First homes are always very special and Ellerslie couple Toby and Emma poured their heart and soul into the renovation of their classic weatherboard villa, which began life across town in Parnell and was moved to its current site, near Lawrey Reserve, in 1990.
Toby says that when they bought the house in 2016, it was tired, yet liveable, but definitely didn’t work as well as it potentially could. “And the bright blue kitchen that was here was a bit hard on the eye.”
Having lived in the home for a couple of years, Toby and Emma worked with their architect to reimagine the interior. The resulting plan, with a small extension, incorporated far more than the couple had dared hope for with the addition of an ensuite bathroom, separate laundry and even a walk-in pantry all within 130sqm of floor space.
8A Vause Street in Ellerslie, Auckland, is on the market for sale by auction on September 12. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom property has a 2021 RV of $1.6 million.
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Thomas Garcia, of Ray White, Ellerslie, is marketing the property with Margaux Audonne.
“I would say it’s by far the best house to come onto the market in Ellerslie so far this year. There’s not much stock in general and they’ve done such an amazing job here that it’s basically a turnkey property and someone can simply move in. Plus, it’s in a good location, in a quiet street,” he says.
The property has a floor space of 130sqm which includes three bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, dining and living space, a separate laundry and even a walk-in pantry. Photo / Supplied
Light and bright, the contemporary kitchen is at the heart of the open-plan living and dining area and it opens – via French doors – to a sunny deck, which is just one of a number of outdoor spaces for relaxing and entertaining. Meanwhile, in winter, a log burner keeps things cosy.
The hallway is wide and spacious, true to its era, and the three bedrooms are all generous and tastefully decorated and along with its stylish ensuite the master bedroom also has a walk-in wardrobe.
“And we put built-in closets in the other bedrooms too so there’s plenty of places to store things,” says Toby.
He says that 8A Vause Street has been a happy family home and seeing the renovation completed was very satisfying.
Character features, such as the fretwork and balustrading, which were missing when the owners bought it in 2016, have been reintroduced adding to the villa's chocolate-box charm. Photo / Supplied
The contemporary kitchen is at the heart of the open-plan living and dining area – and it opens, via French doors, to a sunny deck. Photo / Supplied
“Everybody pitched in to help and I can remember both my father and my father-in-law working together to re-lay the timber floorboards.”
Toby did much of the painting work himself and a highlight was having the original clawfoot bath restored for the main bathroom. Toby and Emma are also proud of what they’ve achieved with the home’s exterior.
Reintroducing character features such as the fretwork and balustrading, which were missing when they bought it, have added to its chocolate-box charm. The section is fully fenced with easy-care landscaping and plenty of room for children and pets to play.
It’s zoned for popular Stanhope Road School and enjoys easy access to bus routes, Ellerslie Train station and the motorway. The couple’s family has expanded, so they’re making the move to something a little larger and closer to relatives.
