Original Ian Athfield Design from 1978

Homes designed by architect Ian Athfield don’t come up for sale very often, and when they do, they generally go to new owners who share a respect for the design ethic. Part of that ethic is a belief that a house is a dynamic entity that can and should evolve with the changing needs of the inhabitants.
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Do you know the 7 secrets to getting a great price when you sell your home on the North Shore?

A brand new 12 page SPECIAL REPORT is now available which shows home owners 7 secrets to getting a great price when they sell their home. Here are just a few of the critical things you will learn when you read the 7 Secrets Report.

I f you are planning on selling your home within the next 3-6 months, don’t do anything until you have read this FREE REPORT. Selling your home is a complex process with a lot of money at stake, so it’s vital you do it right.

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Today I sold a Group Architect Home in Hillcrest on the North Shore.

These homes are quite special and are part of New Zealand’s architectural heritage. They mark a major change in architecture and reflect the unique kiwi way of life. I did not recognise it at first as the present owners had painted all the timber with white wash. Group architect homes usually feature natural materials just as native timbers and stone. Personally I felt the white wash on the floorboards and paint on the ceiling beams are a great enhancement and make the home light and bright.

Constructed in 1953 this home boasts indoor – outdoor flow and open-plan living areas, something, which, at the time it was built would have been unique and avant garde! These features have become part of the kiwi way of life, we have a need to bring the outdoors inside and love to eat outside  and enjoy family life around a Barbecue. The  open plan living-dining and kitchen is egalitarian and reflected a growing equality of the sexes in the 1950′s. It was becoming unacceptable to lock Mum away in the kitchen, and the preparation of food was a part of entertaining and baby-boomer  family life that everyone enjoyed.

A modest bungalow, it demonstrated that architecture enhanced the everyday life of common people, again part of New Zealand’s egalitarianism. The windows are tall, floor to ceiling to allow lots of light inside, and the pitched ceiling with exposed beams are all part of the style. This home would have been a stand out amongst it’s more ordinary neighbours in Hillcrest.

I know of another in Quebec Road, Milford and 3, I think, in Northboro Road in Takapuna. Here’s a film made in 1950 of the construction of a home that could just about be the one I just sold in Ocean View Road.

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Here’s why you  need to market your North Shore property, right now, at Expo in Shanghai. This offer is exclusive to Harcourts Cooper and Co, and reservations close soon.

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In the BNZ Weekly Overview the BNZ economist says banks are having more difficulty borrowing funds in the European market with the cost of doing so increasing which is likely to manifest itself in New Zealand.
BNZ remains of the opinion that unless sharemarkets collapse another 20% in the next fortnight the Reserve Bank will raise the official cash rate (OCR) 0.25% on June 10 and indicate plans to raise the rate steadily from then on.
“But with an eye to changing the pace if conditions turn out to be weaker or stronger than they expect,” he says.
The advice for borrowers is to

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Harcourts Milford is challenging for top spot as one of New Zealand’s top real estate offices in Harcourts International, the largest real estate company in New Zealand.

For the second year running, Harcourts Milford has been named No 1 office in the Harcourts Northern Region.

Harcourts Milford is part of Martin Cooper’s Cooper and Co Real Estate Ltd franchise on the North Shore of Auckland – a chain of 8 offices dominating real estate sales in the region. A multi-award winning office, this latest accolade bodes well for the National Awards to be held in Christchurch next week.

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Daylight saving has ended and the temperatures immediately took on that autumn hint. I am reminded of Wanaka at this time of the year, and how beautiful Central Otago is when the leaves are falling. Now we are in that selling period before winter and these next 3 months will confirm the North Shore house market’s direction.

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