Herne Bay: Added Value

Added value 76 WANGANUI AVENUE, HERNE BAY.

Claire Humphreys hates being cold, so when she bought an old do-up villa in Herne Bay, the one thing she was determined to do was to make it cosy. 

"It was a complete dump," she says. "It had been used by students, and I think every student in Auckland had lived in it." 

She knew what she wanted as soon as she bought the place six years ago. 

"I wanted it to be an old home from the outside with a super-modern interior, and I wanted it to be warm," she says. 

"I didn't want a cold, dark old villa with the wind whipping through it and small, poky rooms. I needed an insulated home with a high stud height, which was light and airy with a friendly feel to it." 

The house was virtually gutted to make way for the new interior. In fact, the only original features left inside are the timber floors, the front bedroom and a couple of doors. 

"It all had to go," she says. "We ripped down the walls, took out fireplaces; you name it." 

The entire left side of the house has been dedicated to a large living space incorporating the dining table, kitchen and living area. 

An extension was added to the rear of the house to accommodate the lounge, as well as the master bedroom that's now across the hall. 

Bifold doors open the living area to a neat back garden, which has benefited from the attention of Claire's landscape gardener husband Scott. 

A lovely spot, it has a deck area with built-in seating, a lawn, tidy borders and a gorgeous pear tree in the corner. 

Back inside, the smart kitchen, with cabinetry shipped over from Italy and stainless steel features, fits neatly between the dining and lounge spaces. 

The right-hand side of the house accommodates the three bedrooms and main bathroom. Claire's step-children, Lucy, 12, and 9-year-old Henry, occupy the two rooms either side of the bathroom. 

She designed the front bedroom to open to the bathroom, to create a guest room with a semi-en suite. 

To the rear, the master bedroom has the added bonus of a walk-in wardrobe and en suite. It also opens to the garden. 

To keep the place toasty, Claire insulated the walls and installed under-floor heating in the bathrooms and bedrooms. 

The renovations took around six months to complete, and as soon as Claire moved into the home she had created, she loved it. The only reason she is moving out is so that she and Scott can buy their first house together. 

"The time is right for us to do it, but I'll be so sad to leave my house. I've designed this for me to live in, and it's very hard to match it. 

"Wanganui Ave is such a neighbourly street and great for families. We'll stay in the area if we can, and maybe we'll do it all over again with our next place." 
 

Vital Statistics: 

BEDROOMS: 3 

BATHROOMS: 2 

GARAGE: 2 

SIZE: Land 416sq m, house 145sq m. 

PRICE INDICATION: Interest expected above CV $970,000. Auction April 27. 

INSPECT: Sat 12.30-1.15pm. 

CONTACT: Wayne Bulog or Dene Moss-Mason, Unlimited Potential Herne Bay, ph 361 6658 bus, 0274 723 557 (Wayne), 021 567 100 (Dene). 

FEATURES: Smartly renovated turn-of-the-century villa with ultra-modern interior, neat gardens, off-street parking, open-plan living spaces and under-floor heating in the bedrooms and bathrooms.