When Maurice and Karen first saw this elegant, rural hideaway in 2016, it projected colonial charm.
The large, sprawling mansion with its faux shutters and wrap-around porch wouldn’t look out of place in the USA. In fact, the original developer had modelled it on photos of Oprah Winfrey’s holiday home in Hawaii.
33 Cochran Road in Oratia, Waitakere, is on the market for sale by auction on December 2. The six-bedroom, two-bathroom property has a 2021 RV of $2.225 million and, according to OneRoof data, last changed hands for $1.535m in 2016.
Agent Craig Smith, of The Smiths from Ray White Titirangi, is marketing the property and confirms that the developer who built the home spared no expense and paid close attention to every tiny detail. “This home is just the most wonderful haven.”
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Maurice says: “We both love cooking and entertaining, so although the previous kitchen was perfectly functional, we decided to do a complete renovation in this part of the house and extend the floor space.
“Our current dining area is where the kitchen used to be, and the new kitchen, adjacent to the patio, is perfect for both of us to work in together. It has an incredible amount of storage by way of Blum drawer systems, and we selected an Asko combined gas and induction cooktop which makes for great cooking.
“Karen also put in a huge picture window instead of a wall with a splashback, so that the outlook is always green and leafy.”
The owners did a complete renovation of the kitchen area, reconfiguring the zone and extending the floor space. Photo / Supplied
The 323sqm home, which sits on 6274sqm of land, has six bedrooms, two bathrooms and parking for six vehicles. Photo / Supplied
Elsewhere on the ground floor is an open-plan living room, leading to the deck, which in turns segues to the swimming pool. This has proved very popular with family – including their children who are now adults – and visiting friends.
A separate laundry, a toilet, plus the first of the home’s six large bedrooms complete the ground floor, along with an oversized garage featuring loads of shelves for storage and an attached carport, which the couple added during their tenure.
On the second floor is the master suite, with a generous walk-in wardrobe, to which they added more closet space. The bathroom, with a large shower and spa bath provides hotel-level comforts. Four further bedrooms share the large family bathroom, while an expansive living room, complete with a ceiling-mounted projector and speakers, adds extra space for rest and relaxation.
Having so many bedrooms is undoubtedly a luxury in any home and Maurice says that Karen used one of them as her home office.
The new dining room. Photo / Supplied
The master suite on the second floor has a generous walk-in wardrobe and an ensuite with a spa bath. Photo / Supplied
Oratia’s Cochran Glade, where the property is situated, is very exclusive, secluded and private, and theirs is one of four houses built by the same developer around 14years ago, all of which are now in the $2million-plus property bracket.
“We have the most wonderful neighbours whom we see for meals and other get-togethers and that’s one aspect of living here that we’re going to miss most,” says Maurice.
They will also miss the surrounding bush, which has established native trees, tuis, moreporks, and a stream running through it, plus the vast green lawn where, as a keen angler, Maurice likes to practice his fly-casting.
“Obviously I don’t catch much here,” he laughs.
As the Oratia property is now too big for them, Maurice and Karen are relocating to a lock-up-and-leave city pad, allowing them to spend more time at their home on the Tongariro River.
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