4e/196 Hobson Street. Photo / Supplied
When Sarah and Jonathan Good decided to buy an apartment in Auckland's CBD, one requirement stood out above all others. They wanted space. And lots of it.
"We spent a lot of time speaking to friends who were living in the city. Mainly professionals who preferred the urban lifestyle. We asked them what they sought in a city apartment. Without exception they all said space," says Sarah.
"We looked at perhaps a dozen units, which we had narrowed down from an exhaustive online search. This was the one that was love at first sight."
They bought the 100sq m, one-bedroom, one-bathroom freehold apartment in The Hobson Apartments building about two years ago as a long-term investment.
"We were attracted to buildings that had a small number of large apartments after noticing the trends in other modern overseas cities. The Hobson has only 39 apartments; all are large floor plans of between 100 and 300sq m."
That number is growing to 41, as the top floor 300sq m penthouse is being subdivided into three separate apartments.
At the time of buying, the couple were based overseas so the apartment has been rented out.
"When we bought the apartment we felt that it would suit a professional couple because the generous proportions of the property provided room to relax - sometimes together, sometimes alone. And that's exactly how it's turned out. Couples between the ages of 29 and 45 have been the residents so far.
"We rented the apartment short stay to keep the rental yield high and our options open for when we visited Auckland."
Sarah and Jonathan's apartment is mainly open plan with a cupboard by the entrance for the security intercom, laundry and a space for coats.
The kitchen - with its guest-friendly island bench - living, lounge and dining are one space and "a genuinely homely and social place to hang out," says Sarah.
The lounge opens through glass slider doors to an all-weather deck with a glass balustrade and the option of opening a further set of double-glazed slider doors.
The bedroom (with bathroom) is on the quietest side of the building and enjoys morning sun.
Their fourth-level apartment faces southwest and has windows on three sides, so there are plenty of opening windows and fresh air. In the late afternoon, the sun streams into the deck and lounge. Included in the sale is a basement carpark.
Sarah says that six of the last seven sales in the building have been to owner-occupiers.
And, she thinks that trend is likely to continue as demand for boutique blocks such as The Hobson with large floor plans is set to rise. The position is also handy to the city's attractions.
"The Auckland comedy club is an eight-minute walk. The Federal St restaurant district is not much further. There are cheap eats in every direction for a catch-up with friends."
Sarah says Ken, the on-site manager "is an absolute legend in the building. He has been a great help to us, especially as we have been based overseas for most of the time we owned the place".
She says the body corporate spent more than $10 million three years ago re-cladding and renovating the building's exterior.
The couple is selling because they have bought a family home in St Heliers. "So, sadly, the apartment's not needed anymore."