“I wanted our two boys to be able to walk to school because I think that’s a very important part of gaining independence,” says the owner of this handsome modern mansion on Remuera’s iconic Victoria Avenue.
The year was 1981, and she and her husband were thrilled to find a small bungalow on a large site, which formed part of a traditionally sprawling Remuera estate.
“Ours was at the back, and we had a third share of the tennis court,” she continues.
Eventually the cottage was replaced by today’s substantial four-bedroom, 548sqm roughcast and tile residence completed in the early 1990s. It fits in seamlessly with the architecture of surrounding properties.
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Set across two levels it features a large light-filled lobby, with a formal combined lounge and dining room to its left side and a family lounge and sunroom to the right.
The kitchen is well-equipped, with plenty of bench and storage space, and there’s informal dining just a few steps away. These rooms open to the paved terrace outside, which is dotted with ideal spots for alfresco lunches and dinners around the pool.
Back inside, the expansive master suite has a walk-in wardrobe, bathroom and a sunny little office adjacent for the owner and her husband during their working days.
Downstairs are a further three bedrooms, kids’ study area and a teen lounge with a kitchenette plus a family bathroom which cleverly opens out to the pool helping avoid wet footprints throughout the rest of the house.
The 548sqm roughcast and tile residence has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, triple garaging, multiple living areas, a swimming pool, cricket pitch, tennis court and basketball hoop. Photo / Supplied
Bayleys agent Gary Wallace says: “There’s a baton being passed here, and especially if you have a sporty family, this is a property you must see.” Photo / Supplied
Some years after moving in the owners were offered the opportunity to buy the rest of the tennis court and did so enthusiastically – installing AstroTurf as well as floodlights.
The couple are now enjoying apartment life: “Moving was a very major undertaking. I simply couldn’t believe how much stuff we’d been storing – including all our sons’ and our sports memorabilia.”
She’s comfortable with moving on and hopes to see a young family thriving in the property once again but says she’s already missing the home’s glorious views.
“When we arrived, we were the young ones in the street, now we’re some of the oldest.”
The kitchen is well-equipped, with plenty of bench and storage space. Photo / Supplied
When the current owners bought the house in 1981, it was a small bungalow on a large site with a third share of the tennis court. Photo / Supplied
Gary Wallace has sold and resold many houses in the area and can confirm that Victoria Avenue is still one of the suburb’s most popular streets, with its easy access to top schools.
“This is a generous, thoughtfully designed property with a nice sense of scale to it and triple garaging,” he says.
“Being down a private driveway means it’s very quiet and peaceful and obviously you’ve got the tennis court plus a cricket pitch – or alternatively a golf net to the side.
“There’s a baton being passed here, and especially if you have a sporty family, this is a property you must see. It’s great just as it is, yet there’s potential to add more value if you wanted to.”
- 173 Victoria Avenue in Remuera, Auckland, is for sale by a set date, closing March 12
