Everyone’s a winner
Renovated 1930s bungalow is close to great cafes, parks and beaches, says Sandra Goodwin
When Anna and Gordon Gillan wanted to buy together after she had lived on the Shore and he had lived in Te Atatu, this sunny renovated bungalow towards Pt Chevalier’s northern end suited them both. Six years ago the couple, who married five years ago and are expecting their first child in August, looked at plenty of open homes around central Auckland suburbs.
Anna says: “We liked this renovated 1930s bungalow straightaway because it had such a nice feeling and open flow.
“We are near Coyle Park and Meola Park to walk our dog. And Gordon can swim at Pt Chev beach as part of his triathlon training.”
Gordon is an account director for Porter Novelli public relations while Anna works for an inbound tour company. Their west highland terrier Mac happily bounces around their generously sized fenced front grounds or naps, blissfully ignorant that he’s about to be usurped as the only littlie in the family.
Another big plus for the couple was that the home had been renovated so they could just move in and enjoy it.
The Gillans have appreciated being convenient to the central city, where Gordon works on College Hill. They’re close to Ponsonby or Grey Lynn for dining out and are in zone for popular schools.
A flourishing griselinea hedge behind a low concrete front wall, has a white wooden fence behind it, stretching round the side of the property.
Visitors typically enter through a secure side gate near the front of the property. It’s off a driveway shared with one other house, leading to this home’s rear parking.
Anna says: “If people haven’t been here before, they always seem to be surprised to come through the gate and see this big front outdoor living area.
“It’s private because of the fencing and so sunny because of the orientation so it’s a lovely place for summer barbecues.”
These front grounds are largely decked with plentiful space for outdoor furniture, a patch of level lawn and low-maintenance planting.
Anna says: “It’s a pretty easy, lock-up-and-leave type place to live in.”
There’s a central front door into the entry hall of the weatherboard home with concrete tile roof.
However in good weather you’re also likely to find front bifold doors to the deck open, highlighting the polished native timber floors of the front lounge. This features an open wood-burning fire within a concrete-finish hearth, flanked by two clear leadlight windows signifying the deco-era of the original home.
The lounge flows back into a kitchen with breakfast bar; its older oven replaced with a Smeg.
Anna says: “I did a patisserie course last year and I do a lot of baking in here.”
The kitchen opens out to a covered rear deck which gets great morning sun. It features pull-down blinds and provides covered access to the cupboarded laundry along one end.
There’s another 30s leadlight, this time semicircular, in the front bedroom with open double wardrobe. It neighbours a family bathroom off a hallway which has storage cupboards and a pulldown ladder to in-roof storage.
The rear double bedroom with en suite is a nice semi self-contained space for Gordon’s parents to stay when they visit from his original homeland of Scotland.
The rear deck steps down to an open parking space behind the home in front of a single carport with capacious storage cupboard for Gordon’s bikes.
The Gillans installed a heat pump plus underfloor and ceiling insulation.
They’re selling because of their growing family but they plan to stay in the area.