26 Oxford Tce, Cheltenham Beach, Auckland. Photo / Getty Images
26 OXFORD TCE CHELTENHAM BEACH
SIZE:
Land 1012sq m, house 120sq m. Plus second parcel of land 997sq m.
PRICE GUIDE:
CV house and land $4.2 million; second section $1.575 million. Auction May 1 at 2pm on site.
INSPECT:
Sat/Sun 1-2pm.
SCHOOL ZONES:
Devonport or Vauxhall primary schools, Belmont Intermediate, Takapuna Grammar.
CONTACT:
Diana Murray and Anne Iremonger, Harcourts, ph 021 911 522 (Diana) or 021 443 959 (Anne).
FEATURES:
Spectacular Cheltenham beachfront house with original Horace Massey 1941 modernist house, last renovated in 1965. Views of Rangitoto Island and beyond from all of the main rooms from huge picture windows. Sound house, generous land, complete with pohutukawa tree, on one of Auckland's prettiest beaches. Plenty of off-street parking.
Sometimes when planets align, a gorgeous house and setting get the owners they deserve. In 1965, this plastered modernist house - built as a show home in 1941 for a senior American in the airforce - certainly got that when Claude and Tess moved in. Although the move was not
without its risks.
"Dad just bought this house at auction, without telling Mum," laughs daughter Colleen. "Mum said, 'I'm not going to live down there at the back of beyond'. She was perfectly happy in Torbay. In those days there was an old villa divided into flats, and rows of macrocarpa between the house and the street. Imagine how this place would have looked in a street full of villas."
But, clearly, Tess changed her view of the place, as she stayed there until she died. When their parents bought the house, Colleen was a teenager and older brother Ron and another brother had already moved out, so it was just the youngest brother who grew up in the house. The family has collected stories about the original owner, who used to have a seaplane pull up on the beach to deliver him to work at Whenuapai, although the stories about Tess and Claude and their generosity are the best.
"Mum was larger than life, and she was never happier than with a crowd of people to cook for," says Ron. "Anniversary Day was huge, there'd be 70 or 80 people here. Dad never sold the other section because we needed it for all the cars for the parties - that's got to be the priciest car park in Auckland!"
Though most of the house is original - the picture windows, the immaculately crafted plaster cornices, the feature windows on the stairwell and portholes in the bathroom and study - Claude and Tess did renovate the kitchen when they moved in. They opened it up to an extended deck, adding ahead-of-its-time stainless steel and a servery bar so that Tess could see the sea from the sink. It is a picture of 1960s' style. Colleen reckons the carpets, still in immaculate condition, were laid in 1967. The bathroom has been renovated to make a separate shower and toilet. The house was designed so that every room had a view of the sea - only the laundry misses out.
It is hard to decide which views win: the top floor master bedroom with its long distance views of Rangitoto, Browns, Motuihe and Little Barrier islands and the peninsulas of Whangaparaoa and Coromandel, or the living and dining rooms on the middle floor with their close views of the beach beyond the front lawn. Boats pass through the shipping channel so closely you can hear the waves of their wake, and sailing regatta days are magic. For Tess, the house was a useful magnet for bringing people in for food and company, no excuses needed. Ron and Colleen have tales of many a lucky person who has been invited in for a meal, a tourist given a spontaneous tour of Tess' favourite spots plus the crowds of family and friends who graced her table or deck.
"Mum just loved the Shore, all the way up the bays," says Colleen. "She was a giver, always loved having people around and people loved her. There must have been thousands of people through this house."
The house had "elastic" sides, with the ground floor rumpus room doubling as a dormitory for the folks who stayed after parties. Tess' nine grandchildren were frequent visitors, the gentle golden beach and safe water were real attractions and the house has hosted at least three family weddings.
But, much as the house still carries the energy of Tess and Claude, Colleen and Ron feel it is time to let it go. They hope that an equally special owner will pick up on 46 years of great living and continue the spirit of this very special house.
