Retreat by the beach Campbells Bay

246 Beach Road, Campbells Bay. Photo / Ted Baghurst

246 BEACH RD CAMPBELLS BAY

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SIZE: Land 1313sq m, house 300sq m (approx).

PRICE INDICATION: CV $1.325 million. Auction December 4.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 3.30-4pm.

ON THE WEB: harcourts.co.nz/MJ7896

SCHOOL ZONES: Campbells Bay Primary School, Murrays Bay Intermediate, Westlake Boys' High School, Westlake Girls' High School, Rangitoto College.

CONTACT: Tony White, Harcourts, ph 021 221 8888 or 0800 61 8888.

FEATURES: Large family home, built in 1982 and set on spacious wooded site. Heated swimming pool, spa and sauna. Designer kitchen, two living rooms and office area. About 250m to the beach. Two heat pumps, woodburning Kent fire and solar water heating.

Heather and Roger Donnell were taken by surprise the first time they saw the multi-level home tucked in among stunning native bush 13 years ago.

"It's not the sort of place you expect to find in this part of the Shore, especially as it's so close to the beach," says Roger. "It's much more like Titirangi."

As keen trampers, the couple say it was a real bonus to be able to buy a home in such a peaceful and picturesque spot. Set in a wooded area informally known as Wilcox's Bush after a former owner of the land, the house is reached via a right-of-way that crosses a stream and is surrounded by ponga, miro, kahikatea, puriri and rimu trees.

"We loved the setting but it is also the size of the rooms that appealed to us," says Heather. "They were really big and with four sons, we needed lots of space."

Space is one thing this U-shaped house has in abundance. It's cleverly designed so that it unfolds upwards and outwards from the entrance foyer on the ground floor. The first room the front staircase leads to (there are two sets of stairs) is the formal lounge which, like most of the rest of the building, opens out to the expansive deck and swimming pool. It also has one of the soaring wooden ceilings that are a feature of this house.

The next flight of stairs leads up to the main living area, comprising a series of rooms that flow from one end of the house to the other. At one side is a bedroom, which has doubled as an office, and the dining room. Next is the kitchen, which the Donnells renovated five years ago. A large central island is where everyone tends to gather, and the space has sleek new cabinetry, Bosch appliances and composite granite benchtops. At one end is a picture window with calming bush views; at the other, ranch sliders open out to the deck and pool, making it easy to keep an eye on the children.

Just off the kitchen is the powder room and laundry, which leads to a rear deck and the second staircase. The next room along is the informal living area, complete with a Kent fire and yet more doors out to the deck and pool. Off this, at the end of the house, is a big guest room with an en suite. Tucked behind it is a sauna.

The upper level is just as thoughtfully laid out. It can be reached one of two ways - via stairs from the dining room that includes an office area on the landing, or up the staircase beside the living room that has a magnificent picture window beautifully framing the lush bush outside. All three upstairs bedrooms have Juliet balconies looking out over the pool, while the large master bedroom has an en suite and walk-in wardrobe. Sleeping/storage lofts are a feature of the two smaller bedrooms, which share a bathroom.

Downstairs, the heated pool has proved extremely popular with the boys and their friends over the years. Even though it is just 250m to the beach at Campbells Bay, sons Hayden, Cameron, Kent and Lance spent most of their time in the pool in fine weather. There is also a patch of flat lawn to one side of the house ideal for kicking a ball about on.

With just one son left at home, and plans to spend more time at a property they have up north, Roger says they are "rattling around" in the house and it is time for a change.