A Hamilton grandmother is selling the home she first moved into 71 years ago, telling OneRoof she had never wanted to live elsewhere.
Jennifer Ward was 10 when her parents built the house at 148 Lake Crescent. The property overlooks Hamilton Lake and was the perfect family home for Jennifer and her four siblings.
Apart from a brief stint in Dunedin, where she met her husband Jim, the four-bedroom Art Deco spread has been the only house she has ever really known.
The couple bought it from Jennifer’s parents in 1971, and together laid down roots for their own family.
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“We wouldn’t have wanted to go anywhere else. It was perfect,” she told OneRoof, noting that the couple’s four daughters were born and raised there.
The couple, now in their 80s, made the heart-wrenching decision to put the house on the market following their move to a nearby retirement village.
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They told OneRoof they would miss the property’s unique outlook and lovely neighbours, but they recognised the need for something smaller.
“All the family have told us, ‘Mum, dad, you are getting older now and it’s too much for you’,” Jennifer said.
Their daughter Rachel told OneRoof the whole family would miss the house.
The large block was the perfect base for family celebrations and the kids.
Despite being just a few minutes from Hamilton CBD, the house, which sits on a 2253sqm section, backs onto Innes Common and looks out to the lake, giving it a private rural feel.
“Even though we are hidden away down here it’s very central and we’ve got all the amenities we need, so handy,” Jennifer said.
The Lake Crescent property is one of the last remaining 2000sqm-plus sites near the central city. Photo / Supplied
The north-facing home soaks up the sun and has impressive views of Lake Rotoroa (Hamilton Lake). Photo / Supplied
The suburb has changed “massively” over the years, though. When Jennifer first moved in, just a few houses lined the lake and Innes Common was a swampy area no one could walk across.
The Wards noted that the house had changed too, with the couple carrying out more than a few upgrades, including converting the downstairs double garage into a self-contained unit and installing a new garage on the other side.
The couple said they met and made friends with many people while taking their weekly laps around the lake – something they still do – and said there was no better spot to watch Hamilton’s iconic Balloons Over Waikato event every March.
Jim told OneRoof he hoped another family would enjoy the house as much as they had.
The couple have added their own touches to the property over the years, including adding a self-contained unit downstairs. Photo / Supplied
Listing agent Glenn Collins, from Lodge, said it was extremely rare to find more than half an acre of residential space in such a prime position.
The house with its grass tennis court would not be out of place in some of Auckland’s blue-chip suburbs, he said, so could appeal to people looking to move south but still wanting a home with a “Remuera feel” to it.
It also had development potential, with the Wards having already completed an initial investigation into creating two to three additional sections.
The property has an RV of $2.045 million, but Collins said the sale price would be “significantly higher”.
- 148 Lake Crescent, in Hamilton Lake, is for sale, deadline closing July 17
