KEY POINTS:
When Nathan Fien joined the Warriors, fellow Aussies at the club pointed him in the right direction as he searched for a family home.
11B Tarawera Terrace, St Heliers.
Just as the advice of old hands is invaluable in top flight rugby league so it is when it comes to buying a home in Auckland.
That's what Warriors hooker/halfback Nathan Fien found when he made the move from Australia in October 2004 to play for the Auckland side, and began house hunting.
He says former Warriors players Ivan Cleary, who is now coach, and Kevin Campion, who was on the coaching staff, gave him the "heads up" about the St Heliers area because of its desirable lifestyle.
Nathan, who is from Townsville, and wife Belinda O'Rourke, originally from Cairns, wanted to be near beaches but the North Shore wasn't an option with the Warriors based in Penrose.
"Without having to cross the Harbour Bridge, this part of Auckland is the closest thing to what we're used to in North Queensland," says Nathan.
The home they moved into in January 2005 is tucked at the end of a tree-studded right-of-way that winds down from the street, with a concreted turning circle in front of the house that also serves as a perfect spot for Belinda and Nathan's children - Brodey, 3, and Cleo, 1 - to ride their bikes.
"They can come out here and it's well away from the road and we don't have to worry about them," says Nathan.
One side of the ground floor of the two-storey home has a carpeted lounge with gas fire that opens out through aluminium bifolds to a north-facing paved outdoor entertaining area covered by a pergola.
Nathan says they renewed the paving and put in an outdoor fire to get more use out of the space. "Being from Aussie we love our barbies."
The other side of the open plan downstairs living space has a kitchen and dining room that opens out to a lawn beside the outdoor entertaining area that has a playhouse tucked in the corner.
The kitchen has wood-grained cabinetry, granite benches and a gas hob. Nathan says they modernised it by replacing the tiles with glass splashbacks.
In keeping with that more modern look, the couple put in stainless steel downlights and repainted the interior of the home using beige with feature walls in colours such as dark green and chocolate.
Behind the kitchen is a guest room with en suite and beyond that the laundry and internal-access double garage. A feature of the home is the use of shuttered or opaque windows as well as skylights to bring plenty of light in while maintaining privacy. A high stud and full height doors add to the sense of space.
Upstairs, there is a second living room with views across the treetops to the Waitemata Harbour. The children's bedrooms are off this lounge.
Down the hallway is the main bathroom, with bath, and beyond that is a smaller bedroom that would make an ideal nursery as it sits next to the master bedroom and there is a laundry chute in a cupboard across the hallway. Nathan and Belinda have this room set up as an office.
The master bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe that sits beside the en suite.
Nathan, who is signed with Warriors through to 2009, says the family is selling up so they can make some investments back in Australia.
"That's the thing with my sort of career - it only lasts about 10 years - so you have to plan for the future," he says.
VITAL STATISTICS
BEDROOMS: 4
BATHROOMS: 3
GARAGES:2+
SIZE: Land 512sq m, house 240sq m.
PRICE INDICATION: Buyers in excess of $1 million. Auction May 16.
INSPECT: Sun 12.30-1.30pm.
ON THE WEB: www.barfoot.co.nz # 362554
SCHOOL ZONES: St Heliers School, Glendowie College.
CONTACT: Leila Morris, Barfoot & Thompson, ph 575 9079 bus, 021 893 413, 578 0805 a/h.
FEATURES: Low maintenance townhouse tucked down a right-of way. Open plan living flows to lawn and pergola-covered outdoor entertaining area with gas fire. Gas heating.
