Grey Lynn: Added Value

Address: 5 Harcourt Street, Grey Lynn.

Having done a fair bit of house hunting through the gloomy winter months, Chris Atkinson and her husband Naden were taken with the sunny, open aspect of 5 Harcourt Street when they walked into an open home.
"The thing I remember was that it was the middle of winter and we walked in at 4.30 and the sun was just streaming in here," says Chris.

The house had just been refurbished inside and out by the owners with top quality fittings and an eye for detail. That's what took Naden's fancy, but three-year-old Ryan was sold on the rabbit in the back garden. Unfortunately for Ryan it wasn't on the list of chattels. But Chris and Naden couldn't have been more pleased with their purchase last August.

"What's amazing about this place is its proximity to the city, you've got cafes and bars down the road, a decent-sized section and plenty of sun, but it's also very quiet here and that's been an important factor to us," says Naden. Chris adds, "With both of us having busy corporate lives and doing lots of travelling, it's a great house for us to come back to. It's all done and all so easy."

The house is a fairly standard villa layout with two bedrooms at the front of the house either side of the wide hallway. The master has a walkthrough wardrobe connecting with the en suite, which, like the main bathroom further down the hall, has underfloor heating.

Opposite the main bathroom is the third bedroom, which, like the second bedroom, has a built-in wardrobe with shelving and baskets.

The home's polished floorboards extend to the large living area at the rear where the house was extended. The lounge, with gas fire, is on one side while the other half is occupied by the kitchen and dining table.
The kitchen has been given a quality fit-out just like the bathrooms, with a granite topped breakfast bar and a 90cm freestanding oven range with five gas burners.

The eye-catching feature of the living area is a set of bifolds that occupy almost the entire rear wall of the house and allow it to be opened up to the deck that runs the width of the house. This steps down to a patio area for outdoor dining.
The back yard has been landscaped in an uncluttered fashion with plantings such as yuccas, pukas and olives.
There's plenty of lawn for Ryan to run around on and beside that is a large shed that could be converted into a studio.

The couple toyed with the idea of putting a swimming pool in the backyard, but instead have bought a house in Cox's Bay with a pool for Ryan, who, like Naden, is a keen swimmer.

VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 3

BATHROOMS: 2

GARAGE: 2

SIZE: Land 492sq m.

PRICE: CV $850,000. Auction June 7.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 12.30-1.30pm.

CONTACT: Hilton and Lindy Ullrich, Barfoot & Thompson, ph 376 3039 bus, 021 654 675 mob, 303 2575 a/h.

ON THE WEB: www.barfoot.co.nz/341591

FEATURES: Rebuilt, modernised and extended villa. Designer bathrooms with heated flooring. Open plan living with gas fireplace. Full width bifolds open to decks and landscaped garden. Large garden shed with studio potential.