Seafront Setting A Premier Choice
Sitting in the lounge of this seafront city apartment in New Plymouth helps define the meaning of the word mesmerising. It's difficult to draw your eyes away from the surging waters of the Tasman Sea that appear to lap up just below the lounge window.
The eyecatching outlook explains the 25 years or so that this apartment's owners have lived here. "It's like the bow of a ship ... we sit in here and watch the waves come in."
People are a big factor. Along the seafront, the Coastal Walkway is a drawcard for the district. Walkers and cyclists pace and pedal their way between the port and Bell Block, some stand and cast a hopeful fishing line out into the sea, while others just lean on the Wind Wand deck handrail and contemplate the moment. At the start of the year, stone sculptors reshape ancient boulders along the walkway, attracting crowds of admirers.
"It's an active environment. We could stay home all day and not feel lonely."
They've watched the development of the walkway and the installation of the Wind Wand and its repair when it broke. Even the loud explosion of the rifles at the Anzac Day dawn parade gets their stamp of approval. Now they go out and join the gathering for each commemoration.
The life around them is far from intrusive. The elevation of the living areas on the upper level of this apartment offers a serious sense of privacy and space.
On this day, calm and cloudy conditions give it a soothing serenity. That can change, though. "Winter is fabulous with its big seas. And storms ... lightning strikes are impressive."
A quiet night can be equally entralling. "You get the moon on the water, glistening like a snapper's back complimented by the city lights that sparkle in the evening hours."
During the day, your eye is drawn far beyond the immediate view, along the seafront , up past the East End and Fitzroy beaches, to follow the curve of coastline that leads to Kawhia in clear conditions.
Proximity to the city shopping, restaurant and business choices is almost unbeatable. It's all just across the road and means you would just about not need a car to live here.
Harcourts consultant Jack Kurta is marketing the apartment today and emphasises the changes in the sea front properties.. "The waterfront has moved forward exponentially. Years ago, no-one wanted to live beside the sea . Now and all over the world the best properties are built by water and to never be built out .... well that speaks for itself."
The Richmond Estate heralded the start of waterfront apartment living and is still arguably the best in town. Many other multi level developments have since been completed but this particular location is the one that seems to stand out the most.
There's a timelessness about its classic decor that's emphasised by two visits separated by those 25 years or so. I wrote about the Richmond Estate apartments at the start and a follow-up now impresses again.
This Apartment 15 is unique among the Richmond Estate residences in that it offers direct street access as well as its position within the security of the gated complex. There are entrances off both the St Aubyn St footpath and the complex's secure courtyard. It also has the bonus of internal-access double garaging in its design.
The whole of the apartment complex is looking fresh in its new 10-year coat of paint, the off-white hue nicely complementing the original terracotta tiles on lower roof areas.
Either of Apartment 15's entry doors lets you into the welcoming central foyer, a pleasingly spacious area that's also filled with light .
Along the hallway, you find two generous double bedrooms, a family bathroom, separate toilet, and a downstairs living area that opens out to an easy-care lawn area overlooking the walkway. Internal French doors open from the living area to a large office that could potentially become this level's fourth bedroom.
The bathroom down here highlights the styling that gives this apartment its timeless look. It's finished across floor and walls with white tiles that would look just as appealing in a new home.
As does the stainless-steel handrail that rises with the spiral stairs to the upper level. Keeping the decor simple is a successful strategy.
The owners do all their living up here - in the open-plan kitchen-dining-lounge space with its panoramic view of the city seafront and the adjacent master bedroom that boasts the same expansive outlook out to sea and up the coast. A balcony across the living areas allows a fresh-air appreciation of the setting.
After bringing up their family of four daughters here, the couple is now looking to a change of lifestyle for coming years.
They've taken the opportunity to give this apartment a new lease on life for its next owners.
The new kitchen is the visible evidence of that. It's a spacious design in white with a generous bench topped with stone that wraps over the end in a 'waterfall' finish. The kitchen is set to the back of the living areas to give its user a great view through to the sea and coastline.
There's a lot more done that's not so obvious - the whole apartment has been reclad, completely replacing the original Harditex facing with the latest Rockcote cavity system that promises extra durability with its visual appeal. At the same time, the original windows were replaced with a new double-glazed joinery suite, the apartment was re-roofed with the latest membrane technology, and a new decking system was installed.
That's a serious investment, Jack Kurta acknowledges. "But the land value and the position here made reinvestment the obvious choice ... this residence is the primest of the prime. On offer is the very rare opportunity to secure a lifestyle and a view that is second to none With these type of properties you don't get a second chance."
by Mike Shaw
Deadline Sale : all offers in by 12 March 2019 at 4pm at 51 Devon St West, New Plymouth (unless sold prior)