Practical yet so stylish
Perfect home for a family wanting a change, writes Catherine Masters
If you fancy a show home-quality property in a new subdivision in a beach town, look no further than this practical yet stylish house in Snells Beach. There’s even a boat ramp at the end of the road, says Tze Wei Sneah, who project manages the Mahurangi Heights subdivision, and is also the director of Halo Property Holdings, the company that built the show home.
The high-spec four-bedroom brick house on a corner site was designed to show families what they could get if they move here, he says.
The flagship of the subdivision is well-designed with a professionally landscaped back yard.
This house is in the first stage of a 90-lot subdivision in a development designed to stand out from the rest, Tze Wei says.
“We wanted something a little bit higher-end, something that could be targeted at larger families — or people looking for slightly larger sections than were available.”
With the Mahurangi boat ramp so close, the site is perfect for people who want an outdoorsy lifestyle.
“That’s what Snells Beach offers.”
The house is on a flat section and has rural views, as do all the sections along the ridge of the subdivision.
“The design of the house tries to maximise the amount of living area that is able to take in the view.
“We built a small coffee deck and a larger outdoor living area and both get those views.
“There are two living areas next to the kitchen and it’s well utilised.”
There is an internal access double garage, a separate laundry and great landscaping.
“The landscaping was done by Bill Holden who
is a bit of a landscaping celebrity up there.”
The home is fully furnished and Tze Wei says an option is to buy the furniture.
The design has the bedrooms along one side, connected by a hallway that can be closed off so children can be put to bed while the adults continue with their evening.
“It’s simplistic and practical in its design, in that the living area is big. It’s basically two living areas put together with the kitchen involved so it’s great for entertaining. And given that you have two living areas, there’s just lots of space to roam around.
“It is the right home for a family. It’s large enough. It’s four bedrooms. It’s close to both schools. There’s the vege garden.”
Initially he thought about targeting Aucklanders to move up and then commute to work but has realised people moving north are not interested in commuting because there is so much happening in the area.
“Snells Beach has that fantastic winery, the Brick Bay winery. It’s got amazing food options nearby. The community is so close-knit. There’s ample job opportunities within Warkworth, minutes away, but it’s not as busy as Warkworth.”
And though the northern motorway extension is coming and will relieve traffic pressure on Warkworth, you still won’t get the “privacy or serenity” that you get at Snells Beach, Tze Wei says. “It’s fairly logical that it’s a beautiful place to live.”