The location is one of the things Barbara O’Shaughnessy loves about her 1930s Remuera bungalow.
The character three bedroom home at 5 Avice Street, which goes to auction on November 20, is in a double grammar zone and Remuera Village is only ten minutes walk away.
Barbara likes to stroll up for a coffee or take Steve, her westie terrier, for a walk.
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And because the home is in a cul de sac, the leafy street is peaceful and safe.
Barbara, who has lived here about 15 years, says it’s a great spot but she doesn’t need as much space.
“I bought it at a time my daughters were still at university and they were coming and going, but they’ve got their own houses now, their own families.”
She was looking for a house in Mt Eden at the time but when this north-facing property came up she fell for its charm and mix of original features and easy indoor/outdoor living.
Although she was working on the North Shore back then, getting there each day was not difficult as the motorway access is also so handy.
The house is a classic bungalow with native timber floors she thinks are matai and solid wooden doors.
The layout is welcoming with the front door leading to an L-shaped wood-panelled hallway taking you to the bedrooms, and there is a door through to the lounge.
The lounge also accesses the dining area and has a gas fire and window seating.
The main bedroom also has window seating. This room and another roomy bedroom each open to a covered verandah at the front of the house.
The kitchen and dining area open out to a deck at the back of the house which steps down to a fenced and private back lawn.
There’s a single garage with windows and a door Barbara’s girls used for study when they were at university but which she now uses for storage.
Barbara didn’t do much to the house – apart from quite a bit of painting.
“It was all beige; I’m not a beige person.”
The new owners could do more, though, she says, such as perhaps moving the garage forward and utilising the back lawn for a pool, or they could extend the house.
“It’s a nice family house,” she says.
“I’d like to think somebody else can come and enjoy the place as much as we have because we’ve had some really good times here.”
Agent Cathy Roselli, from Ray White, says the bungalow has a broad market appeal.
“I could see young families with littlies go in there and maybe chop off the back and do an open plan kitchen with living at the back, and move the garden to the front.
“Or, it could be good for an empty nester who doesn’t need a big house any more but wants to stay in the ‘hood, because it’s all one level and they’re three generous bedrooms.”
Bungalows are a real slice of Kiwiana, she says, with heart timbers you don’t find today and craftsmanship from a bygone era.
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