Let the stress melt away

12 MORETON DR

Phil and Liz Munt had driven past this house, which is only steps from Big Manly Beach, several times but discounted it because they were looking for a bach.

The couple had been living on a lifestyle block in Kumeu and had a bach in Ruakaka but wanted to be nearer their children.

“We’d driven past it heaps of times and said, ‘No, we’re not going to spend that much money, we’re buying a bach’. And then we just thought, ‘Oh, we may as well go in’,” says Liz.

As soon as they went inside the home, they knew this was the house for them. So, instead of buying a bach, they bought this property and moved to Whangaparaoa to live by the sea.

With four bedrooms and three bathrooms, their house — designed to give the look of a boat — is a classy bach.

“We upsized the house and downsized the site,” Liz says.

As well as being the beach, it also backs on to native bush — so, if they don’t fancy the sea views they move to the back deck with the bush views and birdsong.

The two-level home is roomy and open with myriad windows of different shapes and sizes — there are square windows, round windows, large windows and skylights.

The upper level features a living area at the sea end, a kitchen in the middle where you can cook with a view, and another living area at the bush end.

That living area has a row of skylights on the sloped part of the ceiling and the other end has round porthole windows.

A “pretty cool” feature is being able to launch the paddle board or kayaks off their own property because the estuary runs right past the house. To get to the house, you walk across a bridge.

Phil and Liz spend a lot of time on the beach or on the water and, because it’s a lovely community, the 25-minute beach walk can take nearly an hour because of the chatting and mingling.

The master bedroom is on the top level of the house built in 2000, and has a private deck, a big en suite and a walk-in wardrobe. A second bedroom on this level has a door to the bush deck.

The couple painted and put in a new kitchen with a large island bench and a pull-out pantry.

Downstairs features a bedroom and the third lounge. This area could be used for holiday accommodation, and the house has storage aplenty.

The double garage has a wooden floor and ranch sliders, there is decking and an area which could have a spa pool added.

Phil is retired but Liz works in the health industry in Auckland and loves coming home.

“You get into your happy place as soon as you turn into Whangaparaoa Rd.”

Beach walks are a favourite pastime, and any stress from Liz’s working day falls away as they make their way along the sand.

“You meet up with people who are friendly and lovely, and also it’s all age groups — one of my paddle board buddies from last season was 13.”

Sometimes they will see dolphins or orca from the deck and go to the beach for a closer look. “It’s that real holiday feeling 365 days a year,” says Liz. Size (more or less):

House 288sq m, land 819sq m.

Price guide:

CV $1.875 million. Sale by

Inspect: Schools:

negotiation.

Today 3-3.30pm, or by arrangement.

Whangaparaoa Primary and College, Wentworth College.

Bronwyn Titchener, Harcourts, 0274 367 072.

Contact: On the web:

harcourts.co.nz/ WH25329