When sports massage therapist Binz Speedy first saw the home her family bought three years ago she fell for its warm, quirky vibe and super handy location.
The three-level house, hidden away down a driveway, was architecturally designed and built in 1963.
“When I say quirky, it’s not the stock-standard villa, you know,” she says.
“That’s what we were really drawn to, because it was quite different. There are nooks and crannies.”
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The house is solid concrete with timber panelling. Binz thinks it would have stood out as quite different from the start.
“When they built it it would have been like ‘whoa, what’s going on here?’”
The white concrete exterior is textured and there are wooden kauri panels painted blue.
It’s a look that reminds Binz of Greece, and she likes how the open-plan lounge, dining and kitchen area has a wall of picture windows which flood the space with light.
“In summer, because it’s north-facing, the sun just streams through here. It’s very warm, lots of sun and really light.”
You step down into the lounge, which has a wood fire and French doors opening out to a brick courtyard with a water feature and goldfish in the pond.
The courtyard curves around to a tiled area with barbecue, and there is also a large landscaped lawn.
The original tongue-and-groove kitchen features an island bench inlaid with blue tiles and an extra large stainless steel sink. It’s a real entertainer’s kitchen, says Binz.
She also likes how the house works on a practical level. For example, the open-plan living area can be closed off from the rest of the house.
“I think that’s the other thing we loved, that you can cut these areas off if you want a bit of peace and quiet, whereas a lot of homes are all just open plan and there’s noise everywhere,” says Binz.
A door by the kitchen leads to a hallway with the master bedroom on one side and the renovated family bathroom on the other.
Downstairs is a second bathroom with a door-size window and two more bedrooms.
Downstairs again, on the ground floor, is a room which could be used as a bedroom, lounge or rumpus room.
This space has a study off it and through the study is a wine cellar.
There’s plenty of storage room in here, too, and further storage under the stairs, plus there’s a separate storage room. Binz says it’s a great exploring house for children — her 4-year-old son Niko plays a lot of hide and seek.
The low-maintenance backyard has a sub-tropical feel, and there are fruit trees and hedges of bay leaves, plus kowhai and puriri trees for tuis and kereku.
As the house is not far from the Onepoto Domain, birds are frequent visitors.
You can walk to the reserve via a path at the nearby Northcote Tennis Club, plus there’s a primary school right across the road and the Harbour Bridge is around the corner.
Little Shoal Bay is an eight-minute walk away and within walking distance are the cafes and restaurants of Northcote Point and the Bridgeway Theatre.
“I’m an avid walker and with two little ones we do lots of exploring around the area,” says Binz.
“It’s a great location with regards to amenities and getting to the city because you can literally drive out here and you’re on the motorway.”
But, Binz says, once you are home it is private and peaceful.
She, husband Mike and children Niko and 9-month-old Zara are selling up because they have decided to leave Auckland for Tauranga, closer to where they grew up.
3 LAKE RD, NORTHCOTE, AUCKLAND
4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Carport (2) plus OSP for 4.
SIZE (more or less): House 170sq m, land 1100sq m.
PRICE GUIDE: CV $1,525,000.
INSPECT: Sat/Sun 1-1.45pm.
AUCTION: Sept 20.
SCHOOLS: Northcote School, Northcote College.
CONTACT: Jo Glancy, 021 994 874, Harcourts.
