When Pauline and John Ray decided to sell their family home of 30 years, they let neighbours and friends living close by know.
They followed that with the news they weren’t shifting far. Two doors along, in fact.
“You can see the apartment we’re moving to if you stand out on the veranda,” says Pauline.
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You also see the upper harbour from their front veranda at 65 Hamilton Rd In Auckland’s desirable Herne Bay, as the home is only 20m from the water. Hamilton Road Beach used to be one of the area’s best kept secrets but it’s now a favourite with young travelers from overseas who have learned about through websites such as Trip Advisor. “At time it feels like the Riviera on a hot sunny day, we love it,” says Pauline.
While their move two doors along is even closer to the water, it also means sorting through three decades of treasures as they farewell their large, welcoming and comfortable villa.
Pauline, a PR consultant, and John, a lawyer, understand their home was built around the late 1890s, by a developer from Sydney. Indeed its construction of double brick is in the style of Sydney builds of the time.
The painted brickwork is exposed in the walls of the two downstairs bedrooms off the entrance hallway as you come in from the street past the two covered carports and through the lush garden of red hot pokers, birds of paradise, cacti, tractor plants, magnolia and cabbage trees.
Also on this level are a large family bathroom and equally generously proportioned laundry and storage room, plus wine cellar.
The stairs climb to the main living areas and the master bedroom with walk-in robe and en suite. The en suite has been done up – it’s the poshest rooms in the house now, says Pauline – and features underfloor heating, the new shower with glass slider door plus a heated towel rail inside the shower. Pauline says this is the ultimate in luxury as you don’t have to step outside the shower to grab a warm towel.
All rooms on this level have access through seven sets of doors to the wraparound veranda and the courtyard at the rear of the home.
The Rays have put in a new kitchen with Bosch and Asko appliances, mahogany cabinetry, Caesarstone benchtop and lots of soft closing drawers and pull-out storage. Pauline and John point out the jars of lime mandarin and fig jam, produce of the harvest from the fruit trees at the back of the home, alongside the olive trees and hibiscus.
A skylight above the kitchen’s working area brings in extra natural light. Pauline explains this was once two rooms – kitchen and dining – but their kitchen designer suggested making it one large space. The table can easily sit 11 or 12 people.
You then move into the living room with TV and the large lounge with fireplace. (There is also central heating.) This room with its impressive batten ceiling and a stud of over 4m is where the couple relax and read from their large library housed in the built-in bookcase surrounding the door frame between the two living spaces. When the family visit, this door stays open so younger members can do cartwheels the full length of the house.
The couple have loved their family home but it’s time to downsize. They say the location is perfect, being so close to the beach at the end of a quiet cul de sac. Ray and John are avid swimmers and when their two sons were young, they would spend hours swimming and kayaking.
Their home is for sale for $4,300,000.
And Pauline says being so close to the CBD means they don’t even need to take the car for appointments, shows and shopping as the buses run frequently along Jervois Rd.
And if they arrange to meet friends locally there are “about 84 cafes” up the road. Recent favourites are The Governor and the Jervois Rd Wine Bar & Kitchen.
Agent Ollie Wall says there are only a handful of these beautiful brick and concrete villas in Herne Bay and even fewer this close to the water. “The property is solid and timeless, it has plenty of room for growth but is beyond comfortable as is, which gives the buyers the luxury of sitting back for as long as they like while deciding how to add value.
“It’s an extremely unusual opportunity to own a solid, standalone property on freehold land 20 metres from the beach and five minutes from the city.”
Find out more about 65 Hamilton Road, Herne Bay
