Owner Charmaine says that her solid, well-built brick and tile home in a quiet residential street in Papatoetoe was in completely original condition when she first laid eyes on it in 2020.
“It had been built in the 1980s, to a very high standard, and never touched since. It was sort of stuck in that decade like a time capsule, with dark ceiling beams, and masses of orange and brown as well as the typical glass and brass light fittings of that era.”
Charmaine could see that without doubt the property had enormous potential, and she set about bringing it into the 21st century with the help of trusted tradies, friends and family.
“It’s the first house I’ve owned so I wanted to do everything as well as possible,” she says. “But I didn’t realise how much effort would be involved, especially at the beginning, with all the pandemic lockdowns.”
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The interior has been completely repainted, emphasising the high ceiling and flooding the main living zone with light. An old timber kitchen was pulled out and replaced with sleek, modern cabinetry engineered stone benchtops and high-quality appliances.
“There’s an incredible sense of space, which I really love,” says Charmaine.
The bathrooms are cool and contemporary, and the three bedrooms have been designed for maximum sun and tastefully decorated.
The sleek kitchen with modern cabinetry, engineered stone benchtops and high-quality appliances.
Before: The old timber kitchen.
A covered outdoor living area can be used all year round. “I like to have a morning coffee, then an evening wine out there,” she says.
The internal access double garage doubles as storage, gym, home office or rumpus space, especially as there is plenty of off-street parking, in addition.
106 Motatau Road in Papatoetoe, Manukau, Auckland, is on the market for sale by way of auction on October 12. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom property has a 2021 CV of $1.325 million and, according to OneRoof data, last changed hands in 2020 for $891,500.
Charmaine admits that she wasn’t a gardener when she arrived but because she appreciates green spaces, she has put considerable effort into bringing it up to date with the advantage of having well-established camellia trees as attractive anchoring features.
The covered outdoor living area is where the homeowner has a morning coffee and an evening wine.
She is going to miss the friendly street which has an American-style layout with minimal separation between the properties, all of which are carefully maintained by loving owners.
“People take great pride in their sections and they’re always outside doing things while children ride around on their bikes and scooters. It’s a very pleasant area and people tend to stay for years and years.”
She is looking forward to a change of lifestyle and says that her major renovation was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“I won’t be doing it again!”
The interior has been repainted, emphasising the high ceiling and flooding the main living zone with light.
Before: Dark ceiling beams and masses of orange and brown in the main living area.
Cameron Archer, from Barfoot & Thomson, is marketing the property in what he says is one of the best streets in Papatoetoe, “hands down”, and agrees that homes here are tightly held.
“You’re in zone for three great schools so if you move in with a young family there will be no need to leave.”
He says that the property presents as an absolute credit to Charmaine’s hard work and is the perfect package for potential buyers, particularly as it also has four heat pumps, a new electrical box and a fully restored roof.
- 106 Motatau Road in Papatoetoe, Manukau, Auckland, goes to auction on October 12
