A rural property so charming, even the house moved out of the city for it

You wouldn’t know it to look at it today, but the villa at 725 Woodcocks Rd in Warkworth hasn’t always been a country homestead. Like its owners, Brendan and Val McKellar, it started life in the city.

Built on Dominion Rd in Mount Eden, Auckland, in the late 1880s, the Eastlake-style villa was moved to the site in 1988. The then owners retained as many of the home’s original decorative details as possible, including restoring the original chimneys, wainscotting, the hallway arch, ceiling roses, fireplaces, native timber floors and verandah fretwork.

Bifold doors and windows were added, opening the home to its new and substantially larger garden from the living areas and dining room, and a wide concertina window was added to open the bathroom to a private view of the garden.

The McKellars found the home "by chance, really", says Brendan.

"We weren't really looking to move from our place on the North Shore. We were in an apartment with a lovely sea view and what have you. But I think we were just really hankering for a change."

They drove up for a look at the property and were “captivated by it straight away."

The home sits on a nearly 12 hectare block - a 50-50 mix of pasture and native bush - some of which is covenanted - with a lawn and courtyard garden close to the house. The garden features a stand of mature nikau palms, kauri and other natives with views beyond to paddocks and mature native bush.

There’s also a mature wisteria growing along the verandah that puts on a beautiful display of flowers in the spring.

Neither of the McKellars had ever lived on a farm or worked on the land before, but Brendan says they wanted a home that would offer something “to keep busy with” after selling their business.

"Val still does a bit of accounts work for the business, but of course she could do that from here, so it suited us very much. And she saw the villa and said, 'I love it'."

While the previous owners ran some cattle on the land, the McKellars have chosen not to do that. Although, they do have a hobby flock of sheep.

"They're really lawnmowers," says Brendan. "We're not farmers, by any means [...] the sheep are pretty independent." They do shear the sheep twice a year and have a vet visit regularly, however caring for the flock is "very manageable".

"We just rotate them around the house and the paddocks and they seem quite happy."

They also contribute to the charming bucolic views from all the rooms of the house, which is one of Brendan’s favourite things about the home, along with watching the sun set across the Kourawhero Valley from the verandah.

There are a number of walking trails through the bush, past some long lived native trees, and one that circumnavigates the entire section, giving interesting views from higher vantage points.

Inside, the couple tried to enhance the sense that the home has been there for a long time by decorating to suit the Edwardian period of the home. That included choosing pattern over the more trendy or modern classic all-white villa interior.

“We love it, but you wonder if it might be polarising, but most people who have seen it love it.”

There is colour throughout the home: an emerald green bathroom, a royal blue living room, which contrasts with the rich red tile of the original fireplace, and a sunny yellow kitchen. But none of it is overwhelming or loud.

Instead it’s a cheery, cosy vibe that feels lived in and comfortable.

The property also has a separate sleep-out off the garage. While it’s not consented for full time accommodation - the next custodian of the property could look into that if they wanted - it is fully self contained with a bathroom and kitchen, as well as a separate living room. It might suit older children returning from university or an older relative living nearby.

The home is eight minutes from Warkworth and about 51 minutes from Auckland’s CBD in off-peak traffic, making it an easy commute into town if you need to be there for work a few times a week.

As much as the couple has loved their time here, family life is calling them closer to town again. They have decided to sell. Brendan hopes the home will go to a “local family”, or perhaps a farmer who is downsizing but doesn’t want to give up living off the land completely.

"I would say a family with kids who could appreciate being able to run around in the bush a bit. And might even ride their quad bike on those trails. Perhaps even keep some animals. People are looking for a bit of a country lifestyle without being completely sort of isolated."

With a CV of $2,550,000, the four bed, two bath home at 725 Woodcocks Rd, Warkworth, is for sale by deadline, which closes on December 18. The listing is with Dianna Coman for Bayleys.