Making their corner terrace house feel more luxurious was the game-plan for a downsizing couple equipped with decades of experience building and renovating homes.
The "big-ticket" improvements that retired pilot Mark Rainbow and his wife Yvonne made to their 2008 Fletcher-built brick terrace house in Auckland's Stonefields were centred around the master suite and kitchen.
Mark says of the home they are now selling: “We overspent on it quite honestly but we did it for ourselves, to have very comfortable living, rather than as any sort of renovation.”
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The couple had years of experience renovating and building properties but three years ago they decided to follow their son in purchasing in Stonefields as part of their long-term plan.
Yvonne says: “We looked around and the value for money we got buying here was so much more than what we could achieve in other central locations.”
This property shone because of its coveted, open corner position opposite the park, generous outdoor living and double garage offering side-by-side rather than stacked parking.
Mark says: “It makes a real difference being elevated on a corner, north west facing and having the park across the road. The grandchildren can pop across there when they come and stay. These terrace houses remind us of the brick ones in London.”
The house was origianlly configured as a four-bedroom home but they wanted a new kitchen with a better layout and a more spacious master suite. They sacrificed a bedroom to ensure the master suite had a sizable walk-in wardrobe as well as its ensuite and its own office which could alternately be a handily located nursery.
The fully fenced corner property has a north-west facing courtyard good for outdoor seating and dining, cosseted within lushly green but manageable gardens.
Mark says: “This property had been owned by two lots of empty nesters before us who’d put in outdoor LED lighting, a watering system, an edible garden and artificial grass.”
New oak flooring graces the open-plan living-dining-kitchen which opens outside.
Yvonne says: “I like my kitchens to be right and there wasn’t a lot of storage before.”
They upgraded to a new lacquer kitchen with engineered stone benches, coffee station and new appliances.
Mark says: “Originally this house had wallpapered walls. We changed to a painted finish and replaced the carpets with new solution-dyed nylon.”
This level is completed by a powder room and interior-access side-by-side double garaging integrating mezzanine storage and the laundry.
As well as the new master suite upstairs there’s an additional family room, two further bedrooms, a bathroom and storage.
Mark says: “It’s a relaxed, easy-care property which has a feeling of elegance without being pretentious.”
The couple can’t speak highly enough of the sense of community Stonefields offers; it's friendly and has almost everything you could need nearby. The Rainbows like the suburb so much they’re going to keep a smaller apartment here now they’ve built a Pauanui house as their main home.
Ray White Remuera agent John Quiambao describes 40 Garin Way in Stonefields Auckland as a “rare opportunity to secure a corner terrace that has been renovated to its full potential. It has everything to offer - afternoon sun, outlook, and park views with low maintenance living.”
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