A 1960s three-bedroom home that sits on the former site of a tennis club has hit the market with a CV of more than $2 million.
The stylish property sits on nearly 2000sqm of land in Auckland’s Northcote Point and goes to auction on May 19.
The current owners bought it two years ago for $1.692m and embarked on a renovation inspired by the architect’s original designs for a “bush hut” in the city.
The two-storey home spans the width of the section, with both floors opening out to a large native garden. The upper floor has views over Little Shoal Bay to Herne Bay and beyond, and houses the lounge, dining room and kitchen, while the lower floor is home to the bedrooms, bathrooms and a home office.
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The house was built during the craft period in 1969 by Bill and Alison Tunnicliffe. Bill, an architect and engineer who worked for the council, designed a “gold standard” house for the site.
The property has been restored to its former glory. Photo / Supplied
All the interior joinery and timber flooring are rimu. Battens flow from the exterior eaves to the interior of the home's high living room ceiling, and the rooms are light filled from many tall windows and French doors. Despite its vintage, the house has a stylish contemporary look.
The current owners, Dylan and Anna, said they found Bill’s old files soon after buying the house.
“When we went to see it, I took a walk around the grounds and noticed old steps built up a bank that went to nowhere,” Dylan says. “After we moved in I found a box of photos and information on the history of the land from way back before the house was built that explained them.”
The house sits on a nearly 2000sqm section. Photo / Supplied
The house has views of Herne Bay and the harbour. Photo / Supplied
In the 1920s, the land was owned by the Northcote Tennis Club and had 10 clay courts and a clubroom. A photo taken in 1924 showed the old steps up to the clubhouse that had sparked Dylan’s curiosity. (The tennis connection can also be found in the property’s street address: Wilding Avenue is named after Kiwi world number one tennis player Sir Anthony Wilding.)
Dylan says he and Anna were keen to restore the house to its former glory.
“It was designed to be wonderfully functional and because it was built to gold standard it’s all working as well now as it did then,” Dylan says.
“It had been given a dose of the eighties which included blue carpet, and when I started pulling that up and saw the rimu floors I got really excited.”
Other original timber joinery and 1960s features have been restored, and practical elements such as insulation and heating have also been attended to.
“It’s the best, warmest, most private house I have ever lived in,” Dylan says.
And if a new owner wanted to preserve the association with tennis – there’s plenty of room on site for a tennis court.
