10 Kiwi Esplanade, Mangere Bridge, Auckland, home of Fergus, Jodie and sons Wylie, 18 months and Oscar, two months. Photo / Fiona Goodall, Getty Images
10 Kiwi Esplanade, Mangere Bridge, Auckland, home of Fergus, Jodie and sons Wylie, 18 months and Oscar, two months. Photo / Fiona Goodall, Getty Images
SCHOOL ZONES:
Mangere Bridge School, Royal Oak Intermediate, Onehunga High School.
CONTACT:
Jared Cooksley, 021 913 518, or Jared Hards, 021 865 325, Ray White
AUCTION:
Onsite 3pm, Sun October 9 (unless sold prior).
* Plus off-street.
Ferg Deck reckons that ever since he was a nipper attending a local primary school around here he's been the sort of fellow who "thinks in pictures".
That's why he and wife Jodie are standing here now, gazing at the harbour glistening in front of their property.
Jodie says: "You really couldn't wish for much better outlook than that, could you?"
Ferg's ability to visualise potential meant he was sold on this place when he saw it four years ago, whereas Jodie admits she needed a little convincing.
They both knew Kiwi Esplanade was Mangere Bridge's prized promenade position, being a north-facing harbourside stretch. A single-level weatherboard house on a big waterfront section had obvious appeal.
But Jodie says she needed Ferg's help to see past elements such as the swag of chocolate-brown aluminium joinery and previously modest indoor-outdoor living. Ferg, who grew up nearby and is now the general manager of a materials handling company, convinced her they could turn the weatherboard home into one that was more timeless and classic.
Twenty-month-old Wiley seems rapt with the big front kwila deck, which now opens off the kitchen-dining area and the front door. At his age the subtleties of it being north-facing with weatherboard sides to tie it into the look of the house are unimportant; it's just a grand sunny stretch on which to ride his trike.
Ferg points from the front of their property and says: "That's north there, which makes it really sunny and warm."
The brown aluminium-framed conservatory that enclosed the front door is history. Brown aluminium window frames have been replaced with double-glazed white aluminium, which they've noticed deadens any noise from outside.
Image 1 of 7: Owners' clear vision helped to realise this modest harbourside home's potential. Photos / Fiona Goodall, Getty Images
Their upgrades to the kitchen-dining room, which already had front french doors, include a 90cm-wide stainless oven plus DishDrawers.
Jodie reckons the renovated rear laundry's built-in Hafele laundry baskets are brilliant for sorting washing as it goes out, especially since the arrival of 10-week-old baby Oscar. The renovated bathroom alongside was created by combining a previous separate toilet and shower room.
Tall windows flood the separate lounge with morning light. The Decks use its heat pump for summer cooling and its ducted wood-burning fire in winter.
They've repainted the house inside and out; the interior predominantly white.
Towards the front of the home are a little study, a bathroom, separate toilet and four bedrooms. These include the front master bedroom with its black velvet curtains and double bank of internally-outfitted wardrobing.
Jodie says: "Nothing beats opening the bedroom curtains to that sea view. Even on a misty day it has its charms."
To enhance the outlook they removed front trees and a wide hedge, replacing it with a pillar-hedge combo which will maintain privacy but block less of the view.
Ferg has taken pleasure from the DIY components of their improvement, including boxing their sizeable new driveway and laying its base course. It has a parking-turning bay in front of the house and leads to an attached rear single carport plus a separate single garage-single carport setup nearby.
Jodie and Ferg have enjoyed this project and are selling because they'd like to take on another.
