Tranquil lifestyle with mountain views
The graceful slopes of Taranaki Maunga are a backdrop to life at 427 Cardiff Rd, near Stratford.
They were an immediate influence on the decision to buy this lifestyle property four years ago. ‘‘We knew before we even walked in the door that this was the house for us,’’ Katherine says. ‘‘Mt Taranaki was a perfect view behind the house.’’
There’s another complementary mountain vista available here, looking east, Katherine says. On a clear day, the distant peaks of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu are outlined on the horizon. ‘‘There’s something magical about that ... the sunrise over the central plateau is stunning.’’
The couple were looking for a rural property with some space, where they could start a family. This property, at 4786sqm or a little over an acre, gave them the space they wanted without a major commitment to managing land or stock.
‘‘We wanted some sheep or lambs to give a country feel for kids to grow up with. And we didn’t want to hear neighbours’ phones ringing.’’
The couple have been grazing a couple of sheep in the two paddocks in front of the house and there’s a chicken coop there as well. ‘‘Two sheep is perfect ... and you could have a horse as well.’’
New owners could have a greater focus on stock, Katherine says. ‘‘There’s so much lawn around the house that you could create another paddock.’’
The land drains beautifully after rain, she adds – something they have appreciated after seeing recent flooding images on television.
The address near the intersection of Cardiff Rd with Pembroke Rd has family convenience. Katherine notes the walking distance to Pembroke Rd School, and proximity to Stratford’s urban services – supermarket shelves in the town are only five minutes away.
Shopping north in New Plymouth is just a half-hour away, she adds – as is Hawera to the south. ‘‘It’s perfectly located.’’
With those mountain views to either side of the house, the couple wanted a comfortable, warm house to relax into, and the then eight-year-old contemporary home with monopitch roofing gave them that. Specifications included a wellinsulated design, low maintenance claddings, double-glazed joinery, and a heat pump and log fire in the living areas for yearround comfort. HRV and heattransfer systems extend the comfort throughout the house.
There’s also a vivid red front door that stands out – and complements the nearby red Huntington rhododendrons when they flower. ‘‘That looks really cool.’’
At 200sqm, the home is spacious and new owners will also appreciate its four bedrooms and generous northfacing living areas with light flooding in through floor-toceiling glass windows and doors.
The house is set back from the road, behind the two front paddocks and roadside boundary hedge. ‘‘It’s away from traffic and feels really private. A lot of visitors who have stayed have said it is so tranquil.’’
The sunny aspect brings natural warmth, Katherine says. ‘‘On a sunny day, you just wear shorts and tee shirts inside ... it’s snug. When we get home, it’s 23 degrees in here and we have to crack the louvres open. It’s nice to be living in such a lovely home that’s weathertight with no worries about anything.’’
They also appreciate the extra features built into the home that enhance life here and make it family friendly. ‘‘They thought about everything when they built this home.’’
An obvious detail is the fitting of the vertical louvres to the side of the windows and doors in the living areas and master bedroom that avoids the need for opening windows and emphasises the views through unobstructed glass.
There’s also a pleasing continuity in the stone-look tiled floors in the entry foyer, kitchen, family bathroom, main toilet, ensuite, separate laundry, and the third toilet off the integrated double garage. The family bathroom features extra detail in the dark tiled strips that break up the expanse of white wall tiles.
The kitchen and effective is an galley efficient design between the family-dining area and the lounge space. It’s finished in a combination of gleaming dark timber cabinets and white door and drawer fronts behind a long white island bench faced with more dark timber finishes at each end. A wide stainless-steel oven in the rear bench has the simplicity of a ceramic cooktop.
The property is well set up for rural life. A 30,000-litre water tank sits behind the house, with a UV filter system to treat the water for use – and electronics that Katherine says report the water level to a phone app for reassurance. Behind that is a large workshop with plenty of space for implements and storage.
Mike Shaw