It’s a breeze in the city
Stroll in the Domain in the morning; drink wine on the balcony in the evening — bliss, writes Donna McIntyre
Being close enough to the Auckland Domain to go for a morning walk and having a balcony running the length of their apartment were big attractions when Jo Clayton and her husband bought this freehold Newmarket apartment four years ago.
And they knew they loved the area — they’d had an apartment here before.
“Newmarket is vibrant and so close to the Domain for walking. And the huge balcony was a big attraction,” says Jo.
“I could walk to the movie theatre from here, and the public transport is great.
“The plan was that after a day at work in the city, we could come home and have a wine on the balcony.
“We could have friends around and enjoy a town life during the week doing things like going to shows, and then have the country life at the weekend.
“We had a house at Orewa as well and we planned to spend time between that house and this apartment as we began to work a bit less.”
They appreciated it being a boutique building and mostly owner-occupied. “There are about 12 apartments and ours is on level five,” she says.
“Because there are only a few apartments, the body corp is run by residents. They have done a good job of upkeep, like improving the entrance area and the lift.
“The apartment is at the back of the building, so we don’t have views out to the Domain. Instead we look out to Mt Hobson and Newmarket.
“We weren’t too worried about the views, we were more interested in being close to the Domain and having the balcony space.”
That balcony provides plenty of room for outdoor furniture and a good indoor-outdoor flow. “I also like the way the living area and the master bedroom open to the deck,” says Jo.
“And the two car parks we have are side-byside rather than tandem. The car parks are next door to the lift, so it is handy for bringing in the shopping.”
The apartment has a small passageway leading into the main living area. To the left are two bedrooms and a full-sized bathroom. Then you have the living area with the kitchen at the back, plus laundry and storage area. The master bedroom and en suite are at the other end of the apartment. Large sliding doors open from the living area and the master bedroom to the balcony.
Jo is selling because her husband died almost three years ago, and she no longer needs the apartment. It has been tenanted since they bought it.
The carpet has been replaced. “And if we had lived here, we would have updated the bathroom,” she says.
“The decor is a neutral shade and I decided not to renovate the house in case it wouldn’t suit another owner’s taste.”
Buyer feedback has been from people who are downsizing, those wanting a bolt hole in the city, and families who want their children to live in the double grammar zone.