43 Homewood Avenue Karori, Wellington City

This is a rare chance to buy a 954sqm idyll of rolling lawn, leafy tranquility and historic charm tucked away in one of Karori's most distinguished streets.

Where else could you secure such a gracious, generous setting this close to the city?

As vintage as the location is the architectural legacy. A four-bedroom showcase of character and comfort, this transitional villa superbly blends Edwardian grandeur - long central hall, high ceilings, polished floorboards, grand proportions - with the softer trappings of a California bungalow.

It's been renovated in several stages, restoring originality where possible, like a kauri ceiling in one of the bedrooms, to improvements like double-glazing of the rounded bay windows and the installation of a gas fireplace in the snug to complement the central heating.

An open fireplace adds ambience to the exceptionally spacious lounge, where there's ample room for a grand piano or banquet dining table.

But the heart of the home is the modern entertainers' kitchen and family/dining room that open up the rear of the 190sqm, single-level dwelling to three sunny courtyards, be it for brunches or barbecues.

Five sets of oversized French doors optimise the effortless al fresco flow and fetching garden views while extensive glazing and skylights make it a haven of sun and light until dusk.

Three of the bedrooms are doubles with built-in wardrobes and the fourth could be an office for working from home away from the rest of the household.

The master bedroom faces north to capture morning sun and includes an ensuite with underfloor heating while the family bathroom has a separate bath and shower.

As enchanting as the house are the grounds, where camellias, rhododendrons and a kowhai abound in colour and birdlife, hedges form natural boundaries, and the lawn is a giant playground for young and old.

The easily-accessible, largely-flat site teems with landscaping and development possibilities, from enlarging the garage at the front to capitalising on the dress-circle location with even grander plans.

After 33 years of being a treasured family home, this truly is an opportunity beyond compare - whether you want to look to the future or cherish what never again will be.