Just five minutes’ walk from the beach, this light and bright weatherboard home with a subtropical garden in Saint Heliers is a private oasis where Santa Fe shutters and blinds diffuse natural light and echo its relaxed coastal character.
Built in the 1940s, this two-storey bay-side sanctuary has been meticulously maintained and updated by the current homeowner Jo Johnstone who immediately fell in love with its timeless character and modern coastal elegance. What she loved most was the “gorgeous green tropical garden”, along with the home’s all-white palette and the location.
“I knew right away, it’s a feeling and I liked the fact that it had great indoor-outdoor flow,” says Jo.
“Everything’s just light and bright and it’s got a really lovely feeling. I also didn’t want too big a garden and I loved the fact that it was a five-minute walk to the beach and the village.”
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Jo, now an agent with Bayleys and selling her home with colleague Melissa Taylor, grew up in St Heliers. Her dad John Foote was a yachtie who represented New Zealand. After living all over the world she never dreamed that she’d end up back here but being near family and the water was a natural draw.
“I grew up sailing at Kohimarama Yacht Club and I just love being near all that activity and the water. It’s just good for the soul. It’s just a lovely lifestyle,” says Jo.
“I’ve moved around a lot, and this house has great heart to it. The kids just love this house. It’s their favourite so it’s quite hard to sell it.”
However, now that her kids have well and truly flown the nest, she’s been spending more time north of Auckland city on holiday and has decided it’s time for another move and she wants to downsize, which means this beauty is now up for grabs.
The space that truly captures the essence of relaxed coastal living and over the past decade that Jo and her family has lived here she has meticulously maintained and updated the home.
The open-plan layout – kitchen, lounge and dining spaces – naturally spills into the garden making it an entertainer’s dream. Photo / Supplied
The 229sqm residence, which sits on a 555sqm section, has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a double garage and multiple living spaces. Photo / Supplied
The first thing she did was blond the wooden floors to create the Nordic style and she introduced linen curtains and installed white painted shutters throughout the interior – to diffuse the natural light – which complement the battened ceilings and French bi-fold doors.
Jo has invested a significant amount of money on improvements that include a new main bedroom vanity, new heat pumps, a new extractor fan, a new alarm and new wardrobe units throughout the home, Cavalier Bremworth carpet, new wiring, modernised light fittings and outdoor lighting in the garden, to name just a few.
The interior and exterior was also painted the past year, making this beautiful home truly move-in ready.
“The people who lived here before me really looked after it and thought about everything – such as where the lights would go. I haven’t changed the floor plan since I bought it, I’ve just enhanced the home,” says Jo.
The open-plan layout – kitchen, lounge and dining spaces – naturally spills into the garden making it an entertainer’s dream and Jo has had some great parties here, especially in December around her birthday when the pohutukawa tree is in bloom. The garden is also irrigated and pretty when lit up at night.
The current owner created a Nordic style, and introduced linen curtains and installed white painted shutters throughout the interior. Photo / Supplied
Homeowner and Bayleys agent Jo Johnstone says living at 4 Yattendon Road is “quiet, tropical and peaceful”. Photo / Supplied
The master bedroom opens directly to the garden, while its adjoining bathroom enjoys leafy views – best appreciated from the bath, where Jo likes to unwind to music by candlelight. Smart features throughout the home include built-in speakers and an HRV system.
The four-bedroom home includes a guest suite on the entrance level complete with its own lounge area, desk, ensuite and balcony “which her kids used to fight over”, perfect for Airbnb.
The home is also well heated. Northwest-facing, it enjoys summer sun from 8am to 7pm. There are also three heat pumps throughout the home and an open fireplace which makes it extra cosy in winter.
Living here is “quiet, tropical and peaceful” and being gated on both sides, it’s also secure and pet friendly. And being elevated provides a valley view and good drainage. Generous storage has also been added to the home. There is also storage under the house, and the double garage lined and carpeted.
“This home has such a lovely, relaxed, and welcoming vibe – the perfect place for entertaining or simply enjoying time with your family,” says Melissa Taylor, of Bayleys. “It offers so many of the features buyers are always asking for, and it’s in a fantastic location close to St Heliers Beach and the village.”
4 Yattendon Road in Saint Heliers, Auckland, is on the market for sale and goes to auction on March 10.
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