EVERY DAY’S A HOLIDAY

There’s no need for a holiday home when this Takapuna house offers the best of both worlds

When people talk about the best bits of living on the North Shore, they’re thinking of the combination of great beaches and smart suburbs.

And that’s exactly what makes this generous property on Hauraki Rd such a perfect spot for a family.

“The house has got that beachy feel,” says Harcourts agent Jemma Glancy, who is marketing the property.

“Along with Clifton Rd, Hauraki Rd is the desirable street in Takapuna. And this is the sweet spot, close to the action at the top of the road, but quiet.”

Glancy’s clients say that hours of summers are spent at the beach — a couple of minutes’ walk away at the bottom of the street — with sandy kids coming home at the end of the day to the pool and barbecue.

“It’s like being on holiday every day. It’s just lovely in the summer, with all the doors and windows thrown open, but so cosy in the winter too.”

“It’s just lovely in the summer, with all the doors and windows thrown open, but so cosy in the winter too.”

The house was originally a

1950s weatherboard home, typical of the era.

Over the years various owners have expanded the footprint up and out, so now the home is a stately 237sq m. The current owners, who bought in

2013, added the striking outdoor living in 2016, with the help of landscape designers Intrepid Earth.

As well as a sleek pool that runs the length of the back yard, their design incorporated slick concrete garden beds and seating, culminating in a sculptural barbecue area complete with an Argentinianstyle asado — a steel grill for cooking meat, with smart wood storage. A louvre-roofed dining area means the space can be used in all but the roughest weather.

The decking timber was milled from 100-year-old rimu, retrieved from a farm.

With a servery window opening from the kitchen, and a dining room big enough to seat eight or more comfortably, the house is set up for entertaining. There’s a second entertaining area at the north-facing front of the house, where a large lounge opens to the sunny front terrace. The paved driveway has been perfect for kids on bikes and scooters, and there’s even a cute playhouse tucked behind the front fence.

The house has earned its chops during lockdown, with a work-from-home study opening to the back deck, while off the dining room is a kids’ retreat/TV room.

Also on the ground floor is a family bathroom and guest bedroom. Jemma says some viewers have speculated about rearranging some of these rooms to make a super master suite.

Upstairs are three double bedrooms, all tucked under vaulted ceilings, and the distinctive curved dormer windows. Two of these rooms open to an upper deck which has views of the sea and Rangitoto.

“You just look down to Takapuna Beach, it’s so close to the ocean,” says Jemma.

“This home is so stylish and well laid out — it's got a feeling of style worthy of an interiors magazine."

With the increasing number of cafes and good shopping in Takapuna, high-decile local schools and fast access to the city, Jemma says this makes for a very desirable location. Sale: Price by negotiation

Contact: Jemma Glancy, Harcourts, 021 246 5300; Victoria Mules, 021 679 349