HOME: WHERE THE HEART IS

from PONSONBY NEWS - SEPTEMBER '20

by Ponsonby News

SEPTEMBER STREAMING GUIDE

Honey bee on red clover

Plants that bring all the bees to the yard

Photography: Jody Mitchell

For bees, some plants are really worth buzzing about, and others not so much.

Unsurprisingly, the best bee plants produce lots of pollen and/ or nectar and make these rewards easily accessible to pollinators. Plants that flower in autumn, and early spring are also bee favourites as they supply nectar and pollen when little else is available.

The Trees for Bees NZ team has been working for the last 10 years to identify what plants are best for our bees. Trees for Bees has produced regional, seasonal, urban and rural guides on what to plant for bees which are all available on its website www.treesforbeesnz. org. Trees for Bees has identified some true star performers – those plants which have ‘a buzz’ about them, literally.

Property transactions that come up smelling of roses.

When you’re buying or selling a property in the Auckland region, our legal expertise makes for smoother transactions, right down to securing the keys on settlement day.

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The first of these is rosemary; beloved by bees as it is almost always in flower especially in spring and autumn. Rosemary flowers are conveniently shaped for easy bee access with petals forming two ‘lips’. The lower lip makes a perfect bee landing platform that the bee can hang onto while reaching inside to drink nectar. Trees for Bees notes that most Mediterranean herb plants, like rosemary, oregano and thyme, are excellent sources of nectar.

Pip fruit trees like apples, pears and quince produce masses of flowers filled with protein-packed pollen and plentiful nectar. The flowers of these trees have a bee friendly ‘open dish’ shape, so bees can simply fly right in and get what they are looking for! Some plants have large ‘open dish’ flowers called super-bowl flowers, including peonies, some camellias, and magnolias.

New Zealand flax (harakeke, korari and wharariki) produce pollen with the highest protein content of any plant studied by Trees for Bees so far. Flax has a tubular flower but it makes the pollen readily available to bees, by sticking its pollen-bearing anthers out beyond its petals. Flax flowers also make lots of nectar which is loved by birds, bumble bees, honey bees and native bees. Honey bees can reach this nectar if the tubular flower is ‘full’ but as the nectar level decreases, they sometimes can siphon nectar from between petals at the bottom of the tube. Other native plants loved by bees include cabbage trees, hebes and rengarenga.

Two species of lacebark (Hoheria populnea and H. sexstylosa) produce lots of pollen and nectar in autumn, a time when little else is available. These plants produce an abundance of ‘open dish’ starshaped flowers which are perfectly suited to foraging bees.

Five finger (whauwhaupaku) flowers from mid-winter to early spring. The male trees have only male flowers offering both pollen and nectar to bees, and the female trees have female flowers producing nectar only. Female flowers have no petals, and when they exude nectar, they look like tiny toffee apples, a tasty treat for all nectar-loving garden dwellers especially birds that lick up the nectar!

For non-gardeners, there is an easy option to help our bees. Bees love weeds like clover and dandelions and while it’s never a good idea to plant pests, letting the weeds on your lawn flower from time to time will make your bees happy (and give you a break)!

www.beeawarenz.co.nz

In the pink

Most people play it safe when it comes to choosing a colour for their new kitchen, opting for a non-offensive white, or at least going with a neutral palette – and with good reason.

Firstly, the kitchen is the dominant space in most open-plan homes – therefore the colour you choose will tend to dictate the scheme for the rest of the living spaces. Secondly, there’s re-sale to consider. Not everyone is going to like a lime green, or a turquoise blue kitchen, and it’s not a cheap fix to repaint it.

However, if you really love a colour, and you’re not intending to move home in the not-too-distant future, why not go for it? You only live once.

When our client said she ‘quite liked the idea of having a pink kitchen’, our designer took her at her word and delivered a beautifully subtle kitchen design that perfectly fitted her brief.

Interestingly, though, the pink cabinetry is not the dominant surface in this kitchen – the stunning Invisible White Marble is the hero. “I found this particular marble and I really liked it. I then brought down the pink to more of a blush colour that worked really nicely with the marble – and my client loved the combination,” says the designer. The soft pink of the cabinetry perfectly compliments the gold and the light grey veining in the marble. And to further enhance the relationship between the benchtop and the cabinetry, negative details are painted in a matching gold colour. “We also picked up on the black veining (in the marble), by introducing some black elements into the kitchen, such as black granite-finish sink and tap, black induction hob, and twin black ovens. The black grounds the kitchen, gives it some strength,” he says. The other striking detail in the kitchen is the backlit, steel and glass open shelving that weaves its way along the back wall. “My client has a beautiful collection of ceramics that she’s built up over the years, and wanted somewhere to display these pieces.” In order to allow the shelving to flow freely along the entire wall, there could be no overhead extractor that would get in the way. The designer’s solution was to install a cooktop with a built-in downdraft extractor. For the splashback, the designer sourced some square tiles that feature a faint grid pattern, in gold, so they marry up perfectly with the gold in the marble and also reference the gold-painted grid pattern of the steel shelving that sits in front of it.

Every last detail has been carefully considered and coordinated in this kitchen. It is brighter and functions so much better than its predecessor, and has become a real focal point for their client’s open-plan living space.

If you thinking about putting in a new kitchen, give the team at Kitchen By Design a call, or pop into the Kitchens By Design showroom at 3 Byron Avenue, Takapuna T: 09 488 7201. And for inspiration, take

a look at their website at www.kitchensbydesign.co.nz

Local Market Wrap with Charlotte Kofoed

The greater Ponsonby real estate marketplace witnessed a return to a very healthy volume of transactions over July with 62 completed property sales, up markedly from 42 sales in July 2019.

The REINZ July statistics for the greater Ponsonby area (Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, Herne Bay, Saint Marys Bay, Freemans Bay & Westmere) show a number of interesting insights for our area;

The median sell price for greater Ponsonby increased 9% year on year, from $1.49M in July 2019 to $1.63M in July 2020. The wider Auckland market had its highest level of July sales activity in five years. The number of properties sold via the auction method of sale in July for the greater Ponsonby area was 47%, compared with only 19% in July 2019. The number of apartments sold in greater Ponsonby climbed to nearly 30% of total sales, and these apartment sales were predominantly completed ‘by negotiation’ rather than auction. Average ‘days to sell’ for greater Ponsonby dropped from 71 days in June to 64 days in July.

In summary, the REINZ data illustrates that the greater Ponsonby area has continued its winter momentum through July across a spread of property types, suburbs and sizes.

LONG TERM MARKET DRIVERS If you are considering buying or selling property it is always important to understand the drivers behind the marketplace that you are interested in, both short and longer-term, to help you make the best real estate decisions for yourself and your family.

So what has driven the resurgent market over winter, and will it continue into spring? Economist Tony Alexander recently summarised a number of key drivers that may well be here to stay for some time yet; • Record low borrowing costs for buyers, with 2-year rates edging ever closer to the 2.5% mark. • Ongoing constrained levels of housing stock available, with many homeowners choosing to stay put (and often renovate instead of moving) • Record sharemarket growth both here and overseas since March giving many buyers increased confidence and available funds. • A long term positive net migration growth trend as Kiwi ex-pats return home and need somewhere to live. July 2020 A growth in the proportion of first home buyers as traditional overseas travel plans are shelved. We are seeing a number of first home buyers entering the greater Ponsonby market at higher relative price points than previous economic cycles. An extension of the mortgage deferral scheme helping to prevent a glut of property coming onto the market at any one point in time.

So while we can never tell what may happen in the future (as the recent lockdown 2.0 so unpleasantly reminded us) we can see that a number of the above factors are probably here to stay for spring and perhaps the medium to longer-term, so it’s my opinion that sellers can have some confidence going to market over September. However, as always, buyers and sellers need to keep a vigilant eye on local market trends and other economic developments as they arise.

FOCUS ON WESTMERE The highest residential property sale in New Zealand in 2020 recently occurred in Westmere. Well known for bungalow-style homes on substantial sections, residents of the family-friendly, city fringe suburb enjoy easy access to popular schools, outdoor recreational resources, and great local shopping in Garnet Road. Over the last few years, the area has become increasingly redeveloped with beautifully crafted architectural homes.

Over July, Westmere saw a surge in selling activity with nine sales, seven of which sold under the hammer, compared with just one recorded sale in July 2019. Whilst the neighbourhood boasts the highest sale of the year so far, Westmere’s 3-4 bedroom family homes with their large average section sizes and generous floorplans are clearly being seen as strong comparative value in today’s market.

If you are thinking about selling I’d be happy to talk with you about the greater Ponsonby market trends relating to your property at any stage.

Thank you for reading.

CHARLOTTE KOFOED, M: 021 241 9394, T: 09 353 1220,

Properties Sold Average Sell Price Median Sell Price www.ckre.co.nz, E: charlotte.kofoed@nzsir.com

62 $1,832,581 $1,625,000 June 2020 55 $1,863,938 $1,750,000 July 2019 42 $1,591,569 $1,487,500

Revolution Creative is a ‘not-for-profit’ social enterprise that initially launched in 2019.

It’s administered by Depot Artspace which was opened in 1996 by a community of creatives in order to celebrate, unify and make viable the contemporary creative world.

Revolution Creative is a website designed to connect creatives and employers.

‘Creativity is an indispensable and very tangible resource in making our work, living and natural environments more live-able, dynamic and open. Our mission is to support creatives to make a living from their creativity and for businesses to profit from creative solutions.’ “On the website, I found out there is no third person, which is really appealing to me, and I don’t have to go through an agent who would talk to the client on my behalf. I found it is important that I can talk to the client directly.” – Lucie Blaze, Creative Revolution Creative is designed so you can discover someone you wouldn’t discover somewhere else. You can do this by simply searching profiles and contacting a creative directly by private message, or you can post an opportunity which will appear on the creative’s dashboard. “I really love the whole concept of Revolution Creative. I think it’s fantastic for people like me who have a creative business, to be able to find the right people.” – Mandy, Creative Matters Revolution Creative removes barriers, allowing creatives and businesses to connect.

By joining and using this platform you’re supporting the power of innovation, declaring your investment in our creative economy, and validating the pursuit of a career in the creative arts.  PN

www.revolutioncreative.co.nz

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What’s happening on site at Jervois & Lawrence?

Although Auckland has been in level 3 restrictions, it’s business as usual at Jervois and Lawrence with construction activities progressing well and at pace, with the balance of the glazing installed and the façade stonework bringing the building to life.

The building is now mostly watertight, services up to level 5 are being run, allowing the gib wall linings to be fixed and ceilings to commence. The second and final lift is now complete, well ahead of schedule. Garden apartments sit thoughtfully nestled behind private courtyards, while the lower levels offer a sleek, urban style that captures the unique Jervois Road vibe.

The shipments of joinery are starting to arrive from Italy, allowing the mirror cabinets to be fitted in the coming weeks. Vector is currently installing the main power feed and transformer, which will allow the temporary diesel generator to be moved off site.

living area. The overall programme is on target for an early 2021 completion.

Designed for quality and luxury, the apartments at Jervois & Lawrence

About Jervois & Lawrence Developed by the award-winning Synergy Development Group and in partnership with reputable design teams Leuschke Group Architects and Stewart Harris from Macintosh Harris, Jervois & Lawrence stands proudly on the crest of Herne Bay’s northern slopes and offers Northwest-facing apartments offer impressive balconies, perfect for outdoor entertaining and living, while other apartments feature elegant winter rooms. Fully enclosed, these considered rooms open up to enjoy the morning sun and provide a much sought after second

a variety of living options across 28 luxury apartments. have options to suit all lifestyles.

Display suite: 218 Jervois Road, Herne Bay - Open Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30am – 1:30pm or by private appointment.

Peter Tanner; Mobile: M: 021 379 379; E: peter.tanner@bayleys.co.nz; Bayleys Real Estate Ltd, Ponsonby Kirsten Bishop; M: 027 660 6446; E: kirsten.bishop@bayleys.co.nz; Bayleys Real Estate Ltd, Takapuna Residential www.jervoisandlawrence.co.nz

Profile: Luke Crockford

Luke Crockford has recently joined Ray White in Ponsonby. He talked to Ponsonby News about work and family. Getting that balance is crucial to success and happiness. Work - Life - Balance.

What do you like most about your job? Well for me it is the meeting of different people at different stages in their lives. With every phone call to every open home there is a variety of reasons while people need some advice or just a chat about property; I love the diversity of what I do. I love problem solving, and a lot of the time in this job, that is what you end up doing when it comes to getting things together with contacts and dealing with peoples’ expectations.

How long have you been working and living locally? I have been in Ponsonby/Grey Lynn for about 25 years when I even flatted with B-Radio host and now TV super sports star, Andrew Mulligan, and that was about the year 2000 in Sussex Street.

How did you get into real estate/last job? I have two very good friends that have been in the industry for years and almost every second year, they would say, “when are you going to get into real estate?” So I sat my real estate licence back in 2001, however, I decided not to go ahead and took up an advertising sales job at local independent radio station GEORGE FM. You may have heard of it? After spending several years there, in what was an amazing time in media, the question remained, “when are you going to get into real estate?” So I started and have just been amazed at how many different ways you can help people. I just enjoy it so much, even constantly having to be on the phone.

Your tag line is connecting people with property. Please tell us more. I have always worked in an industry and been the sort of person that connected people together with a product or other people who could help them out. It comes from having a very large network of friends and clients who I have worked with in my 33 years of being in sales and marketing. So when it came to looking for a tag line – mine just made sense. I have been doing about 40% of my business working with very qualified buyers. I am connecting buyers with properties that are coming to the market before they get there... so a few off market sales thus the “connecting people with property” fitted in well.

Do you support any local charities, schools or businesses? Yes, for around five years I have supported Richmond Road School, with gala sponsorship, and one year myself and another company I worked for sponsored all the schools sports uniforms.

Favourite cafes, bars and restaurants? Ok here we go... Longroom, Elmos/Hoppers, SPQR, Malt Bar, il Forno for the most amazing pasties you will ever get, Tokyo Club, Blue Breeze, and the list goes on... oh and Farina... I love my pasta.

How do you switch off? To be 100% I am still learning this, as with technology these days and the busier life gets the harder it is to find spare time. People are always wanting property information NOW, like yesterday, so being a proactive agent I like to try and get back to them as soon as I can. I am trying to get into the habit of not having the phone on between 4.30pm to 6.30pm so I spend the time with our two children, Elsa and Leo, during dinner and bath time.

Does your partner work? Yes. Rebecca has been a property manager at Crockers for the last 14 years and she is the best manager! She works so hard for her investors and clients managing around 180 apartments and with Covid-19 going on I have no idea how she manages everything. Rebecca is also an amazing mother to our children and we are very lucky to have the life we live.

Phillipa Tait has been a property manager since 1994. She runs ‘Hot Property’ at the top of Franklin Road.

Tell us about yourself. I moved into Ponsonby in 1982 after returning from my O.E. The day Victoria Park Market opened in October 1983, I opened a small flower shop called Impulse Flowers and worked there seven days a week from 9am – 9pm. It was crazy hours but we had a fantastic time as it was absolutely buzzing. Five years later, seven day trading came in elsewhere and we lost our edge, and things started to slow down.

In 1994 after 10 years of flowers I left the market and moved up the hill and went into real estate. I sold for a couple of years and then went into rentals with Culmers, and in 1998 I bought the rental business from Rick Culmer. In October 2000 we moved into the premises at 1/1 Franklin Rd and I started Hot Property Management & Rentals Ltd and haven’t looked back since.

I enjoy travelling and my greatest pleasure comes from regular safaris to Africa, which I try to do each year. I should have been in Namibia and then trekking to see the gorillas in Uganda and Rawanda last month but that was all put on hold to next year, but I am not too hopeful that it will even happen; I think we may be stranded for a few more years.

Are you a licensed property manager? When I set up Hot Property Management & Rentals, I needed the same license as an owner of a real estate company so I went to Massey University part time and got the qualification as well as a sales persons’ certificate to rent properties. However about 12 years ago the Government decided to deregulate property managers so the Real Estate Institute said we no longer needed to hold a license to operate. We all disagreed and put in submissions against this but to no avail. I still believe property managers should be licensed, or at least registered but they are not. What is your fee structure? Our management fee is 7.5% + on the rent collected and bills paid on landlords behalf. This is charged at the end of each month before the rent is paid into the owners’ account. This fee has not increased since I started in 1996. We also charge $40 for each three monthly inspection we do, but not for the initial or final inspection. We do not charge landlords for advertising and we do not charge an annual admin fee. How are potential tenants screened? The screening of potential tenants starts with the first email or text from them. After this I always phone them so I can talk to them, as a lot can be learnt from a phone call. Once an appointment is made and I show them the property, which is all part of the screening process - do they turn up on time? If they send in the application forms, one for each person living in the property I always insist on phoning the existing and previous landlords, even if they give me a written reference. Their previous landlord will tell you a lot more on the phone than in a letter. If required, we can do a credit check as well. After 24 years of doing this job with some of it also using ‘gut feeling’, I get very few bad tenants.

Who handles the maintenance work? Our maintenance work is done by a team of loyal trades people. Some of whom I have been using for 24 years, like Hoffman Plumbers who now have the third generation working for me, which is pretty cool. All our tradesmen are very precious as they really look after us and prioritise our jobs as they know we will look after them and pay their bills on time.

How is rent collected? Tenants set up automatic payments coming into our trust account either weekly or fortnightly in advance. We check these daily, so if a tenant gets in arrears we can email or phone them and let them know immediately, as often the bank doesn’t notify them, and generally they will get it sorted as soon as they can.  PN

HOT PROPERTY, 1 Franklin Road, T: 09 378 9560,

www.hotpropertyrentals.co.nz T: 378 9560 M: 0274 746 507 E: Phillipa@hotpropertyrentals.co.nz 1/1 Franklin Road, Ponsonby www.hotpropertyrentals.co.nz

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Take a seat

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The importance of a good chair when you’re working for long periods of time at a desk shouldn’t be underestimated.

With more people and companies opting to work remotely from home, the dining room table and chair can no longer be considered a viable option. In fact, not having the right chair and desk can have negative long term consequences.

Setting up a home office can be fun; however it is important to ensure that the seat you are going to be sitting on is ergonomic. At Systems Commercial there are a wide range of well-designed chairs to choose from.

Each chair is designed with a specific use lever and purpose in mind. “Our 3 lever task chairs are designed for people who are in their chairs for 8 hours plus a day. They feature 3 independent levers with back tilt, seat tilt and adjustable seat height so that you can adjust the chair to the optimal position for comfort,” says Francene Ellis, interior designer for Systems Commercial.

Popular mesh models that all offer great adjustability include the Quay chair, the Hummer chair, the Shade chair, the Ziggy chair and the Halsey chair. “Our most adjustable and stylish model is the Ergohuman. It’s comparable to the Herman Miller Aeron chair which was a big hit during the first lockdown,” says Francene.

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If you are after a chair at alert level 3 or below, the Systems Commercial team offer contactless pick-up and delivery, as well as any virtual consultations and quotes for furniture you might need.

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A home office haven is set to be a permanent part of the way we work from now on.

While many of us made temporary adjustments so we could work from home others embraced it as the new way forward. Now after a second lockdown working from home is part of the new normal for just about everyone who used to work in an office full time.

We talked to Amanda, Showroom Manager, at Lahood Window Furnishings, to understand how window treatments are a great place to start when designing the perfect home work space.

“Creating the right mood in your home office can have a big impact on your comfort and productivity. Three important considerations for a great home office are light, privacy and style, and your choice of window coverings are integral to this,” says Amanda.

Light Creating a light and bright space plays a major role in achieving productivity. Several studies have confirmed links between exposure to natural light and improved work performance. Utilising natural light also allows you to reduce costs, as you aren’t relying on electricity for lighting or heating. Of course, the problem with natural light like this is that it also leads to screen glare, which is not ideal, especially for video calls.

Amanda suggests using a light-filtering material such as a sheer curtain or sun filtering blind to combat this. “Both reduce heat and glare while still allowing light into the room” explains Amanda. Venetian blinds or shutters are another option that also offer precise light control. “You can even add sensors so your shutters or blinds will tilt automatically based on the sun’s intensity,” says Amanda.

Privacy and Distractions While windows fill a space with natural light, in a home office they leave your important and often confidential work exposed, plus changes in natural light can be a distraction.

“With the right window treatments, you can protect yourself and block out external factors which can disturb or distract you. By covering windows with sun filter blinds or sheer curtains, your privacy can be maintained during the day. If you are more of a night owl and work late into the night with the lights on, shutters or venetians are a better option,” she suggests.

Style “Aesthetics are just as important in the home office as in any other room in the house and creating beautiful spaces that you enjoy working in is motivating,” explains Amanda. She suggests opting for a window treatment that blends into the rest of your scheme, if you’re after a calming and cohesive feel.

“If you like a pop of colour, a Roman blind is ideal as it stacks neatly and you can layer a venetian or roller blind behind it for light control. When they’re pulled down Roman blinds take up less room than curtains making them a perfect option for small rooms.”

Luxaflex blockout and sun filter roller blinds are a great choice for a professional and sleek look. They’re easy to operate and available in so many fabrics and textures they’ll match the style of any home. If you want to keep things sophisticated, white wooden blinds or shutters are the way to go. Layering your window treatments can offer the best combination. A blockout roller blind paired with a lightfiltering roller blind gives you both light control and privacy without sacrificing style.

Alternatively for a softer look, pair a sheer curtain with a blockout blind or a sun filter blind paired with a blockout curtain. “Both work and can look stunning, says Amanda. It’s all about making your space both practical and beautiful so you have an environment for maximum productivity.”

As Lahood are Auckland’s only Luxaflex Gallery store they have an exclusive range of blind fabrics to choose from. The experienced team at Lahood are always happy to work with you to find the right solution for your home.

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4. CAPE COD Cape Cod, located in New England off the coast of the United States, features an unforgettable flair. The region is known for its beaches stretching for miles, crystal clear water and untamed nature. It is the inspiration for Cape Cod, the bathroom series by Philippe Starck and Duravit. From the monolithic design to the integrated head rest, Cape Cod offers a continuous satin-finished surface that is also pleasant to touch.

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Exquisite dress circle residence

An unsurpassed opportunity to secure one of the most prestigious homes in the St Marys Bay’s dress circle. Properties of this calibre are seldom available in this closely held inner city suburb.

The meticulous award-winning renovation by Salmond Reed Architects has transformed this five bedroom villa into an impressive retreat with flexible spaces and touches of tropical luxury that take full advantage of the panoramic views across the city and Waitemat a Harbour.

The entry level enjoys an elegant courtyard, double internal garaging, two generously sized double bedrooms, a family sized bathroom, media room and huge laundry. Up the staircase featuring sophisticated b&o Casa matte French oak flooring and you are welcomed to the heart of the home with multiple spaces for relaxation and entertainment.

The impressive open plan Robyn Labb kitchen and dining area opens living area with large open fireplace, flows out to the second outdoor living space that will transport you to the Bahamas with its resortstyle plunge pool, lush tropical gardens designed by Trudy Crerar, fireplace and louvre-covered area, and views right back through the house to the city. A streamlined study with a view is tucked away. The centrepiece entertainers kitchen is timeless and elegant, with a honed marble kitchen island, bespoke solid oak cabinetry, large Smeg oven with gas hobs and masses of storage. Also on this level is a guest bathroom, large double bedroom with lounge space, double ward-robing and en suite that opens to the rear courtyard, and the

to the north-facing deck to soak up the outstanding harbour view. The master with walk in wardrobe and large tiled en suite.

Make your way up to the top floor and the sun-soaked fifth bedroom. Sporting a pitched roof, skylights, aircon, ward-robing and en suite, it also makes a lovely work from home space. Perfectly located close to Jervois Road and in zone for Ponsonby Primary and Intermediate, there is nothing left to do in this dream family estate.  PN

Licensed under the REA Act 2008 For more information call Blair Haddow on 021 544 555; E: blair.haddow@bayleys.co.nz