QUICK LOOK
JP has an easy denial if wife Mo accuses him of disturbing her with his snoring. ‘‘It wasn’t me; it was the tiger,’’ he explains.
It’s a handy response, based on fact. Their lifestyle property at 1347 Carrington Rd is just along the road from Pouakai Zoo, where Bengal tigers are among the drawcards. Their occasional roar in the background is a rasping contrast to the sweeter sound of the birdlife around their grounds.
It’s not intrusive, though, and the couple has appreciated the peace and privacy of this rural location just a few minutes outside the New Plymouth city suburbs.
That wasn’t the main drawcard when they bought this home, although they knew they wanted a rural setting. ‘‘We were looking for something with a shed,’’ says Mo, revealing their need to keep their large motorhome under cover.
In fact, this one-hectare property didn’t have that shed, but the couple liked the area and the property had everything else in its favour: a comfortable, highly specified home of 245sqm built in 2011; park-like grounds around the home; a couple of paddocks for stock options; and a bush-bordered Te Henui Stream running along the eastern boundary.
There was plenty of space to the side of the house to build the shed they needed, and that’s just what they did, excavating the slight slope there to create a level area off the driveway to site the new structure. It’s a large, heavy-duty, two-bay shed, 7.2m wide and 8m deep, with one of the two roller doors rising up 3.2m to clear the satellite dish on top of the motorhome.
The other bay provides the storage, workshop and implement space that is invaluable on a lifestyle property like this. New owners will appreciate its presence.
At the same time as the new build, an existing steel-clad garden shed was moved from the driveway near the house to a new position alongside the big shed; a more logical placement that allowed a better presentation of the home.
Presentation offers immediate appeal to first-time visitors. They drive in through the brick pillars and the remote-controlled gate of the road-front entrance and past established shrubs and trees to pull up in front of the house.
At first sight, this is a single-level home with the attractive combination of warmhued bricks and a dark tiled roof. There’s a surprise or two inside, though.
The front door opens into a hallway, off which are two double guest bedrooms, an office or fourth bedroom, internal access to the integrated double garage, the family bathroom and generous cupboard storage.
At the end of the hallway is the spacious, open-plan combination of kitchen, dining and lounge areas. It’s an appealing, light-filled space, enhanced by the windows to the back and side of the kitchen, the sliding doors that give access to a morning deck, and the stacker doors
WHERE: 1347 Carrington Rd, New Plymouth.
HOW BIG: 10,482sqm (1.05 hectares) in land; 245sqm in home.
HOW MUCH: To be set at auction, at
1.00pm at Bayleys premises, on June 12,
2020 (unless sold prior).
WHAT YOU GET: Immaculately presented, peaceful and private lifestyle property located just 10 minutes’ drive from the centre of New Plymouth and 10 minutes’ drive the other way to the world-renowned Pukeiti gardens and cafe. Spacious, modern home is set up for comfort and convenience and is complemented by a large two-bay shed with one bay dedicated to motorhome storage.
MARKETED BY: Neale Parkinson and Leo Baas at Bayleys, phone Neale on
027 446-1550, or Leo on 021 444-073.
ONLINE: bayleys.co.nz – ref 2600489.
SEE IT: By appointment or via the twice-weekly open homes.
on the other side that open even wider to a huge, sun-drenched courtyard space.
At the end of the room is the major surprise: stairs that lead you down to the huge master bedroom suite that takes advantage of the original lower lie of the land there.
This suite is much larger than the modest space it was when JP and Mo moved in. The couple had it extended by 4m to create a massive ensuite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe that JP suggests is almost up to Hollywood standards.
Mo smiles at that. ‘‘You had the shed; I had the walk-in wardrobe.’’ That seems like a reasonable balance.
The ensuite features Villeroy & Bosch wall-hung porcelain toilet, bidet and handbasin; a fully tiled shower with a massage infusion system; a built-in, wall-hung mirror cabinet and wall-hung vanity; and facing walls of bronze-finished tiles.
The ensuite’s polished concrete floor with underfloor heating is part of the twozone system that extends throughout the house. There are also connected radiators in the ensuite, family bathroom, dining area and lounge, reflecting the European influence of its original builders.
It’s a sophisticated, self-managing system based on a diesel boiler, JP points out. ‘‘There is a circulating pump that keeps hot water around the house, so when you turn the tap on, it’s hot.’’
Electronics are equally sophisticated, he says, with amplifiers incorporated into the Sky and terrestrial aerial systems to maintain signal strength throughout the house. Surround sound is built into the living areas and exterior speakers are located in the courtyard. An entertainment cabinet hub in the lounge is set up to manage the audio-visual services.
While the polished concrete floors extend throughout the house, JP and Mo added the extra comfort of plush carpet to