LONG VIEWS FROM HIGHFIELD PLACE

Ray and Dawn were quite familiar with their New Plymouth home at 11 Highfield Place before they ever moved in.

The couple bought the property ahead of the sale of their Taranaki farm and their daughter rented it for the first year or so, so Ray and Dawn were regular visitors.

The Lockwood construction was also familiar – their two previous homes were both Lockwoods and the couple enjoyed the timber environment they offered. The Highfield Place home interior has a later blonded finish rather than the rich colour of the earlier timber style and they liked the difference. Dawn smiles at the suggestion: “A change is as good as a rest.”

The home was built in 2008 to a contemporary, monopitch-roof design and it sits nicely into the surroundings of similar quality homes here.

Their first visit here convinced Ray and Dawn they could enjoy living in town – a move that they were naturally approaching with caution after decades of contented rural life.

“The open home was on a beautiful day and the view down the valley was so good,” Dawn recalls. That outlook of trees and green slopes was a pleasing consolation for leaving the rural environment with its sense of space. Highfield Place is also a cul-desac and that meant no through traffic to disturb the quiet setting. Other buyers were also interested, but the couple’s offer was eventually accepted.

They quickly appreciated their new home when they finally moved in. “We have made the most of what living in town has to offer,” says Dawn. “We can hop on our bikes and cycle down the Te Henui walkway to the sea. We can put our togs in a carry bag and catch a wave there.”

Ray admits he, too, enjoys that option. “It beats spraying gorse.”

At the farm, a big lawn was a magnet for visiting grandchildren, who loved playing cricket. The back lawn area of the 953sqm Highfield Place property is smaller, Dawn says, but still has enough space to set up a wicket and enjoy a game. It’s also fenced off so it is a safe playing area for children and pets.

Off-street parking was a feature that Ray and Dawn needed, with a large caravan and a fishing boat to be parked. “Putting our things in here was like putting a size 17 foot into a size 8 shoe,” Dawn says with a smile.

“We had 12 sheds up at the farm,” Ray recalls.

They gained the space they wanted by concreting over an area of garden adjacent to the rear garage and moving the garden shed there further around the back of the house. There’s now very generous parking space that new owners will likely appreciate as well. Ray also extended the rear of the integrated double garage to create a spacious workshop that can also accommodate another small car. It’s fully insulated, he points out, which means it could be used as a games room or a comfortable hobby room by future owners.

The expanse now available for parking makes it easy for visitors to drive in and also makes it practical for the ‘front’ door to be located away from the street. The door opens into a welcoming foyer area that leads into the open-plan living areas where the blonded finish of the timber walls enhances the light and airy feeling of the home’s interior. It’s a neutral look that makes it easy to add colour and texture in furnishings.

A spacious kitchen gets the benefit of morning sun which then works its way around the living areas during the day. The dining and main lounge areas are part of the open-plan spaces and there’s a second lounge separated by sliding glass internal doors that Ray and Dawn had fitted for increased flexibility of living.

Effectively, that provision cuts the house in half, Ray explains, and means they only have to heat the space they are using.

The master bedroom suite opens off the main living areas while two bedrooms, the family bathroom, toilet and an office or study are located on the other side of the second lounge.

The ensuite of the master bedroom originally featured a wet-area shower, but Ray and Dawn put in a glass frame that they suggest could easily be removed if new owners need the wet-area provision.

The separate laundry is located in the short passageway that leads into the extended garage. A door from the back of the new extension opens out to the secure rear lawn, where there are also raised garden beds for easy maintenance.

That relocated and generous ply-clad garden shed is out here as well. It has extra space for Ray’s fishing gear and a stainless-steel sink handles the filleting and clean-up activity after a productive day out on the water.

That may prompt new owners to take up fishing – if they are not already converts to the pastime. 027 493 7134 darrell.paterson@tsbrealty.co.nz