Added value - Sandringham

Sandringham mother Ainsley Court was heavily pregnant when she was held captive for 30 minutes in the rear courtyard of this appealing 1930s bungalow - and the culprit was an outdoor table.

19 Kiwitea St, Sandringham.

Ainsley sidetracks from agreeing with husband Dean Parkin about how family-friendly they've made their home to laughingly describe a less-than-fond memory of the property.

The house-proud Mum was nearly eight months pregnant while preparing for daughter Jade's second birthday party last summer.

Tattooist Dean was at work and Jade was napping so Ainsley seized the opportunity to scale the wooden table to put the umbrella cover on.

The timber tore, Ainsley plummeted downwards and ended up tightly wedged through the table like a cork in a bottle.

Her burgeoning belly sat safely above the table but its weight hampered her lifting herself up to release her grazed legs dangling below.

``I cried for a while because my shins were ripped and it was really painful. I was stuck in there for about half an hour before I managed to lift myself out.''

Baby India gurgles contentedly on her lap.
``The important thing is that she turned out all right.''

The family moved from a Grey Lynn apartment two years ago, lured to the solid brick and weatherboard house in a quiet street between Sandringham and Dominion roads by its security and plentiful land.

Dean says, ``It was fully fenced so we knew kids could run riot here and still be safe.''

Since then Dean and Ainsley have worked on making the already-tidy home more welcoming.

``It was really cold,'' Dean says, ``so we put in under floor insulation and a heat pump and that's just totally changed this house.

When I was under the house doing the insulation I could see beams of light coming down through the floorboards and I realised why it had been so draughty.''

First-born Jade appointed herself fencing quality inspector. Dean marvels, ``The corner of our property hits the corner of the park and when she was 18 months old we turned our backs for a minute, only to find her up the top of the slide at the park ready to go down.'' A gate now blocks the gap she discovered.

The couple has renovated the bathroom and sleepout. Ainsley's father enhanced bedrooms with window seat storage and upgraded the garage with an electric door, lining and added storage.

The bungalow has three double bedrooms at the front and separate bathroom, toilet and laundry in the middle of the house. The sunny rear living-dining-kitchen area opens onto a northwest-facing deck.

Striking artwork by Dean's father, Patterson Parkin, mingles with American Old School style tattoo art by Dean and a workmate, offsetting the neutral decor and polished floors.

The private front yard has a lawn, courtyard area of pavers and pebbles, plus the garage and ample gravelled off-street parking.

The rear courtyard and deck border a quaint sleepout with fold-down bed and electricity, useful for sleeping, an office, studio or playhouse. The gates on the side paths flanking the house are handy for restricting adventurous toddlers to a more easily-watched area.

Ainsley describes the home as ``really family-friendly'' while Dean adds, ``It's awesome; at this time of year you can just sit in the sun inside or outside and enjoy it.''

They are sacrificing their cosy set-up to move closer to the support offered by family and friends with young children.

VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 3

BATHROOMS: 1+

GARAGES: 1+

SIZE: Land 612sq m, house 120sq m (approx).

PRICE INDICATION: CV $480,000. Auction October 18.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 12-12.45pm.

ON THE WEB: www.uprealty.co.nz #136908.

CONTACT: Marc Collins, Unlimited Potential, ph 360 4416 bus, 0274 485961 mob.

FEATURES: Family-friendly bungalow on fully-fenced, private level section in a quiet street, close to a park. Sunny northwest-facing living-dining and sizeable kitchen opening onto rear deck.