This is a house that demands to be noticed. Sitting in prime position on the corner of Katui Street and Seaview Road, the property has awesome views over Milford Beach, Milford Marina and Lake Pupuke, as well as the lights of downtown Auckland. The Hauraki Gulf, with Rangitoto Island taking centre stage, is framed by a quaint, historic church and a pohutukawa tree, stunning in its crimson Christmas flourish.

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Recently opened in Milford, where a couple of incarnations of Indian restaurant used to be, Boss Yakitori & Bistro is something new and exciting for the area. [Read more →]

It can be a pretty frustrating exercise trying to find the ideal family home. You want a place that’s easy to look after, not to be a slave to on your precious weekends when you want to spend time with your kids. You want to have space for them to run around, an area that’s securely fenced, and to be able to keep an eye on them when they’re outside playing. [Read more →]

Fix 'er up or tear 'er down

SOLD! $705000. This Castor Bay do up on a full site was sold by multiple offer 24 hours after the auction.  60 people attended the auction which was called by Stephen Johnson of the Harcourts Milford Office. Three parties bid aggressively before a pause at the auction. The following day those parties made further offers which were accepted by the owners. The new owner, an architect,  is expecting to completely renovate this home in one of the North Shore’s premier beach side locations.

SUPER DUPER FIXER UPPER
18 Peter Terrace, Castor Bay

Fixed up and done up, or removed and replaced, you can’t beat a 1960s weatherboard bungalow on a 928m2 site, high on the hill in Castor Bay. Hear that noise? It’s the sound of opportunity knocking.
A hop, skip and jump to school, the beach, the boat ramp and the park, this is where all your special family memories will be made. The views of Rangitoto  are a bonus.
Zoned for Westlake and Campbells Bay Primary.
4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, double garage, 2 living rooms and an  office.
Open Homes: Sat / Sun 12:30-1:00
Auction 6 Dec 2010 @ 6:00pm on site
Click here to view/download the title:  Title 18 Peter Tce
For more information on this property click here.
To find out more about Castor Bay, click here.

Once this property came to the market a watertightness inspection uncovered 3 spots requiring attention as there was leaking evident. At auction a local builder bought the property with the intention of recladding it.

This one is a bit of a flawed beauty. It’s immaculate, but a building report has identified some issues. Sort them out and the living will be easy. Buy it and you’ll make some money. Well maintained, this flawed beauty must be sold. Nervous but determined vendors are resolved to move on. Make it your new project and reap the rewards.

This home looks absolutely fine and I am sure the problems are minor, but you must check for yourslves. We’ve got the LIM report from the North Shore City Council, there is a Code Compliance Certificate, no problems here. We’ve had a watertightness report done by Robert Visser, take a look, but remember the vendors want to move on and this is an unconditional contract.

This home has an easy flow from open plan living to the deck and low maintenance garden, good double bedrooms upstairs and modern bathrooms.  It is perfectly located right by Smales Farm, the hospital and the North Shore’s best schools; in Milford, on the flat. It is absolutely amazing how convenient, the hospital, and five schools are within walking distance.

Here is the Watertightness Report.

Lim Report is available with CCC.

For auction and open homes  schedule, and full internet listing including more pics, click here.

I resisted the temptation to visit Farro Fresh in its first week on the Shore – just knew it was going to be crazy busy. Finally got to have a look on a reasonably quiet Thursday afternoon and I love it already!

While a lot of the products are available in different outlets around the Shore, it’s great having produce of this quality altogether in one place. Artisan breads (Wild Wheat and Paneton), Bennett’s chocolates, deli products that can be hard to find outside Sabato, fresh fruit and veges, cheeses, top quality meat and seafood, and you can even get an excellent coffee. Dinner on Thursday night, thanks to Farro, was fresh Aoraki salmon (from the pristine waters near Mt Cook) and fresh Queensland prawns. While they were pricey, they were absolutely delicious and, unusually, had not been frozen. This is the first time I’ve been able to buy such a thing in NZ.

There’s plenty of parking and a fairly convenient location if you’re a driver: corner Constellation and Parkway Drive, right next to the Park ‘n’ Ride. Of course, if you commute by bus, it’s quite a handy spot to disembark, grab your groceries, and jump back on the next bus home.