Twenty-three years ago, with three small children, then aged three, five and seven, Claire and Stuart had a very clear idea about the type of house they were after and when they found it – in the form of a classic 1910s weatherboard villa on an attractive, leafy Mount Eden street just a few minutes’ walk from the local village centre, they snapped it up immediately.
“The first open-home was cancelled because we bought it the night before,” says Claire.
“We’d been looking for over a year for a property in this zone, that we both liked. Even though this one had a terrible kitchen we could see the potential. Buying it was the best decision we ever made.”
That “terrible” kitchen was completely replaced as part of the home’s beautifully renovated rear, where living, relaxing, cooking, dining and entertaining take place in a large bright airy zone which includes a stunning new chef’s kitchen with a well-equipped walk-in pantry.
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Meanwhile, at the front of the house are three stylish bedrooms downstairs, including the generous master suite which has a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite, while the other two share the main bathroom.
Two further bedrooms lie upstairs with a third bathroom and lounge.
The property also enjoys a separate formal lounge downstairs, which is perfect for adults wanting to relax or host guests in a peaceful environment.
Claire and Stuart’s meticulously planned rear addition blends seamlessly with the original villa and opens to extensive decking and a large, level back lawn, reached via huge sliding doors.
The “terrible” kitchen was replaced as part of the home’s beautifully renovated rear, which includes a stunning new chef’s kitchen with a well-equipped walk-in pantry. Photo / Supplied
The home sits on a 1062sqm section with a level backyard and is in double grammar school zone. Photo / Supplied
The couple also added the swimming pool and spa, ensuring that their home was a prime destination for neighbourhood children in summer. The property is zoned for Auckland Grammar, Epsom Girls’ Grammar and Mount Albert Grammar, as well as Maungawhau Primary, Balmoral and Auckland Normal Intermediate.
Lisa Pringle, from Bayleys, says that villas as perfect as Claire and Stuart’s seldom come to market.
“It’s the ideal family home on a fully-fenced, dead flat quarter acre, with good separation for older teenagers – I know that their children loved being upstairs with their own bedrooms, bathroom and lounge. It was their fun place.”
There are five bedrooms, three bathrooms and garaging for two vehicles plus off-street parking. Photo / Supplied
The vendors added the swimming pool and spa, ensuring that their home was a prime destination for neighbourhood children in summer. Photo / Supplied
She says that the property has recently been repainted inside and out, and presents beautifully, so she expects significant interest from prospective buyers wanting to live close to some of Auckland’s most popular cafes, restaurants and boutique shops – as well as those sought-after schools. With only one adult son still at home Claire and Stuart are contemplating a change of lifestyle – perhaps a lock-up-and-leave apartment or townhouse.
“This is too big for us now,” says Stuart.
“We rarely go upstairs or even walk to the end of the section because we just don’t need to. When we first arrived here in Woodside Road in 2002, there were lots of young families in the street and now that cycle is beginning all over again, which I think is really nice,” adds Claire.
36 Woodside Road in Mount Eden, Auckland, is on the market for sale by auction on September 18.
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