Flexible space for changing lives
Apartment can be used for work or living, says Donna McIntyre
Being able to use this three- level apartment in Grey Lynn for residential or commercial purposes was a big part of the attraction when Moira and Bill McLean bought in 2005. Also, the apartment, one of 16 on the site, is the only unit with access from the street. The others have entrances from the shared driveway.
The McLeans were living in Freemans Bay when they came to view at the Scanlan St property.
“We were looking originally at commercial places for office spaces,” says Moira. “We bought this one the same day as it was listed because it had multipurpose potential.
“The top floor was the office for my accounting firm and Bill used the bigger bedroom for his office,” says Moira. “We used it that way from 2005 until 2009.
“And when we moved to Whitianga, for four and a half years I kept using the apartment as my office. Bill relocated his business and I would go up to Auckland and spend two week nights there.
“I stopped doing that in early 2013 and we have had tenants living there since. That was definitely the appeal, that we could use it for our office purposes as long as we needed it and then it could revert to being a residential property.”
The only changes they made were installing an intercom to talk to people knocking on the front door and to open the door remotely — and adding a heat pump for air conditioning.
The apartment has the side- by- side double garage at street level, stairs up to kitchen, living and deck — and more stairs to the two bedrooms and bathroom on the top level.
“We have big sliding doors on to the little deck from the lounge,” says Marion. “It is not huge but it is adequate to have a barbecue and look at the view.”
Moira says another detail they liked about the west- facing corner apartment ( with light all day long) is the way the stairs don’t intrude into the living or office space.
“The townhouse we lived in at Freemans Bay, you had to walk into the living room on level two to get to the bedrooms on level three. Scanlan St was different in that you could just walk up the stairs and across the hallway to the other stairs — you didn’t have to pass through the living room.”
“And we have a lovely view. It is on a ridge and from the top level you look across to the villas on the other side of Scanlan St and you can even see the sea at Pt Chev.
“I think the size of the complex was reasonably important to us. We wouldn’t have wanted to go into anything very much bigger. It is nice to be able to know the other owners, all the ones who come to the body corp meetings, anyway.”
Moira and Bill are selling to release funds to use for their Whitianga home.
They think their property has a wide appeal. “Someone could buy it as an investment,” says Moira. “But I think probably it will be for someone to live there. Young professionals who want to live close walking distance to town and Ponsonby Rd.
“It is very quiet there. Even though it is the front unit, you don’t hear any street noise.”
2 1
APARTMENT 1B 15 SCANLAN ST GREY LYNN SIZE: PRICE GUIDE: BODY CORP: AUCTION: INSPECT: CONTACT: ON THE WEB: