SCHOOL ZONES:
Ellerslie Primary, One Tree Hill College.
CONTACT:
Tom Chen, Harcourts, 022 656 2688.
AUCTION:
June 25 at 3pm on site (unless sold prior).
To be honest, about the only thing left from the original house on this site is the piles," says Michael White, who bought the property with his wife Melissa Tan almost three years ago.
The couple loved the location, in a quiet cul-de-sac not far from bustling Great South Rdand they quickly set about practically rebuilding the tired, existing house, fencing the property fully, and turning it into a modern city pad.
"We wanted to be close to Ellerslie Primary for Cullen (7) and Chloe (5) because it's such a good school and getting there is easy," he says.
"It turned out that many of the neighbours are in the same life stage with small children, so it's been a great place to live, in that regard."
The result of the renovation, which took five months, during which time the family camped with relatives, is a bright, airy modern home with a large living area and thoughtful use of space. It's warm in winter and cool in summer thanks to a ducted central heating system.
There are three bedrooms and the master enjoys a walk-in wardrobe and en suite.
The decor is neutral throughout with lots of white, although Cullen and Chloe have bright, colourful bedrooms.
"Mel chose the colours because she's very good at those sorts of things," says Michael.
The kitchen is smart and spacious with loads of cupboard and drawer space for Melissa, who is a keen cook.
The dining table is rarely used by anyone except Thomas, the exotic persian cat, who likes to lie on it. Instead, the family tends to congregate on bar stools for meals, homework and whatever else is going on in their lives.
Image 1 of 9: This home features a large, bright living room and sliding doors to a huge deck. Photos / David Rowland, Getty Images
The large living room has big windows, a nifty little office nook, and sliding doors to a huge deck.
"As you can imagine, with small kids, we practically lived out there in summer," says Michael.
"It's got outdoor lighting and sound, which is great."
It turns out that Michael has green fingers and the lush lawn and sub-tropical plantings that include palms and bromeliads are still fresh and green, thanks to his loving care -- and a lot of recent rain.
"We go up to the islands a lot and I got most of my garden inspiration there."
In terms of local amenities the property, which has off-street parking for up to 4 vehicles, could not be better situated.
There's a lovely park, just five minutes' walk away, Ellerslie town centre is also just a stone's throw across the motorway, with handy pedestrian access, and the cafes, shops and restaurants of Great South Rd are all on the doorstep.
"My favourite coffee shop is just 150m away," says Michael.
"We love this house in every way and we've invested a lot of time and care into it.
"We've used only the very best materials and it's been expertly built but we're unexpectedly expecting another baby and we know that we'll need more space.
"We're definitely sad to be leaving as neither of us ever imagined that a house could be so easy to live in."
The family is hoping to buy in Sunny Hills near Pakuranga, which means they'll be closer to family for help with the new arrival.
