45A Glover Rd, St Heliers, Auckland. Photo / David Rowland / Getty Images
When it comes to his work, there are a few sayings builder Sam Daley lives by.
They include, "I don't do things by half", "I don't do small" and "quality before budget".
He followed all of these when it came to the luxury home he has built on spec in St Heliers. He hasn't stinted on space or quality, and has included features that he would want in his own home.
"I have built it as if it was for me and my family," says Sam. "There's nothing that I wouldn't be happy to live with myself."
In fact many aspects of the project are based on work he has already carried out to a bach in Ohakune.
"It's a lot smaller, but I've used the same flooring, windows, cladding, deck … they're all the best products that I have tried out myself."
The Glover Rd house is spread over four levels, stepping up a hillside. Cutting into the hill was a huge job — it took six months to get to the slab stage — but worth it as the home is big and has great elevation .
The bottom level houses a large double garage with plenty of storage space — "you can never have too much storage" could also be added to Sam's list of sayings.
One of the cupboards goes back a long way under the stairs, and would be the ideal place to store suitcases and Christmas decorations. Also on this level is a bedroom, which would also make a great work-from-home office.
The next level has three bedrooms, a big, fully-tiled family bathroom and a separate toilet, along with a living room that opens out to a large deck.
Sam sees this floor as a kids' zone, where they can have friends over and make as much noise and mess as they like because they're away from the main living area.
There's also a large laundry with outdoor access and lots of storage cupboards, plus more cupboards in a hallway that are cut back into the hillside behind.
The main living space on the next floor up truly has the wow factor.
Walls of windows make the most of the stunning north-facing views over Glover Park across the road to Rangitoto and to the harbour and Takapuna. A huge wrap-around deck provides all-important outdoor space while making the most of the outlook.
"You get sun all day, through to the late afternoon so it's going to be a great spot for having a barbecue," says Sam.
The living area is off to one side of the staircase, with the dining space and kitchen on the other. The kitchen is a chef's dream, with plenty of storage space, designer tiles, a gas hob and Dekton work surfaces that not only look striking but are practical.
"It is scratch and heat-resistant and you can cut on it — I really like it," says Sam.
A staircase tucked behind the kitchen leads up to the top floor, which is the adults' sanctuary. The master bedroom has even better harbour views, framed by the wall of windows facing north and west. Sam put in a window seat, the ideal spot to curl up with a book, although the outlook is likely to be a distraction.
Both the en suite and the walk-in wardrobe are extremely generous and the high stud adds to the feeling of spaciousness.
"The ceiling on the top two floors is 2.7m and on the others it's 2.4m," says Sam.
He has put in elegant oak floors throughout much of the house, underfloor water-piped heating and a security system with three cameras.
The decor is classic white with black highlights — "it never dates and you can put lots of colours with it" — while the construction of the house is concrete block with cedar cladding.
It's taken two-and-a-half years for his dream of building a stunning contemporary home to come to fruition, but it has been worth it. "It is just the way I envisaged it — I am very happy with it and I hope the new owners will really love it."