CHANGING THE TWILIGHT ZONE
Young couple make the most of limited space — for privacy and all that
When they bought their first home, a 33sq m apartment on Khyber Pass two years ago, the young buyers could sense the potential.
It helped that one of them, Tingting Wang, is an architect and had ideas on how to make the best use of the small living space.
Co-owner Mina Wu said that before being renovated, the studio had just one room and a “shabby” kitchen.
The couple created two zones so the bedroom is seperated from the living room by a folding door.
The 4.5sq m sleeping zone became more private and and can be closed off when guests visit.
Wu and Wang also maximised storage space in the kitchen and bathroom. The kitchen was also upgraded with shiny new white tiles on the splashback, cooking top and two open shelves.
The owners are sad to leave their Newmarket apartment, especially after upgrading and refreshing it.
“We will miss it because the location is fabulous, and we’ve done a lot of work renovating the place to making it what we wanted it to be,” Wu says.
The couple want to move closer to their new workplaces and upsize to a two- or threebedroom place as their parents are joining them from China. “Every day we drive for more than two hours and it’s so annoying.”
The apartment is one of 24 in the block, but it doesn’t face the road and therefore provides privacy and a concealed outdoor space.
A small backyard and a garden are taken care of by a gardener once a week and is a great spot to have morning coffee or read a book, Wu says.
Barfoot & Thompson agent Luke Shi, who is marketing the property with Alex Kramarenko, says it’s a rare find as it it’s affordable for the double-grammar zone, and the vendors have taken excellent care of the apartment.
“It’s too small for a family but it will provide quite a good return on the investment and is perfect opportunity to get on the ladder of the property market,” he says. The apartment is not far from the university and everything Newmarket has to offer, including the new Westfield shopping mall.
Khyber Pass also provides an easy link to the motorway. Also there’s the Newmarket train station and bus stops to many areas of the city. Auction: December 4
Contact: Luke Shi, Barfoot and Thompson, 021 137 6845