Way back in 1978, a young couple, Paul and Lynette, was able to take their pick of the sections in a Lynfield subdivision being developed by Auckland Harbour Board.
“We chose the one we thought had the best views and it was private and quiet, set right down in the valley. It had good access to the city via Dominion Road, Sandringham Road and Mount Eden Road, plus it was only 20 minutes’ drive to the airport,” says Lynette.
The couple built a tidy, basic home with three bedrooms and a study which served them well, but in 1989 – by now with a family of four children – they realised that they needed more space.
“It was a great street and we’d made good friends, so we decided to make the house much larger and stay here. We added on, over the lounge ceiling and extended the living room downstairs, filling in the original sunken lounge, which was very 1970s, as you can imagine, and we installed extensive decking,” says Lynette.
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The family moved out for 12 weeks while the renovations were underway and the resulting 305sqm home turned out to be a huge success, providing plenty of room for Paul and Lynette and their children, as well as frequent visitors and, eventually, in more recent times, their grandchildren.
Paul and Lynette are now selling 24 Royal Viking Way in Lynfield, Auckland. The property is for sale by deadline closing September 13 and has a 2021 RV of $2.275 million.
Five generous bedrooms are served by three bathrooms, the kitchen is bright and modern with stunning views and during Covid lockdowns, staff from the couple’s company worked comfortably from within the house.
The home has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, double garage plus off-street parking, expansive decking to make the most of the views. Photo / Supplied
Having watched many of their original neighbours move out of the street – often transitioning to local retirement housing, Paul and Lynette want to do more domestic and international travel.
“It’s been an incredibly hard decision because we have so many memories here but we want to spend more time on our boat and – quite frankly – this place is simply too big for the two of us so we’re going to try apartment living,” she says.
“There is so much we’ll miss – it’s such a friendly neighbourhood and I’ve organised all of our street barbecues and activities like Easter egg hunts for the local children for years.”
Lynette adds that despite 2023’s unnerving weather events, she and Paul were completely confident of their home’s strength.
The kitchen is bright and modern with stunning views. Photo / Supplied
The land measures 1349sqm in size and the house was extended around 1989, with 83 piles inserted into the ground to keep it from ever slipping down the hill. Photo / Supplied
“The builder from 45 years ago had given us a photo album charting its progress during construction and with 83 piles, there’s no way it’s ever going to slip down the hill.”
She says the thing she’ll miss most is the beautiful birdsong, which rings out from dawn to dust in the surrounding native bush on the 1349sqm site.
“And, not surprisingly, clearing out the house after all these years has been a bit of a challenge,” Lynette says.
Kristen Gou, from Barfoot & Thompson is marketing 24 Royal Viking Way with colleagues Gail Beaton and Kevin He.
She says that it’s unique in Lynfield, with the combination of space and sea views, plus masses of off-street parking in addition to the double garage – and potential to install a pool.
“Four to five-bedroom houses on small sections with no views are going for $1.4m to $1.5m, so this one we’re hoping to get early to mid-$2m, and that would be a very good price for the area,” Gou says.
