Peace and privacy close to the beach

It was a tall order to find the perfect place, but as Jill Wild found, this Raumati South home proved just right.

FOR SARAH Peko, her and husband Wayne Norris’s hunt for a first home was a highly logical process. They made a list, prioritised requirements, noted the negotiables and nonnegotiables, checked properties as they came to the market, and visited anything that looked like it had promise.

‘‘Like any other couple, time was of a priority for both of us,’’ she says.

‘‘My husband works in Wellington and I teach in Tawa, so every property we actually took the time to visit needed to have a majority of the requirements on our wishlist.’’

As Ms Peko was preparing to do her PhD, it was vital for her to adopt a precise approach to everything she wanted to achieve.

‘‘We most importantly needed a house we could arrive home to after a long day at work, that was warm when we walked in, easy to live in, yet also had outdoor space for entertaining, because we love to have friends over in the weekend.’’

What they found has proved to be a lucky purchase. The house only came to the market when the previous owners made a quick dash to Australia to take up a job offer.

‘‘What we love is that after a long day we drive in, zap up the garage door, walk into the house and we’re in complete privacy, surrounded by the most gorgeous bush, yet we’re just a few minutes’ walk from the beach and the shops.

‘‘What’s been interesting is that we’ve found out so much more about the house since we’ve been here – things we didn’t really appreciate. We are so protected from the onshore wind, so when we take the dog for a walk along Raumati Beach in the lovely salt air breeze, we come home to no wind, completely protected. It’s lovely.’’

Being practical folk, the couple knew they didn’t have time to spend doing home repairs, so they looked for a contemporary home with easy maintenance.

‘‘We didn’t want to fall into that first home buyer trap of looking in a price bracket but forgetting to allow for expensive maintenance.’’

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Modern focus: The contemporary lines of the home, streetside, and the double garage that Sarah says is so pleasant to arrive home to as the automated door rolls up, welcoming them inside.

Outdoor living: The clever architectural design creates al fresco dining at tree height, with a bird’s-eye view over the garden below.

Green scheme: The view from the kitchen.

Best buddies: Sarah Peko with new family addition Poppy the black labrador, and the much-used pizza oven behind them.