With growing teenagers in tow, real estate agent Carita Fenning wanted a home that would provide enough room for her family, was easily maintained, and most of all, looked the part.
It turned out the solution was a home she had built some years before, 161D Paritai Drive – light filled, contemporary and with an ideal layout, it delivered all of the above and beyond.
“I had built the home with my then husband, and my dad had bought it off the plans. I was in the middle of renovating another home and staying with my father in the home at the time, when he came home one day and announced he’d bought an apartment,” Fenning says.
“He offered to sell the house to me, I was already living here, so it seemed perfect.”
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Acutely aware of the quality of the home, and the ‘no expense spared’ ethos she applied to the original build, it was a fortunate stroke of serendipity, and she set about making it her own.
Now, 161D Paritai Drive in Orakei, Auckland, which has a June 2021 rating valuation of $2.475 million, is to be sold at auction on May 29 and is marketed by Stephen Johnson and Cheryl Paine of Ray White.
The property is light-filled and contemporary, with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and double garaging. Photo / Supplied
“It’s served us very well. It was designed to stand the test of time; made on a solid concrete base, it’s balanced, modern and easy,” Fenning says.
Comprised of three levels, the home’s upper level contains the master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe, ensuite and sea views.
“I’m lucky enough to get the best sunsets from my room over Hobson Bay, it’s spectacular,” Fenning says.
On the same level there’s double bedroom also with an ensuite.
The remaining bedrooms are found on the lower level, including a sleek self-contained living space with ensuite and kitchenette, a godsend for friends and family staying, including a dear friend whose one-week stay turned into two years over the lockdowns, with friendship firmly intact at the end of it.
The view from the upper level of the three-storey home looks out to Hobson Bay, and the sunset is spectacular. Photo / Supplied
A sleek, self-contained living space with ensuite and kitchenette at the lower level is a godsend for friends and family staying over. Photo / Supplied
The effortlessly modern and open-plan kitchen joins the living space with views to Hobson Bay and flows onto a private courtyard for entertaining and outdoor dining.
An elegant and understated tone is supported by neutral hues and liberal floor-to-ceiling sliders and windows, attracting every inch of light into its spaces.
Certainly, the property strikes a balance between separation and shared spaces, undoubtedly an asset in any family dynamic. Designed for minimal maintenance, the home requires little. Tiled floors and an undemanding garden and outdoor space have proved invaluable for Fenning and her two children.
As has the location – walks along the waterfront are within short reach, and so is the city, within a ten-minute drive.
