The white villa stands out with its charming historic features amongst modern waterfront properties. As it should, as Robyn Lockart and her husband Murray’s home is the the fourth oldest house in Auckland's Mission Bay, built in 1926.
Decades before shops, cafes, cinemas and restaurants were attracting crowds to Mission Bay, it was already an iconic swimming and holiday spot where Aucklanders were building batches.
The family who originally built the house on the Marau Crescent, originally only lived in it when they visited Auckland seaside in the summer. Then years later, when they relocated to live by the beach, around 1936, they added another storey to the single- level property.
The current owner Robyn Lockart tracked down original owner’s 90-year-old daughter-in-law a few years ago, who recalled living in the St.Heliers hotel while the bach was turned into a two-storey family home. When the renovations were complete, she and her husband, the owner’s son, moved in and the house stayed in the same family for 53 years.
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The crisp white villa is located in the heart of Mission Bay, one street away from the beach. Photo / Supplied.
Serial renovators Robyn and Murray saw a lot of potential in the 1930s three-bedroom villa, which has a 2017 CV of $2.25 million and is being auctioned on February 5, and made it their next family project.
“We loved the look and thought we could make the house that it once was, keep the character of it and respect the heritage as we go. It had beautiful warmth about it.”
As soon as Robyn walked into the residence, she felt it was a happy home which radiated with warmth and she wanted to enhance that feeling.
The renovations took about 18 months as it was fully relined, rewired, and painted.
They reworked the spaces, creating a better flow between the dining area and the lounge by getting rid of the separating wall, and widened the doorway connecting the dining area and a wooden deck with outdoor seating, which they built from scratch.
Current owners spent about 18 month renovating the old villa. Photo/ Supplied.
However, the original bath and the pedestal basin was kept from the original owners.
The couple lived in the house during the renovation.
“It was a challenge, of course, but it was nice to see it all come together and see how we’ve improved the flow of the house and made living a lot easier,” Robyn says.
The historic residence has one bedroom downstairs and two upstairs, with an office and a walk-in wardrobe on the top floor too.
The couple changed kitchen and the dining area into more open-plan living. Photo / Supplied.
The house is located on a 411sq m cross lease land one street away from Tamaki Drive and Mission Bay’s top coffee shops, restaurants and beach antics just a stroll away.
“Our hedging keeps quiet from hustle and bustle but at the same time it’s nice to just walk around the corner and be a part of it,” Robyn says.
Ray White agents Donna Watts and Krissie Maguire are marketing the property which will be sold at an auction on February 5 in St Heliers. Watts says that Mission Bay is the life of the Eastern Bays area, a draw card for young and old.
"People come from all over the place and it's the place to be - it's always active and has everything nearby," Watts says.
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