Te Huia Drive belongs to the quieter side of Flagstaff, where the streets curve instead of carry traffic and the reserve on the corner of Wisteria Place does most of the after school work. Number 44 keeps its business to itself from the road. Established planting, a striking front fence, and a frontage that asks you to come closer before it explains anything.
Inside, the first thing that registers is the height. Two hundred and seventy-one square metres across a single level, with a high stud throughout, and the whole house feels calmer for it. Built in 2012 by Stevenson Designer Builders and reworked since with a level of care that shows in the details rather than the headlines. European oak engineered floors run through the entrance, formal lounge and open plan kitchen, living and dining. Custom barn doors close the space off when it needs closing. Two gas fires, one in each living area, mean nobody has to negotiate over the good seat.
The kitchen has been rebuilt properly. Engineered stone benchtops, an induction cooktop, a double wall oven, soft close drawers throughout, and tapware with its own filter. The rangehood vents outside, which matters more than it sounds. Behind it, a scullery with its own sink takes the mess and keeps it there, so the kitchen you cook in and the kitchen people see stay separate.
Kitchen opens to a covered portico and deck, and this is where the house does its best work. The decking has been oiled recently. There is power in the roof for heaters, which means the space holds through winter rather than closing down in April. Beyond it, the pool: six metres by three and a half, mineral, heated, with an integrated cover that slides out from under the deck. The robot cleaner stays with the house. The rest of the backyard has artificial grass, a vegetable garden, passionfruit on the fence, and non-invasive bamboo holding the boundary. It is genuinely private, and it is well positioned for sun.
The master sits with its own ranchslider to the outside. What was once a fifth bedroom is now the walk-in wardrobe, and the word walk-in is accurate rather than aspirational. The ensuite is tiled floor to ceiling, with underfloor heating, a double vanity made to measure in Christchurch, a bath, and a walk-in shower with two heads. Three further double bedrooms follow, each with a wardrobe and blackout blinds. The family bathroom also carries underfloor heating and the same standard of finish. The powder room has peacock wallpaper and its own underfloor heating, which tells you something about the level of thought here.
The parts you do not see have been handled as well. Ducted heating and cooling runs through the house with zoning, so you warm what you are using. Fully insulated, double glazed, gas infinity hot water, keyless entry, an alarm, four cameras, smoke detectors wired to trigger together, and fibre to the door. The laundry walks through to a three car garage, carpeted, with a heat pump and a drop down ladder to storage above.
Flagstaff has settled into itself over the last decade. Hare Puke and its playground sit a few minutes north, the shops and cafes along Borman Road handle the everyday, and Kinfields Village and Rototuna cover everything larger. Schools, sport, and the northern link are all close enough to stop being a consideration.
Seven hundred and eighty-nine square metres, four bedrooms, three garages, and a pool that is already heated. The hard work is behind this house. What is ahead of it is yours.
