Pt Chevalier
Couple have spent 36 years moving around their muchloved suburb, writes Sandra Goodwin
To the Point
Seasoned house remodellers the Broadhursts had their fill of renovating when they decided their fifth house in Point Chevalier would be a resort-like new build incorporating the benefits of Hebel concrete. Brenda Broadhurst says: “Peter and I like Point Chev so much we’ve moved around houses in this suburb for 36 years.”
Husband Peter can assist with renovations as he owns painting company Broadhurst Decorators. But the couple were over re-jigging houses after their fourth Point Chev home’s major rebuildextension left them with outdoor living not orientated to their tastes.
Around 2004, they spotted a brick ex-state house on this 670sq m of land which could deliver sun-soaked generous outdoor living if they removed it and built anew.
Peter says: “We’d used Signature Homes for a holiday home and liked them, so we had them build a new home for us here.
“After renovating several houses we liked the idea of someone professional coming in and running the whole thing.”
The couple modified one of Signature’s designs to suit their land.
The Broadhursts were familiar with Hebel aerated concrete as a material, which has good insulating properties and is easier to maintain and re-paint than claddings such as weatherboard. The ground level of this home is Hebel, which was too weighty for upstairs which is plaster over a 20mm cavity system.
The couple like the look of their home which had its CCC issued in 2005. However, they recognise its Tuscan-Mediterranean style may have buyers mistaking it for earlier construction, so have included an up-to-date building report with their sale documents.
They recommend their location, near cafes, handy to town (eight minutes off-peak), the airport (20 minutes) or to motorways for Peter’s work or Brenda’s volunteering for charity Look Good Feel Better.
Brenda says: “Our place is so private. With the driveway gate and the fencing I feel safe and secure here when Peter’s away on golfing trips.”
The side driveway provides off-street parking supplementing the internal-access double garage with laundry.
The northwest facing fore of the property has a line-up of sunny indoor living spilling out to paving under a big pergola. Resort-sized big palms rise majestically from front lawn stepping up to the inground swimming pool they had Aqua Technics add after living here a while.
Double front doors on one side of the house reveal a double-height entrance and a curved staircase matched by a curved wall in the front lounge.
Brenda says: “In winter I love sitting in front of the gas fireplace in this front lounge.”
The trio of this room, its neighbouring dining room and family room-kitchen all open outdoors to the front grounds through bifold doors.
Brenda says: “It’s a great layout for entertaining and for keeping an eye on our grandkids when they’re in the pool.”
The kitchen sports engineered stone benches, timber veneer bulkheads and a paprika-hued splashback. Completing this floor are two bedrooms (one used as Peter’s office), a big bathroom and understair storage.
Upstairs Peter says: “We like the separation this ‘bridge’ gives us.”
He’s referring to a formation distancing family or other guests as a hallway leg separates their master with walk-through wardrobe and en suite from two other bedrooms and the family bathroom. Frameless glass showers feature in the underfloor-heated tiled bathrooms.
After starting with a white interior they’ve added some warmth and interest such as the stairwell’s Porters Paints’ lime wash effect.
Brenda mentions Peter painted some of their art, saying: “We call him Van Broady.”
The couple’s two children and four grandchildren now live out of Auckland so the couple are downsizing from here.