Westmere: Added value

Address: 12 Westmere Park Avenue, Westmere.

When Paul and Amanda Pasley look at the 1940s brick and tile home they own in Westmere, they don't see the worn carpets, the faded old wallpaper or the discoloured plastic bathroom fittings.

Instead they see polished floors, neutral walls and state-of-the-art taps and sinks. Amanda can just picture herself in a white designer kitchen with stainless steel bench tops, while Paul has a vivid image of himself bobbing about in the lap pool he's sure he would have been able to convince Amanda to let him have in the back garden.

Unfortunately these visions of a gorgeous family home are not going to be brought to life for the Pasley family now that they are selling their do-up.
``We went quite a long way down the road of getting all the plans drawn up,'' says Amanda. ``Our architect is upset that he's not going to get to finish the project.''

The couple used to live across the road and when they heard number 12 might be coming up for sale, they persuaded the owner to let them buy it.

``It's on the sunny side of the street, on a section that's slightly elevated and flat, and it's got so much potential,'' says Paul.

With just two bedrooms, the house was too small for Amanda, Paul and their children Emma, Liam and Marty. So they rented a larger home near the school Amanda teaches at in Devonport while they waited for their builder to be free to start transforming it into a five-bedroom house.

However, by the time the builder informed them he was moving to Nelson and wouldn't be able to do the job, several months had passed, and Amanda had grown used to being so close to work.

The family has now decided to relocate permanently to Devonport, but are parting with the Westmere house reluctantly.
``When I drive back here I think, `What are we doing?','' admits Amanda. ``It's such a lovely street, with a park at the end and great neighbours. Plus it's easy to get into the city from here.''

The house currently has a living room and bedroom at the front; at the back is the second bedroom, bathroom and the dining room/kitchen. A conservatory off the kitchen leads out to a deck.

The Pasleys were planning to build a double, internal access garage at the front of the house and put in three bedrooms and a bathroom for the children behind it, where the kitchen and dining are now.

They would have knocked down the wall between the lounge and second bedroom and then extended out the back to create a large, open-plan living/dining/kitchen area along the north side of the house.

Next, an extra storey would have been added, with space for a master bedroom and en suite and another bedroom that could also have been used as a parents' lounge.
``The view from up there of the harbour would be great,'' says Paul.

Outside, the house would be have been bagged and painted, with the upper level clad in weather boards, and landscaping would probably have been inspired by the two striking phoenix palms by the driveway. And if Paul had got his way, there would have been a lap pool in the very private back garden.

VITAL STATISTICS

BEDROOMS: 2

BATHROOMS: 1

GARAGES: 1

SIZE: Land 517sqm; house 86sqm approx.

PRICE: Interest expected over $600,000. Tenders close July 18.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 1-1.45pm.

ON THE WEB: www.open2view.com/131149

CONTACT: Angela Ryan or Wayne Bulog, Unlimited Potential, ph Angela 361 6658 bus, 021 636 4444; Wayne 361 6479 bus, 0274 723 557.

FEATURES: 1940s brick and tile do-up, with west-facing back garden, in a quiet cul-de-sac near the Garnet Road shops. Possible option of buying the plans to transform it into a 230sq m home with another 70sq m of decks.