Former All Black Turned TV Sports Commentator Hopes His Coastal Home Up For Sale Will Attract A Big Audience

A former All Black who is now regularly seen on TV broadcasting national rugby matches – and who has dabbled in a bit of residential coastal property development on the sideline – has placed his latest high-end project home on the market for sale.

Silky toned and quick witted ‘rugby-head’ Richard Turner played two games for the All Blacks in 1992 – scoring a try on debut in the centenary series against a World XV in Christchurch, then coming off the sub’s bench in the second test.

Turner shot to headline grabbing attention in the late 1980s when he was selected to play in the forward pack for the Hawke’s Bay senior team while still a pupil at Napier Boys High School. He subsequently moved to the North Harbour province to play in the scrum alongside All Black legend Sir Buck Shelford.

The burly lock/flanker also enjoyed domestic rugby honours playing for, and captaining, the Chiefs side at Super Rugby level during the mid-90’s, and rounded out his rugby playing career taking to the paddocks for clubs in Italy and Japan.

Richard Turner moved to the Matakana/Omaha district just north of Auckland in 2011 with his wife, where the couple began raising their daughters.

In between jetting around the country commentating on provincial rugby matches onSky Sport over the past few years, Turner has dabbled with the area’s residential property scene through his company Marlin Group Ltd, and over the past three-years, has kept busy undertaking a stylish development from scratch – with the latest brand-new executive standard project now on the market for sale.

The high-end four-bedroom/two living room residence is located within walking distance of the bustling Matakana township – famed for its Saturday market, and upmarket boutique retail and hospitality vibe. Turner said he chose to ‘tackle’ the building project because of his long-standing affiliation with the locale, where he adamantly believes in the ongoing prosperity of both Matakana township and its nearby seaside suburb of Omaha.

Turner fondly remembers the days more than a decade ago of socialising with his wife at Omaha Golf Club on a Friday night when just a handful of patrons would pop into the clubhouse for a quiet casual drink at the end of the week – a far cry from the club’s current popularity now as the vibrant social hub of Omaha.

“Matakana and Omaha are complimentary coastal settlements – one is a township with its full array of attractive shops and community services, while the other has a long stretch of golden beach…. and that’s even before we start talking about the sensational swimming, surfing, and fishing spots at nearby Tawharanui, Whangateau, and Leigh,” says Turner.

“The motivation with this home was to create a space which my family and I would be proud to live in… and I think I’ve achieved that vision. My design team blended in city styling with rural living and surrounds. Those who know me would say I like to do things with a bit of style and flair… and this trait comes across in the interior details of the home at 17 Penney Rise.”

The spacious two-level residence for sale within the fast-emerging Village Rise neighbourhood at Matakana is designed on an open-plan living format – where the home’s kitchen, dining room and living rooms are seamlessly connected, while a media lounge is discretely situated behind sliding doors to one side.

Quietly situated away from the home’s communal spaces at the end of a roomy central hallway, the dwelling’s substantial master bedroom has its own walk-in wardrobe and ensuite bathroom.

Sitting on an 881-square metre section, the stunning home has two vastly different vistas – with Matakana township on one side in the valley below, and unobstructed views of peaceful rolling countryside from the rear of the home overlooking the generous level lawn.

The residence has two-car garaging, boat parking, and under-house store space for surfboards and wetsuits. Apart from the garage, all the living is set across one level, entranced by a wide internal stairway with architectural windows awash in natural light.

The attractive, low maintenance clean-lined Penney Rise home is being marketed for sale by set sale process through Bayleys Matakana, with offers closing on October 3. Salesperson Kellie Bissett said the home’s lounge, dining, and living areas have dual access points onto the covered hardwood deck that leads out to an expansive entertainers courtyard.

“The rear lawn offers a great opportunity for any new owner to fill in the gaps – add an outdoor alfresco entertaining space, enhance the existing landscaped gardens or install a spa pool with pergola or inground swimming pool… for some serious home luxuries. Get your offer in by October 3, and we might even add a new pizza oven and BBQ on us,” said Bissett.

“The living room and three of the bedrooms all have aspects on the ‘sunny side’ of the home while sustaining a high level of privacy and creature comforts – such as ducted air conditioning, oak timber flooring, and premium cooking appliances.”

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