104 Canal Road Avondale, Auckland City

Ignore the 1960s dwelling that's seen better days, although as the song goes, it's still standing after all this time. The land it sits on is the gold mine in waiting with the 703 sqm (approx.) section zoned Mixed Housing Urban. This is a project for people who know their way around a renovation, builders looking for the next preoccupation and developers who will earmark the zoning for something big in a neighbourhood where others are doing the same.

The 111 sqm (approx.) weatherboard home sits central to the site and though rescue remedy may be one angle, the work needed to bring it up to scratch would not be for the faint of heart. A separate standalone double garage in the rear yard could be a handy storage shed for gear as you carry out the demolition or clear the lot and start with a blank canvas. Inside the home has an open plan living room and kitchen with 4 bedrooms, laundry room and main bathroom with toilet separate. Glowing adjectives are probably a stretch and even perhaps redundant here because the flat, accessible land, sunny, north facing aspect and location close to amenities is the victorious hero of this developing story.

Other zoning of the post code variety includes Avondale Intermediate and Avondale College. Proximity to parks and reserves as well as the thriving retail hub at Lynn Mall and links through to join the southwestern motorway put all the fringe benefits on the right side of the ledger here.