This impressive, modern Georgian-style mansion is affectionately known by Greenhithe locals as The White House, thanks to its stately facade and gracious proportions.
It has been transformed by owners Peter and Kathleen Hill into a truly elegant and restful home sanctuary (a far cry from the turmoil its famous namesake is experiencing currently!)
The Hill family had moved down from Whangarei nine years prior and had happily settled in Greenhithe but were looking to upsize, and noticed the property they’d always admired was on the market. However, the process to purchase and move in wasn’t what you’d call smooth sailing. This was a mortgagee sale and the property had been abandoned the year prior.
“A 444sqm home with no power to it for a year, you can imagine the general condition of things like the pool and fridge,” recalls Kathleen.
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“The previous owner’s belongings were scattered throughout the house and the ivy in the garden was taking over the entire property. It amazed us to see such a beautiful place looking so unloved, but it had huge potential.”
Then Covid shut the world down.
“We knew the bank wanted it gone, so we put in an offer with no conditions and settled the day before New Zealand was put into lockdown,” she says.
“We couldn’t believe it – we now had two houses in Greenhithe, three kids and a business that was shut. Our nerves were in tatters.”
However, their little family got stuck in.
“This was now our lockdown project. We rolled up our sleeves and started the massive clean-up and we have gone over every inch of the property and rescued, restored or upgraded it. It has been an amazing project. The bones of the house were excellent – no expense was spared when it was built,” says Kathleen.
When the 444sqm home was bought by the current owners, there had been no power for a year and the property had been neglected.
A grand staircase leads to the five oversized bedrooms and three bathrooms upstairs.
A grand pebbled arrival court provides abundant extra parking out front, which is an added bonus to the quadruple garaging – a car buff’s dream.
Kathleen studied interior design and this becomes immediately evident as soon as you walk through the front door. The interior was dark and out of date, so she modernised it with light colours and classic twists to make it a beautiful family home – somehow equally glamorous and comfortable.
Solid American oak flooring spans the formal and informal living areas and chef’s kitchen downstairs, with floor-to-ceiling sliders creating beautiful flow outside. A grand staircase leads to the five oversized bedrooms and three bathrooms upstairs. The primary suite stands out with its expansive walk-in wardrobe.
Rejuvenating the landscaping was also a major undertaking, but, like the house, the bones were there.
“We needed four guys with machetes to hack away the growth,” she laughs.
“The lady who had initially done it did a beautiful job with her planting, so by taking all of the growth away we unearthed a really beautiful space.”
They enhanced it further with new decking, a heated pool, sprawling terraces and an outdoor fireplace, making it a completely private, low maintenance oasis.
Harcourts agent Aman Gulia says, of 11B Greenhithe Road: “In less than a week, we’ve had over 100,000 on social – that’s not normal!”
Solid American oak flooring spans the formal and informal living areas and chef’s kitchen downstairs.
11B Greenhithe Road in Greenhithe, North Shore, Auckland, is on the market for sale by way of auction on October 20. The five-bedroom, three-bathroom property has a 2021 CV of $2.6 million and, according to OneRoof data, last changed hands in 2020 for $2.05m.
Rachel Simpson and Aman Gulia, from Harcourts, are marketing the property and Rachel describes it as “absolutely exquisite in every aspect and a true unicorn property in Greenhithe”.
“We’ve received amazing feedback so far and people are telling us it’s got the best outdoor entertainment area they’ve ever seen,” she says.
Aman adds: “it has all the charm and luxury anyone could ever want, but at the same time you’ve got plenty of space for family life. We both feel this is a one-of-a-kind property and an opportunity for someone to buy in an amazing location.
“In less than a week, we’ve had over 100,000 on social – that’s not normal!”
- 11B Greenhithe Road in Greenhithe, North Shore, Auckland, goes to auction on October 20
