ALL IN GOOD TIME

An Auckland family’s desire to build by the sea hit a few unexpected squalls, but the result is a roaring success

-  Claire McCall

After 10 years of renting with their young family, Chris and Leah Goddard were impatient to get into a house that was toasty warm, designed for sunlight, and where they could give their creative instincts free rein, rather than staring at boring, all-white walls.

When the couple spotted a deceased estate for sale in Takapuna, they hoped the waiting game was over. Although the dwelling was far from ideal (a rumpty old bach that had been one of the first homes in the area), Chris was seduced by its location. He had always dreamt of living within a stone’s throw of the beach and from here he could smell the sea. So, when their bid won the auction, it was a surprise. A delightful one.

That was five years ago and set in motion a process where more waiting became inevitable. Initially the Goddards thought a major renovation would bring the mouldy, damp structure into line with their vision. “Then we discovered we’d almost have to strip it back down to its bare bones,” says Leah. The astronomical cost involved felt untenable. They changed tack and began to plot a new-build.

Getting to ‘go’

It didn’t take them long to choose Box as their design-and-build partner. “We’d seen one of their open homes, liked their style and always had them in the back of our minds,” says Leah.

Keeping the design simple on this compact infill site was key: a rectangular volume with two levels stretches back on the narrow footprint. While getting the concept for the three-bedroom home right was no issue, reaching the stage where the diggers moved in to begin the build was. In fact, the necessary consents and sign off from neighbours and council on the cross-lease section took three years.