Rae Hutton must be one of the most popular members of the Omaha Beach Golf Club. And Heraldhomes isn't basing that assumption on her playing ability or her warm personality, but purely on her home being next door to the 18-hole course.
Rae laughs as she says owning a home overlooking the fairway means there have been a few golf gatherings at the modern two-level home she bought two years ago.
"It is great for entertaining, for golf parties, because there are three areas you can go if you have a party, inside and out."
"I had five acres in Matakana and had moved into the area about five years before that. Unfortunately, I had an accident and couldn't ride a horse anymore and had to downsize; so I had a look around and this looked good.
"From the back of the house, it is half a dozen steps and I am on to the golf course. So instead of horse riding I took up golf.
"It has a fabulous position and the home was a project, something to do."
She liked the lines of the home, its solid concrete construction with cedar detailing.
"Even the upstairs flooring is concrete. You don't hear any weather. It is on a wide street and I have a lot of privacy here.
"There are so many other things: the proximity to the beach, I would walk the dogs there, go kayaking, play tennis at the courts up the road. All of the things I love doing are here."
Rae has enjoyed renovating and modernising the home. She painted inside and out, installed a new kitchen, bathrooms and floors, and stacking sliding doors to the western access, which faces the golf course.
She secured the property with an automated gateway entrance. "It is very secure and all the landscaping has been done to be low maintenance. If someone wants a lock-and-leave holiday home, there is not a lot of garden or lawn."
The house was built about 10 years ago.
Image 1 of 6: Invite friends for golf parties at this contemporary, spacious and solid house that overlooks the fairway
"And I can't be built out either front or back because I have a two-way road at the front and the golf course at the back and then a native reserve and farmland. The face has views east and west, and it has the sun all day."
Rae's home has the main living area downstairs. Tiled flooring leads from the front entrance into the open-plan kitchen with breakfast bar, dining and living. Sliding stacking doors on the north side open to a covered patio, on the west to an open patio, and both are set up for outdoor dining. Also on the ground level is a separate double bedroom and en suite.
Upstairs is a second lounge opening to a west-facing deck, a large master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe and en suite, two more double bedrooms and a separate bathroom.
There is a heat pump downstairs and the concrete construction holds the heat of the sun. "The house is beautifully warm," says Rae. "And I had the windows treated to block out UV when necessary -- it keeps the heat in in winter and out in summer. It also has some double glazing."
Rae loves the rural views, and also having the choice of two outside courtyards.
She says the nearest town is Warkworth but Matakana village is close by and has its popular market. "Matakana is just magic. You can go to Matakana on non-market days because there is a Nosh and another supermarket there, and also lovely shops."
At Omaha she walks up to the cafe for a coffee, plus there is a supermarket.
"I love the views and I love everything about the house. I am able to display all my art here. I just want some more land, so it is a bit of a tug to move on but I have my eye on something else so I need to sell in order to take that opportunity up.
"This is a really good family home, especially with the second lounge upstairs and the separate bathrooms. It is also low maintenance for anyone who wants to come up here for holidays, or keen golfers. It has a fairly wide appeal, perhaps retired people. Everything is done, all the landscaping and it is low maintenance."
