SCHOOL ZONES:
Auckland Grammar, Epsom Girls Grammar School, Royal Oak Primary School, Auckland Normal Intermediate School.
CONTACT:
Wendy Sadd 021 607 366 or Helen Lam 027 552 2948.
* Plus osp for 10 vehicles.
Tucked neatly away at the end of a long private driveway in a quiet Epsom street, within a few minutes' walk from Auckland's iconic One Tree Hill, Kevin Paxton's dream three-storey mansion has so many standout features, it's hard to know where to start.
Covering almost 600sq m, on anunusually large city section and just two and a half years old, it already has flawless lawns, tiled patio areas and well-established exotic plantings, including an impressive stand of ferns, palms and bromeliads, situated right by the elegant front door, which is on the middle level of the house.
This part of the landscaping can be viewed from inside through floor-to-ceiling picture windows and looks especially spectacular when lit up at night.
"I'm definitely not a rose-garden sort of guy," says Kevin. "I wanted the outdoors area to fit in with its surroundings and it also had have flat, north-facing, sunny entertainment spot.
"It's a very private property. When the doors and windows are closed you simply can't hear a thing and at night, if you turn out all the lights, the place is pitch black. It just doesn't feel like being in the middle of Auckland."
With five large bedrooms, five bathrooms, a modern, fully-equipped living/media room with automatic drop-down blinds plus formal dining room, informal dining and further family living the house could accommodate an army.
"I love having guests to stay and while I've been living here we've certainly had a few. There's a whole wing which was designed especially for them," Kevin says.
Image 1 of 7: Everything is on a grand scale in this mansion close to One Tree Hill.
The kitchen, at the heart of the house. German-designed, sleek and streamlined, with Miele appliances. It's the ideal place for family and friends to gather. The adjacent scullery has a butler's sink and a large wine fridge plus loads of storage space.
The options offered within the house are seemingly endless and a lift serves to move people and things - including groceries arriving via the huge internally-accessed garage, from floor to floor.
The decor throughout is neutral and very restful and sliding stacker doors can be opened and closed in order to vary the use of different spaces, according to the owners' needs at the time.
Everything is on a grand scale. The laundry is huge - with all mod-cons, the bath in the master bathroom is super-sized, the gigantic walk-in wardrobe is a clothes-lover's dream and the three-car garage also has room for hobbies and sporting equipment.
"I wanted it big like this because I'm a big guy myself," says Kevin.
The neighbours in the pleasant suburban enclave are very friendly and Kevin knows them all by name. There's a true sense of community here.
"You don't need to use your car if you're just making your way around the neighbourhood," he says, pointing out that the Lido Cinema, Alexandra Park, One Tree Hill, of course, plus cafes and a new gourmet grocery store: Farro Fresh, are all nearby. And it's an easy walk to Newmarket too.
"Would you believe that my biggest monthly power bill since living here was less than $300? The windows are all double-glazed and everything is energy-efficient. That was very important to me."
The house is smart-wired and many of its electronic and security features can be controlled remotely.
Kevin, who works in software development is about to take up an exciting new challenge in Brazil, where winter temperatures are currently reaching a balmy 23C.
He says that he'll always be very proud of this stylish well-appointed Epsom house.
