STRAIGHT TO THE POINT
This multipurpose Hobsonville Pt home is perfect for an intergenerational family — and those who love to entertain, finds SANDRA GOODWIN
“It’s a tightknit community with great amenities where lots of neighbours know each other.”
Choosing details to create their dream home was a labour of love for two lawyers. Now that one is a Labour candidate they are giving it up after only a year.
Labour’s Manurewa candidate Arena Williams is keen to move to that electorate but admits it’ll be sad farewelling the Hobsonville Pt community and her near-new home.
Arena says: “It’s been a brilliant place to live and we put a lot of thought into choosing elements such as lighting, tiles and colours as this home was being built.”
Arena, formerly general counsel for a local iwi, and her crown prosecutor husband Max Hardy moved into a smaller home in Hobsonville Pt in 2015 after winning a ballot.
Arena says, “It’s a tight-knit community with great amenities where lots of neighbours know each other.”
Staying in the area appealed when the couple wanted to create a long-term home which would house their son Te Makahi (now nearly 3 ) and daughter Waioeka (9 months) plus Arena’s 87-year-old dad, Haare.
They worked closely with builders G.J. Gardener to plan this Linea and brick home. Completed a year ago, it incorporates two master suites, one upstairs and one downstairs.
“Our location is great as Max can walk a few minutes down the hill to catch the ferry into town for work.
“Before I started campaigning we’d go to the local market most Saturday mornings.”
Lots of pre-schoolers and children from both nearby local schools live on the street.
“We have two parks nearby, the water park, where Te Makahi has met so many little friends, and Harrier Pt Park.”
The home overlooks Bomb Pt, which has walking tracks and is named for once being the site of New Zealand’s largest Air Force explosives depot.
Their 270sq m property has off-street parking fronting its internal-access single garage. The wood-look flooring is a product called Quickstep.
The front lounge, opening outdoors, features the first of three distinctive feature lights imported from overseas which Arena finds reminiscent of plant cell structure.
Next is the open-plan diningfamily room-kitchen, complete with scullery, opening to the private rear deck.
Arena says: “This layout is great because it creates a long space which can easily fit 30 to 40 people.
“We’re big foodies and we integrated things such as a special spice drawer in the kitchen.
“We love having the scullery, where you can slip away to do things when you’re entertaining and which provides great extra storage for things like platters.”
Completing this level are a bathroom, study nook and the first master bedroom opening to the deck Max proudly built. They use it as extra entertaining space and you’ll often find Te Makahi playing with his toy digger here against the backdrop of subtropical planting.
Upstairs are the principal bedroom with its wall of wardrobing plus en suite, as well as the family bathroom and two further bedrooms.
Harcourts agent Philippa Edgar says, “We love this bright, spacious, supremely stylish home in a top location, perfect for families and fabulous for entertaining with a gorgeous kitchen with scullery.”
Sale: $1,440,000
Contact: Philippa Edgar, Harcourts, 027 471 5297; Angela Tobin, 021 053 0392