EASY LIVING IN SOUGHT-AFTER SUBURB
Sixteen years ago, when Neil and Wendy bought their home at 309c Frankley Rd, the setting was a quiet suburban neighbourhood, near the edge of the city and a pleasing remove from the urban bustle.
It still is – although there’s been some busy building effort happening up here in recent years that has significantly boosted the profile of the area. The transformation of pasture into high-end property just up the road has prompted a new identity there as the city’s ‘Golden Mile’, there are new subdivisions down the road and renovation happening all around here. That activity says that increasing numbers of people want to appreciate what Neil and Wendy have enjoyed for years.
They almost missed their moment here, Neil recalls. “We moved up from little old Hawera. But for what we were prepared to pay (in New Plymouth), we couldn’t find anything.”
They considered looking as far out as Waitara – even heading back to Hawera. At the last minute, though, they spotted this late 1950s weatherboard home in the window of a city realty office and arranged a visit.
“When we walked in, it had a wonderful feeling to it … there was just something about it,” Neil says.
It was “reasonably tidy”, he remembers, but needed a décor change. “It was painted pink and green!”
Other aspects were a positive attraction – polished timber floors, a well-appointed kitchen that had been recently installed by the previous owner, and aluminium window joinery. “It also had a very big garage – and that appealed. And I thought we could create a nice outdoor area.”
They bought the right-of-way property and set about making the mainly cosmetic changes that would give them the home they wanted.
That pink-and-green paint job has long gone, replaced by subtle earthy shades that are much easier on the eye. Neutral carpet also now runs through the lounge and bedrooms, a comfortable complement to the warm glow of the polished matai floorboards in the kitchen and bathroom.
There are two double bedrooms and one single in the house, with the master bedroom given an extra sense of space by the full-height mirrored doors Neil and Wendy fitted to the spacious wardrobe.
They also added the solar heating system on the roof that provides economical hot water. There is electrical back-up for the cylinder, Neil notes, but during the hottest months they usually turn that off and save power costs. A woodburner insert fills the tiled fireplace in the lounge, and underfloor and ceiling
insulation helps make the home even more energyefficient.
The open-plan kitchen-dining space enjoys morning sun and looks out into the private grounds around the back and side of the house. The lounge opens through French doors to a small deck at the front of the house, while the kitchen has a rear door to the back porch where you find the generous separate laundry.
Outdoor living is appealing on this property. Outside the back door, there is a paved and private courtyard area with a pergola structure that Neil and Wendy had built to shelter the spa pool they put in. “It’s nice to have a barbecue out here and light the chiminea,” Neil says. Drop-down clear curtains keep unwanted breezes away and can be raised when conditions are calm.
A second pergola to the side of the rear yard behind the garage was an existing structure when they bought their home. The couple has refined this area with low-maintenance pebbles and plantings. There’s a 55-year-old orange tree nearby and newer feijoa and crab apple growing elsewhere.
The generous garage that immediately appealed to Neil has also provided extra space for Wendy, who used the two rear rooms as an office and a reiki massage clinic. They could also provide a fourth bedroom/sleepout for new owners.
The garage has the bonus of a mechanic’s pit if someone wants to service a vehicle and on the wall is the motor and pump unit for the home’s Zanussi builtin vacuum system.
“We’ve had many functions in the garage … put up trestle tables for a big Christmas dinner and put on a bit of music. And there’s plenty of lawn around the house. This is a good place for youngsters to grow up in.”
The home and its grounds are immaculately presented and new owners can move straight in and enjoy life here as it is, or plan for changes that add their own touch to this property. 027 249 0146 0800 434 872 dianne.douds@tsbrealty.co.nz