, making it a great spot for displaying artwork.
The bathroom was given a new lease of life, with black tap ware and walls tiled in a herringbone pattern. Oliver and Liberty’s room has a wall of wardrobes and there’s also generous cupboard space, along with built-in shelving, in a room next door used as an office.
It’s a very comfortable home to live in, says Liberty, and the location has been every bit as good as they hoped it would be.
“You just walk up the road to K Road or Ponsonby and you’ve got so many cafes to choose from. We’re so close to the city as well, and with the kids, it’s been so good living across the road from Western Park.”
The Greens are on the move again, this time to Wellington for work, and will miss being so close to central Auckland. Now someone else will get the chance to enjoy a fantastic entry-level inner city abode in an enviable spot that will become even more popular when the America’s Cup rolls around, points out agent Robyn Ellson from Ray White.
“This property comes with the bonus of three off-street parking spaces, which is very rare in this part of town, but you don’t really need them because you are so close to the CBD, Ponsonby and the waterfront. It's in the heart of all the action and is a property with a wonderful energy and vibe, just like the neighbourhood to which it belongs.”
