When Mary and Andrew Brown were looking for a larger house to accommodate an expanding family, they didn’t expect to find one just around the corner from their existing Mount Eden home.
But when Mary walked past and spotted the villa at 120 Grange Road for sale, she saw past its shabby look and overgrown garden and realised it had a lot of potential. And despite the old lean-to on the back of the house and the outdoor toilet, Andrew agreed that with some work, it could suit their growing family.
That was 21 years ago. Today, the four-bedroom, two-bathroom property is a beautifully renovated home on a 911sqm section with an RV of $3.95 million. According to OneRoof data, the property last changed hands in 2001 for $523,500.
With their children grown up and gone, Mary and Andrew are selling 120 Grange Road in Mount Eden at auction on November 30. Ray White Mt Eden agents Mike Robson and Pernilla Da Costa are marketing this property.
Start your property search
Mary recalls that the property had been rented out when they bought it, and to say it needed a revamp would be an understatement.
“It was horrible. So we took all the carpets out, polished the timber floors, painted the interior white, and then moved in,” Mary says.
And that was just the beginning.
The clever extension at the back of the Grange Road house accommodates a contemporary kitchen with a big marble-topped island and an adjacent spacious scullery/laundry. Photo / Supplied
During the 21 years they lived there they did major renovations and turned the house into a spacious, elegant, light-filled home, carefully blending modern features into its character bones.
The clever extension at the back of the house accommodates a contemporary kitchen with a big marble-topped island and an adjacent spacious scullery/laundry with great storage.
It’s Mary’s favourite space. “It’s a joy to work in and I’ll recreate it in our next house,” she says.
Designed for relaxed socialising, the big, open-plan family living and dining area opens through bi-folds to an expansive deck with an adjustable louvre roof. This is the favourite spot for barbecues and alfresco dining, and there are broad steps down to the back lawn.
More space can be created here by opening the sliding doors to a second lounge which also opens to the garden. When not in use for entertaining, it’s a retreat for reading or movies.
The overgrown garden has been tamed and the villa with its traditional white weatherboards and pretty verandah sits amongst classic clipped hedges and well-tended lawns. Photo / Supplied
The big, open-plan family living and dining area opens through bi-folds to an expansive deck with an adjustable louvre roof. Photo / Supplied
The roomy master bedroom includes luxury ensuite and walk-in robe and has bi-folds to a private, lower deck with plenty of sitting space for morning coffees. Three further double bedrooms, each with built-in wardrobes, share a family bathroom with twin basins and a luxury bath.
Mary has completed the interior design over time, and despite never having a master plan – “it grew organically as we lived here” – it has come together with a cohesive look that celebrates the old while embracing the new.
“Because we lived here for 10 years before the main renovation, I knew where the light came from and we were able to add windows to take advantage of that. The high ceilings and the space also added to the light.”
The overgrown garden has been tamed over time and the villa with its traditional white weatherboards and pretty verandah sits amongst classic clipped hedges and well-tended lawns.
Set on west-facing 911sqm grounds, there’s been more than enough room here for the Browns’ two adult, three-child family, and now that the children have grown up and left home, there’s more space than they need.
Once again there’s no master plan in place for what the next house might be like – other than smaller – but Mary is certain she doesn’t want a modern house. Coming from Ireland, she talks about a little Georgian house in Ireland, and a little character house in New Zealand.
