The first owners, the Hayman family, purchased the house after spending some time in China and India as missionaries. It was a very lively place with seven boys, one girl and two maiden aunts.

Frances Hayman, lived in the house with two of her brothers until the 1950s. Later it was spilt into two flats. New owners in 1977 commenced renovations to restore the house to its full glory.

Reconstruction took nine years, the result is a very fine classic double-bay villa with full return verandahs featuring 500 turned pieces of kauri.

The kauri staircase which connects the upper and lower floors was rediscovered after it had been boarded up for fifty years.

The house features magnificent kauri ceilings and polished floors. Stafford Villa is on the Birkenhead historic list and is grade two of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.