Go with the flow

Ellen Wilburn and her now husband Adam realised they shared many things in common when they first met, but the one similarity that genuinely resonated was Titirangi, where they grew up. Nestled into the Waitakere Ranges, the leafy Auckland suburb comprises native bush, glorious birdsong and the wild West Coast beaches nearby – aspects they both enjoyed as children.

While living in nearby Sunnyvale, Ellen and Adam found themselves short on space in their home and knew they needed to move. Central Auckland house prices didn’t hold much appeal, so they looked further afield to the outskirts of the city, searching for that same laid-back setting they grew up in.

“We wanted to have that same lifestyle we had growing up as kids – space, bush and being close to the beach,” Ellen says. “Titirangi was out of our budget at the time, so Kumeu appealed as it was a growing area.”

The beauty of finding a section and building on it was a strong