Loyal villa fans won over by their
Madison Park Home

Maree and Andrew Green – Kumeu

After closing my riding school in Kumeu and subdividing our 5 acres into two blocks it was a tough decision whether to sell the land or the block with our 150 year old villa on it that I loved. It was a love it or list it scenario really and after months of “talking” we decided to list. Then came the process of deciding what to build.

Andrew was keen on a new house and took me to many open homes, showing me how nice new builds were but I wasn’t convinced. Then a builder-friend recommended an architect with Olsen Architects. We sat down with him and he drew for us an amazing concept drawing of what is now our new home.

We wanted an open plan, easy living, animal friendly barn-style house with no bricks or plaster, and we achieved exactly this with the team from Madison Park Homes with their superb knowledge of materials and finishes.

While the build was happening, we were living onsite in a campervan during a wet Auckland winter with 3 cats and 2 hairy dogs so looking at our old house with the smoke curling from the chimney was hard. Luckily, we moved into our new home 7 weeks ahead of schedule which was amazing for us. Our new home is both warm and cool when required and the day we moved in I knew we’d made the right decision.

Andrew had met Darren Kershaw, Construction Manager with Madison Park Homes and introduced us. We were shown through one of their latest homes and meeting the team for the first time, I found them friendly, helpful and genuinely excited for us. The builders were amazing too – tidy and respectful and easy to talk to.

We signed up with Madison Park Homes in February 2018 and in March the diggers rolled in. The process was way easier than I ever imagined. You hear stories of how stressful building is. We disagree. Okay, so fitting my oversized bath through an ensuite door was a little stressful, but no problem, they got it in.

Our house is 270sqm and is designed in two parts. One is devoted to living with two lounge areas, plus dining and a huge open plan kitchen with a butler’s pantry tucked behind a wall. A hallway leads to the other part of the house where there are 3 bedrooms.

The exterior is black board and batten with narrow white joinery. Inside, I had some quirky ideas regarding lighting ALL of which the team embraced and achieved. We have cats and dogs and the team didn’t blink when I showed them where to make the indoor raised dog bath or that all the floors were going to be polished concrete.

We love our house. It’s us all over, from “that” dog bath to the level-entry triple ranch sliders and the extra high ceilings, and the kitchen. Did I mention the kitchen? It has the biggest black granite bench top I have ever seen. Against the white of the rest of the house, and with the railway sleeper light feature that I made to hang above the island (again ‘no problems’ said the team), hanging all 45kg of it without blinking, it all looks amazing.

For our build it was important that nothing was difficult. We’re laid back people who love the outdoors and from the builders to the office staff everyone was genuinely friendly and interested in our project. Our new house is beyond comfortable and not only do Andrew and I love it, our animals settled in on the first day as well. We’ve already recommended Madison Park Homes to many people and will do so for ever.