NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Property

Sandra Goodwin: Expect the unexpected

NZ Herald
20 Oct, 2017 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

27A Pleasant Place, Onehunga, Auckland. Photo / Supplied

27A Pleasant Place, Onehunga, Auckland. Photo / Supplied

Pleasantly unexpected; that's a good way to describe what you'll find down an unassuming shared driveway at 27A Pleasant St. across the road from Onehunga High School.

Down the right-of-way a smart ex-state house still quietly holds most of its cards close to its chest, revealing little more than four-car off-street parking until you pass through an intercom-controlled gate.

And then you'll see a carefully cosseted, architecturally extended and renovated home opening to sizeable grounds.

Construction manager and former builder Tim Stewart and his wife Jesse Taylor, who works in the health sector, have poured their energy and aspirations into this place for three years.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Tim says: "Yes, 'unexpected' is the way most people describe it when they come over and see the size of the garden and land and everything we've done here."

Jesse says: "It has been a labour of love for us."

Previously they were living in a two-bedroom, two-level Parnell apartment, wanting more space and grounds.

When they first saw this home, then about two-thirds of its current size with a heavily planted garden, they didn't think it was right for them.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

But construction-savvy Tim convinced Jesse of the inherent potential, judging the single-level weatherboard 1940s home to be privately set, soundly built, dry and borer free.

Jesse says: "We both felt Onehunga was a suburb with a great vibe."

The suburb's regenerated foreshore is just down the road, and Royal Oak's bars and eateries and Monte Cecilia Park are nearby.

27A Pleasant Place, Onehunga, Auckland. Photo / Supplied
27A Pleasant Place, Onehunga, Auckland. Photo / Supplied

They believe the Waterview extension has improved Onehunga's accessibility. They can get to the airport in 10 minutes or to their jobs in the CBD and at Middlemore in 20 minutes.

They stripped back the interior of the home, re-wiring, insulating, re-plumbing, re-gibbing and installing gas central heating.

An architect who's a family friend helped them re-configure and extend the layout, creating open plan living and an additional master suite bedroom wing.

They concreted off-street parking, providing space for their cars, fishing boat and truck.

The house is on the southern boundary of its land leaving plentiful north-facing outdoor space.

27A Pleasant Place, Onehunga, Auckland. Photo / Supplied
27A Pleasant Place, Onehunga, Auckland. Photo / Supplied

The grounds and simple gardens have an open nature now Tim and Jesse have cleared and levelled them by bringing in 11 cubic metres of soil.

Tim built a quaint garden shed. If they'd stayed longer they'd have converted the former garage, currently used for storage, to a studio set-up.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

His favourite spot is on the deck the home flows out to. The deck has a retractable awning, and it's a good spot to admire the well-established kowhai tree they've under-lit, and a couple of kauri.

Entering the home you appreciate the couple has an eye for decor, not afraid to subtly use colour such as a gentle Karen Walker paint tone, Quarter Powder Blue.

27A Pleasant Place, Onehunga, Auckland. Photo / Supplied
27A Pleasant Place, Onehunga, Auckland. Photo / Supplied

Keen cook Jesse says the new kitchen works brilliantly, being well-connected to the living and outdoor entertaining through wide-opening bifold doors. The kitchen is highly-specced with its Falcon double oven and granite benches.

The new master bedroom suite with pitched ceiling has doors to the deck, a wall of wardrobing and an en suite with a massive shower rain-head.

At the other end of the home, two more bedrooms are served by a renovated bathroom.

Tim and Jesse have poured their hearts into this property. However, a trip to Queenstown opened their eyes to other possibilities so they're moving there to build their next home.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

On the web link

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Property

Property

Kiwi nurse sells his ‘last resort’ bach after dropping price to $78,000

Property

Couple saves riverside mansion that was ‘left to rot’

Property

Dream house that hasn’t been built yet sells for over $11m


Sponsored

Tired of missing out on getting to global summits to help grow your business?

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Property

Kiwi nurse sells his ‘last resort’ bach after dropping price to $78,000
Property

Kiwi nurse sells his ‘last resort’ bach after dropping price to $78,000

West Coast property attracted plenty of interest despite its quirks.

17 Jul 07:55 PM
Couple saves riverside mansion that was ‘left to rot’
Property

Couple saves riverside mansion that was ‘left to rot’

17 Jul 07:45 PM
Dream house that hasn’t been built yet sells for over $11m
Property

Dream house that hasn’t been built yet sells for over $11m

17 Jul 07:35 PM


Tired of missing out on getting to global summits to help grow your business?
Sponsored

Tired of missing out on getting to global summits to help grow your business?

14 Jul 04:48 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP