HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

BEAUTIFUL, INDIVIDUALLY CRAFTED WARDROBES

FOR THE ULTIMATE IN LUXURY AND COMFORT

With a wardrobe designed and crafted by the talented team at Innovative Interiors, you can be confident that not only will it fulfil your dreams, but it will also be unique to you.

And this is because Innovative Interiors’ designers listen carefully to you to understand exactly what you want, need, and dream about, and only then do they put pen to paper to create a design that’s completely individual.

Innovative Interiors’ co-owner and designer Neil Robinson is proud of his team’s ability to custom-make its wardrobes to suit your home, your needs, and your lifestyle. From the personalised design service, the process moves into the company’s own factory, where its skilled manufacturing team makes your wardrobe, before handing over to the installation team to ensure a seamless finish in your home. “With our robust processes and controls, you can be confident of a top-quality result every time,” says Neil.

“We don’t do cookie cutter experiences,” he says. “We know you are unique, so we ensure our wardrobes and storage solutions are too. Every home is different, and each person has their own individual needs. Every piece of furniture we create is designed to be functional and to add style and value to your home.”

Innovative Interiors’ storage solutions are completely bespoke, whether you choose a reach-in or walk-in wardrobe, display cabinets for living spaces, or a personalised storage system for your bathroom or laundry.

If you’re looking for a wall-mounted system – often the ideal choice where space is restricted – the Traditional range is high on quality and is competitively priced. The Traditional minimises disturbances to your floors and maximises casual storage beneath the units for items such as shoes, bags, or baskets. Where there’s more space available, the floor-mounted Classic range is a great option for both reach-in or walk-in settings and it comes with a broader selection of customisable options and finishes. With the extra built-in space that’s part of the Classic, you can include additional luxury details such as nifty pull-out drawers for shoes – every girl’s dream!

When your dream is to start your day with the ultimate in pampering, the Euro range – the premium walk-in wardrobe and dressing room option – ticks every box. This highly sophisticated range is floor-mounted, making it ideal for more generous spaces. Luxurious accessories such as trouser racks, mirrors, and jewellery drawers, to name a few, are all features of wardrobes in the Euro range.

With all Innovative Interiors’ wardrobe ranges, the key is in their individual designs and premium materials and finishes.

Innovative Interiors are passionate about designing custom wardrobes and storage solutions, which are both beautiful and functional, providing customers with a complete service from design through to manufacture and installation.

Our experienced design consultants take the time to get to know you and identify exactly what you need. Crafting solutions that not only to match your requirements, but complement existing décor and enhance the overall living space.

LIKE A PIECE OF FINE FURNITURE

The kitchen is a vital part of any home, not simply in terms of how it functions, but also in setting the tone for the décor of the rest of the house.

That’s why it is essential to bring a kitchen designer on board right at the beginning of your design journey – and also choose a kitchen company that can offer the total package, both design-and-manufacture.

“This contemporary kitchen played an integral role in the renovation of a 1950s home,” says Michelle Gillbanks, one of the three qualified kitchen designers who work at Kitchens By Design. Michelle was heavily involved with the architect and client from the outset to ensure their vision was followed through the entire renovation.

“My client and his architect had a very clear idea of what they wanted right from the beginning,” says Michelle. “They were very hands-on and drew up sketches of what they wanted. I worked with them to help realise the vision and establish a material palette that would integrate well with the rest of the home.”

The brief was for clean, elegant lines with a functional layout and uncluttered surfaces. Essential to the whole scheme was for a ‘furniture look’ to balance and blend in with the clients’ surrounding open-plan living space.

“For the back walls of the kitchen, we decided on a dark finish with lighter tones on the island to connect it with the underlying theme of the rest of their new interior spaces,” says the designer. “A combination of stained, brushed veneer and plain painted surfaces were used for cabinet finishes, along with a polished-stone feature island. Both provide a tactile experience and visual engagement.”

The island was designed to look like a piece of furniture rather than a workspace. To give the illusion of a single, floating block of stone, Dekton Khalo was used for the island’s top and three sides, along with mirror toe-kicks.

As the design of the kitchen progressed, Michelle was asked to design built-in cabinetry for the home, which included the bathrooms, laundry and wardrobes. “This is not unusual,” says Michelle. “We are often asked to work on other parts of their home – particularly the bathrooms and laundry areas, where the same style cabinetry is needed for that integrated look.”

If you’re looking for a new kitchen, please call T: 09 379 3084 to make an appointment with one of our designers at Kitchens By Design’s showroom, located at 3 Byron Avenue in Takapuna.

For inspiration, take a look at some fabulous projects at www.kitchensbydesign.co.nz

BERNADETTE MORRISON: THE RELEVANCE OF AUCTIONS IN TODAY’S MARKET

As the most open and transparent of all sale methods, a residential auction puts serious buyers together in one place to determine true market value, and in the current market – where timeliness is key – metrics show this method is twice as likely to deliver an unconditional result after 28 days.

Billed as the most effective way to create a competitive bidding environment whilst ensuring transparency and an even playing field for all participants, a sale by auction is consistently the sale method of choice in a red-hot market, but what about when prices have come off the boil?

Bayleys Ponsonby branch manager Bernadette Morrison says that auctions remain the most effective way to deliver a sale for owners – whether on auction day or afterwards.

“Analysis from recent sales at Bayleys has shown that in current market conditions, auctions have become more effective at delivering results, with the auction process 100 percent (or twice as likely) to return an unconditional sale within 28 days, compared to other sale methods.

“Using data collected in the six months to June this year, we found that after 42 days on the market, listings which began as auctions were 91 percent more likely to have sold unconditionally.

“And at the 90-day mark, listings which began as auctions were still 40 percent more likely to have delivered an unconditional result than listings which did not.”

Morrison says these contrasts are stark and demonstrate the intrinsic value of auction campaigns and their ability to deliver optimal outcomes compared to other sale methods.

“The merit of the auction process lies in our ability to generate strong market interest via targeted marketing campaigns which attract the widest possible buyer pool and ultimately reveal that one perfect purchaser for the property.”

While competition is a strong component of the process, Bayleys national auction manager, Conor Patton, says the agency has delivered strong results at auctions where even only one bidder has been present.

“At Bayleys, we have averaged a 75 percent success rate over the past year at auctions with only one active bidder, which reflects that properties can still sell well in less competitive environments.

“With just one engaged buyer and a motivated seller, success relies upon the skill of the salesperson and the auction team. “Bayleys salespeople are some of the best in the business at understanding the nuances of their markets and buyer appetites during auctions.

“We have a strong program of ongoing training modules to ensure salespeople are highly skilled in managing the auction process strategically. This includes overseeing bids, pre-auction offers, and seller expectations to deliver positive outcomes - because mismanagement of the process can easily risk losing a qualified buyer.”

Patton says that while the data speaks for itself, in terms of an auction’s ability to secure results, Bayleys salespeople are not arbiters of value but rather present the property to the market in the most successful way.

“A cooling of last year’s red-hot market was inevitable, especially as inflation pressures, credit constraints and global unease sow a feeling of uncertainty through the economy. However, the fundamental reasons to move persist and an unusual lift in auction activity for this time of the year bodes well for summer market performance.

“Buyers and sellers are adjusting to new conditions, and there is some semblance of consistency, especially across Auckland’s city harbour suburbs market, which has largely bucked the downturn trend,” he says.

Morrison agrees it is fundamentally true that good real estate sells in any market, and homes across the wider Ponsonby area continue to sell well thanks to their desired location and a scarcity of high-value homes in the marketplace.

“Fervent competition or not, auctions remain the best tool to attract buyers and establish true market value,” she says.

“Time and time again, we see properties sell on auction day or through post-auction negotiations with purchasers captured through the auction process. Ultimately, securing an unconditional result through a sale by auction gives sellers a significant purchasing advantage – an extremely attractive feature in variable market conditions.”

Sellers interested in learning more about the auction process and how it can help to deliver an optimal result are invited to get in touch with Bernadette Morrison, or their local Bayleys salesperson at the team’s Ponsonby branch.

With a real estate career of 16 years total, 14 years selling Ponsonby/Herne Bay luxury villas, Sue purchased a rural home in Matakana in 2014.

In 2020 she was pivotal in the start up of Ray White Matakana/Omaha founded by Ray White Black Group.

Now she lives full time in Matakana and sells rural, residential and lifestyle blocks. As she explains, “I've loved this transition; so many of the clients I know are coming from Ponsonby/ Herne Bay into the region and this is a huge point of difference and strength I bring to my vendors.

"The region is full of artisan foodies, vineyards, small producers, markets and pristine rural and bush blocks as well as beaches and ranges. Matakana is now my primary home and I'm elated to assist others as they take their own journey north."

Why the change of location? After Covid-19 hit the world in 2020, Sue spent eight weeks locked down in her Matakana rural home. "It was the longest time I'd spent there since purchasing the property in 2014. Up until then I was commuting back and forth to Ponsonby and living between the two locations. I started growing organic veges and herbs, changed my diet to mostly plant-based and slowed down for the first time in years. I then went on to practicing yoga and hiking with my dog and got super fit."

"I'd also noticed that other Ponsonby/Herne Bay and surrounds locals were moving to the Matakana region. That's when a plan was hatched to open Ray White Matakana/Omaha.

"I had to giggle as one of my clients quipped the other day that Matakana is becoming 'North Herne Bay’."

What sort of marketing works best for you and your vendors? "When we opened in 2020 we marketed ourselves initially by just getting cracking with listings and sales. I listed an estate on Omaha Valley Road that included the ex Vivian Art Gallery and we've not looked back from there. Now we’re established and have taken premises in the old Board and Batten location before you get into Matakana. It's a stunning space to work in and we frequently host local events for our customers and clients."

What do you recommend vendors do to prepare their homes for sale? "When a vendor is preparing to sell we offer an approach that covers not only what we provide as sales and marketing agents, but a raft of services that we tap into from our local community. From gardeners to stagers, declutter specialists, assistance with movers and trades. We have an ethos of the best preparation and presentation for each client and their home."

Favourite Ponsonby café and restaurant? "I'm still frequently in Ponsonby, catching up with clients and friends and Ive been a constant fan for years of Dizengoff, Bambina, Fish and Loaves and Bacio."

Any testimonials you’d like to share? "After dealing with a myriad of real estate agents over nearly 20 years in the Matakana area it was a relief to have Sue as our agent. She was always positive, professional and quick with responses. Her diligence to get a good result and her energy was fantastic. We would highly recommend her as it was a pleasure having her as our agent.”

To talk to Sue: T: 027 279 9696, E: sue.hatton@raywhite.com

By Negotiation • A modern double glazed family home approx 306m2 • Two huge separate living rooms • Internal access double garage • Three bedrooms and family bathroom on the ground level • A private master suite upstairs with walk through wardrobe, ensuite and views • Outdoor entertainment area and private decks • Large country kitchen with all mod cons • Raised culinary beds, glasshouse, and potting shed • Three Bay implement and utility shed with workshop, bedroom and wc • 13.5 acres of rolling contoured land in 8 paddocks with troughs • Spring water - source on the property • Extensive driveways - 600m2 approx for parking • Over 100 fruit trees • Over 1000 native and specimen trees planted

497A

WHITMORE ROAD, Matakana

027 279 9696 sue.hatton@raywhite.com

Photography: Jo Smith photography

KNOWING THE RIGHT PEOPLE GETS YOU THE BEST RESULTS WHEN IT COMES TO REAL ESTATE

There’s an old adage in life, which notes that “it’s not what you know, but who you know.”

And it’s a cliché which certainly bears true when it comes to real estate marketing in the current market - where stock levels are below comparable historic periods for this time of year. The scenario is very much being illustrated at present through leading Greater Ponsonby real estate agent Blair Haddow of Bayleys Ponsonby.

Blair is bringing multiple stunning homes to market in February next year. However, members of Blair’s well-honed and extensive database are already being given an inside running on these luxury homes before they are to be advertised to the general public.

First up on Blair’s private database is a magnificently rebuilt and exquisitely renovated four-bedroom/two-living room north-facing villa in one of Grey Lynn’s most desirable streets, with double off-street car parking, and an inground heated saltwater swimming pool.

Next on the list is another four-bedroom/three-bathroom/ two-living room north-west facing villa very close to Ponsonby Central, with two car garaging, and an inground heated saltwater swimming pool.

Rounding out the trio of exclusive viewing opportunities on Blair Haddow’s confidential contact lists is a four-bedroom/ two bathroom/two living room north facing Ponsonby villa with off-street car parking for two vehicles.

Interestingly, Blair Haddow had sold two of the three properties several years ago and by maintaining regular communication with the owners/buyers over the intervening years he was front of mind for the purchasers-turned-vendors when it came time to bring the high-end dwellings back onto the market for sale again.

“All three properties are going to be marketed for sale by auction in February - unless sold prior - with full marketing campaigns beginning early in 2023 when people are back from their New Year holidays. However, buyers on my database have already been given the exclusive heads-up on the first of the properties coming up for sale, and eleven groups have been through the home,” said Blair.

Blair was in negotiations with potential buyers of the stunning dwelling as this edition of Ponsonby News was going to press, while the other two ‘sneak peek’ listings were being sent out to Blair’s database as the magazine was about to be distributed to its loyal readers. The move to marketing properties in advance of them being publicly listed is just one of the latest innovative trends Blair has initiated lately. Normally accustomed to being a specialist in the Ponsonby, Herne Bay, St Marys Bay ,Westmere, Grey Lynn, and Point Chevalier locales, Blair has just conducted the successful sale of a luxury beach house in the Coromandel with another beachfront home currently for sale.

Both holiday homes are owned by trusted contacts of Blair’s, whose primary place of residence is in his cityfringe specialist area. However, displaying a high degree of expertise chiselled over more than a decade with Bayleys Ponsonby, Blair Haddow utilised the agency’s proven quality marketing systems combined with the professional services of an experienced real estate agent to get the deals signed off.

The multi-million-dollar Coromandel homes in Whangamata and Pauanui were in addition to Blair completely selling out all his Auckland listings over the last few weeks, including:

· 41 Vermont Street in Ponsonby – a long-term rental property which was bought at auction for $2.1 million as a renovation project

and

· 38 Dorset Street in Westmere – a totally renovated and remodelled ‘picture postcard’ 1940s bungalow which sold at auction for $3.85 million.

Blair says his recent run of successful sales reflected vendors taking on board his accurate pricing valuations – which were ultimately achieved through the auction process.

“There are always people looking to buy homes in Ponsonby, Herne Bay, St Mary’s Bay, Westmere, Freemans Bay, and Grey Lynn, and many of them are on my database. So homes in those areas that are marketed for sale at pricing levels reflective of where the market is currently sitting, are selling in line with vendors’ expectations,” said Blair Haddow.

“Being a local in the area myself, and specialising in this part of Auckland, I pretty much have my finger on the pulse of what is selling, and for how much, and what’s not selling, and why. That’s the value of working with someone who lives and breathes in the area they sell in.”

To join Blair’s database please, make contact with him on blair.haddow@bayleys.co.nz