Feature article
From 'Jumanji' to architectural gem: Restored 1970s Havelock North home by famous architect listed
A renovated 1970s Havelock North architectural home combines bold design, modern living and flexible family spaces.
AI summary
A renovated 1970s Havelock North home by famed architect Paris Magdalinos is on the market. Investor Ryan Weir respectfully modernized the property, adding a new kitchen and bathrooms while preserving its unique character.
The four-bedroom, three-level house features a classic step-down snug and flexible living spaces, ideal for families who appreciate unique architecture.
A key benefit is the lower level, which has its own access and offers excellent potential to become a self-contained unit for additional income.
The award-winning architect, based in Napier, was a Resene paint favourite – highly rated for his bold use of colour and dramatic design.
Built in the late 1970s for one family who lived there for over four decades, 25 Muritai Crescent recently sold to a local property investor, Ryan Weir, who snapped it up for $870,000 and is now selling the home after a thorough renovation.
Weir, formerly a Propertyscouts' franchisor and director, says his aim with the family home was to enhance original architect Paris Magdalinos’s 1978 design and to modernise the property but maintain its character.
The vendor has set the asking price at $1.325 million. Photo: Sotheby's
“My job was to sort of clean it up, brighten it up, and let the original architecture shine through,” says Weir.
A grounds clean-up was one of the first things he did, including removing some tree branches.
“When we arrived, it was like a scene out of Jumanji, so we used a digger to get a lot of the green waste gone,” he says. “That opened it up a lot and gave it a lot of light.”
The philosophy around the renovation was that it would be cosmetic and respectful, says Weir.
The restored interior balances dramatic 1970s architecture with fresh modern finishes and soaring light-filled spaces.
The main level of the home has a centred step-down snug with a stone-block fireplace and built-in shelving, a very seventies look.
“I didn’t want to fight the house, I wanted to work with it because it’s got so many features,” says Weir.
“We didn’t want to move walls or change the layout because the layout is what made the home interesting.”
He gave the home a brand-new kitchen, including cabinetry, appliances, benchtop, rangehood and finishes.
The investor brought in local interior designer Katie Kettle from Refined Spaces, who specified everything from handles to tapware to carpets, flooring, benches, and paint colours as well as light shades and window treatments.
Both the main family bathroom and the master en-suite were upgraded and the house, with soaring ceilings, was given a full interior repaint. The exterior had a refresh.
"We did the trims, windows, downpipes, gutters, brickwork and deck staining,” says Weir.
On the upper floor next to the master suite is a mezzanine living room which would make an ideal office because it’s nice and open-plan, he says.
The vendor has set the asking price at $1.325 million, with the current CV of $1.43 million, through NZ Sotheby's International Realty’s Chloe Amoretti and Darryl Buckley.
Weir says the market is seeing a lot of buyer activity in the sub-$1 million range and in the $2 million to $3 million price range. This home, an easy walk to Havelock North village, fits in between.
Sotheby’s is marketing the home not just locally but to out-of-towners. Photo: Sotheby's
“That’s why we’re putting our best foot forward with the presentation of the property so we hope that we have a competitive edge over the other listings,” says Weir.
NZ Sotheby’s is marketing the home not just locally but to out-of-towners. Buyers in Manawatū, Wellington and Hawke’s Bay are being targeted, says Weir.
He can speak to newcomers about the benefits of this local neighbourhood, which is very safe, he says.
“I live nearby, we moved here from Auckland about four years ago and we love the community here. It’s such a great place to live and to raise children and work,” says Weir.
When it comes to potential buyers, he thinks the home will appeal to those who appreciate architectural homes, who don’t want a subdivision-type home.
“It’s not a cookie-cutter house, it’s got personality and that’s what makes it interesting.
“I would say it would suit a family wanting space and flexibility, perhaps a family with a teenager.”
The investor sees there being more value a new owner could add to it.
“On the lowest level it’s got a bedroom plus an en-suite and its own access and its own deck,” he says.
For new owners interested in offering guest accommodation, if they added a little kitchenette and put up an internal wall, it could be self-contained.
“I had a rental appraisal come through for if it was a self-contained unit – and if it were self-contained, it could rent for upwards of $500 a week,” he says.
“I think people would appreciate that during the cost of living crisis,” he says.Article was originally posted by stuff.co.nzAuthor
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