It’s all ours

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How many times have you driven past a beautiful house and dreamed it could be yours? Many of us harbour house crushes for years, but only a few can boast of spotting their dream home, and owning it a few weeks later.

It was love at first sight when Maiko Nagao Irvine and husband Mike set eyes on the 1940s art deco house which would become their first owned home. Located in Birkdale, Auckland, close to where they both grew up, the building’s picturesque brick facade seemed to call to them. There was just one problem: it wasn’t for sale.

“We were actually at an open home across the road,” remembers Maiko. “We