This beautifully restored double bay villa, set privately on level 835sqm grounds, has a track record of immediately capturing buyers’ hearts. It instantly impressed current owner Rohan Marx, and the owners before him immediately knew it was the one for them.
Rohan says: “This was literally the first and only property I looked at. It’s so appealing with the front double bays, was meticulously renovated and has a great layout and grounds for family life.
“As well as its heritage appeal, it has fantastic indoor-outdoor flow to a big rear deck on generous, private grounds. And the school zoning is brilliant; triple grammar, meaning Auckland Grammar, Epsom Girls’ Grammar and Mount Albert Grammar, plus Mt Eden Normal Primary School, which is very close by.”
After buying here in 2017, he spent his first summer here living bloke-style with his then 10-year-old son, eating off the barbecue and playing on the Playstation.
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Then Melanie, who’s now his wife, and her two young daughters joined them, appreciating the home’s mix of character and modern functionality.
The circa-1913 home looks like it’s always been here on the corner of Horoeka Avenue and Bellevue Road. However, it was actually relocated in 1988 from Herbert Road, in Mt Eden, to this site, which was formerly the tennis court for a grand neighbouring property.
They’ve maintained the property diligently without wanting to change much, recently repainting, re-finishing timber flooring and refreshing kitchen cabinetry. They’ve added some front shutters and a separate timber studio in keeping with the style of the home at rear, which served as Rohan’s work-from-home office during Covid lockdowns.
The central hallway introduces the high stud, the warmth of central heating and a distinctive hallway arch.
The decks are great for entertaining and dining outdoors in the summer.
The property has an internal-access double garage off Bellevue Road. It’s private and fully enclosed thanks to intercom-controlled front pedestrian gates, volcanic rock walls and glossy, trimmed magnolia hedges.
It’s well-known at Halloween when Rohan greets trick-or-treaters wearing a “meat suit” mimicking a skinless human, accompanied by the family’s two French bulldogs dressed as zombies.
Original features include chequerboard-style leadlight upper windows, native timber floors and some marvellous pressed tin ceilings. The central hallway introduces the high stud, the warmth of central heating and a distinctive hallway arch.
Four bedrooms off the hallway include the ensuited master with walk-in wardrobe. Melanie says: “The kids have appreciated having big bedrooms.”
An appealing formal living room has bespoke cabinetry and backlit shelving flanking a heritage-style gas fireplace. It can be shut off so children can happily nestle down here when their parents are entertaining at the rear of the home.
Melanie says: “Having drinks in the formal lounge in winter, it’s got a gentleman’s den-hunting lodge sort of feeling.”
The bedroom with a bay window is one of four bedrooms off the hallway, including the ensuited master with walk-in wardrobe.
At the end of the hallway, one side stretches out in a spacious open-plan kitchen-living-dining room.
At the end of the hallway, one side is dedicated to the family bathroom with separate laundry and internal-access double garage behind. The other stretches out in a spacious open-plan kitchen-living-dining room.
Melanie says: “We open up the big rear bifolding doors to the deck and it all feels like one space, going on and on. The deck’s so big that the girls used to ride a circuit round it on their scooters and bikes when they were young.”
Rohan says: “It’s great for entertaining and dining outdoors in summertime.”
This location is handy to Mt Eden village, Dominion Road eateries and the CBD. The family are now bound for Epsom.
Ray White’s Mike Robson says: “This property is truly a landmark property amongst other character homes and always gets plenty of attention when marketed. It’s definitely a must-see property”.
- Sponsored by Ray White
