Uninterrupted views to Kaikoura ranges and impressive garden

A five-hectare Cheviot property with a large country house and one of the best private gardens in North Canterbury, which is part of a small but flourishing cottage industry, is on the market for sale.

The house built in 2011 has unparalleled views to the Kaikoura ranges and sits in a small enclave with two other high-quality properties about five minutes from Cheviot township.

Landscaped grounds with established trees complement the 389-square metre house at 130 Cheviot Heights Road, and are used to produce jams, chutneys and vegetables for sale in a small cottage industry.

The owners first saw the land advertised at the Christchurch A&P Show in November 2008, but thought the block was too big for them. It had been carved off a bigger block that had been farmland.

A few months later when travelling between Picton and Christchurch the couple decided to take a look, saw the view out to the Kaikoura ranges and bought it in April 2009.

Since then the house and one of the most impressive private gardens has been established and includes 60 mostly caged fruit and nut trees, a fenced vegetable garden, propagation area and a three bay barn.

The owner has decided it is now time for her to move and the property is on the market as a deadline sale closing on November 28 through Bayleys Rangiora salespeople Jan McCormick and Julie Graham.

Building of the new home started in 2010 but was delayed because of the February earthquake and builders returning to Christchurch to check on their families and properties. It was finished in late 2011.

On the ground level, a tastefully tiled, foyer leads into a modern kitchen fitted with high quality appliances, a Tristone bench, a walk-in pantry and living room. Bifold doors open out onto a large patio. With three bedrooms, a study, three living areas in a neutral decor, a separate laundry, ample storage and built-in sound system, the property would suit a growing or blended family, Mrs McCormick said.

A formal lounge and dining room with window seat create a separate area away from the bustle of family life.

Downstairs there are also three double bedrooms, a family bathroom and a study which could be used as another bedroom. A built-in sound system, ample storage, a large separate laundry and guest toilet make up the ground floor.

The layout of the house makes it suitable for an Airbnb with a sumptuous upstairs master suite which features an additional living room, an enclosed balcony, a tiled ensuite with spa bath, shower and a walk-in wardrobe.

Winter warmth for the house is provided by underfloor heating downstairs, an HRV system and two wood burners - one with a wetback.

Mrs McCormick said an Airbnb could use the produce from the orchard and vegetable garden for guests in addition to grazing the rest of the property with cattle or sheep for meat.

“The property is set up to have a number of almost immediate income streams,” she said

Much of the fruit produced on the property is used to make jam and preserves as gifts and for sale at fairs, or to the local home-stay market and bottled to be used throughout the year. Fig and tropical loquat trees also now produce enough for bottling and jam.

Some fruit and tomatoes are used for chutneys and pickles along with many of the vegetables, which are also saleable, while free-range chickens in the enclosed orchard keep coddling moth at bay and provide enough eggs to share with family.

Owner Patricia’s passion has been to grow cuttings and seedling trees for planting on the property and any surplus have been sold along with produce. Blackboy peaches have been the most popular as they can be flowering within two years.

“A thriving industry is at the fingertips of a new buyer,” Mrs McCormick said.

The property is situated five minutes from the town of Cheviot, located in the Hurunui district. It is surrounded by outdoor playgrounds including Gore Bay and the Hurunui and Waiau rivers, and is an easy 80-minut

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