High-rollers looking to escape climate change should choose Wellington, quips Tommy’s real estate agent Nicki Cruickshank. It’s only going to get warmer, and much of the high-end property is perched on hills with fabulous views.
The city has a wide range of suburbs with $4 million-plus homes in them, says Cruickshank. Those favoured by the wealthy tend to be Oriental Bay, Roseneath and Mt Victoria, but you’ll also find individual streets with high-end homes in Kelburn, Thorndon, Karori, Khandallah, Seatoun, Karaka Bays, Waikanae/Raumati, Woburn, Silverstream and Eastbourne.
In fact, Cruikshank had a palatial property in Eastbourne that is expected to fetch $8m to $10m. The home, owned by rich-lister Doug Gold, at 114-118 Cheviot Road, Eastbourne, is billed as “Hollywood in Wellywood” and the listing agent, Tommy’s Bill Mathieson, compares the home favourably to the celebrity mansions of Beverly Hills in Los Angeles.
The five-bedroom, six-bathroom home has a four-car garage, a 1950s-themed 13-seat cinema, a 19th century English pub bar, a 10-metre swimming pool, tennis court and beautiful manicured garden.
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Cruickshank says one Wellington’s best attributes, for both high-earners and ordinary Kiwis, is that it is compact. “Getting to those top-end restaurants and nightlife and cultural venues is easy. They are normally just a short taxi or an Uber ride away, unlike in sprawled-out cities like Auckland.”
The arts are a real drawcard for those buying high-end properties in the city, says Cruickshank. “The ballet is based here. Wellington has an orchestra and a lot of musicals. It would absolutely without doubt be the best cultural centre in the country. We have a better sports stadium than anywhere else in the country.”
The city’s restaurants are legendary. Hiakai, on Wallace Street, in Mount Cook, won the Best Speciality Restaurant in the most recent Cuisine Good Food Awards, and Floriditas, on Cuba Street, Te Aro, won Best Casual Restaurant. Other celebrated venues include Hippopotamus, on Cable Street, Logan Brown, on Cuba Street, and Shepherd, on Eva Street.
Ray White agent Ben Atwill says Wellington’s strength of connection to the rest of the country and to the outside world is another drawcard for buyers. “Wellington's not just about what's literally in the city, it's about how quick you can access the rest of the world. There are some very famous directors and people that do need to access other parts of the world very quickly,” he says.
Lord of the Rings director Sir Peter Jackson, right, with Avatar director James Cameron. Both have filmed their blockbusters in Wellington. Photo / Getty Images
“You do you have a lot of that sort of accessibility. You've got two famous wine-growing regions. When you’re talking this sort of money, you’re 15 minutes by chopper to Martinborough and 30 minutes to Marlborough.”
Wealthy Wellingtonians have been known to take helicopter rides to Kauri Bay Boomrock, just south of Auckland, for Audi and Land Rover track experiences, and to Wharekauhau Lodge, in Wairarapa, for fine dining.
“Wharekauhau Lodge is a world renowned luxury lodge and only a 15-minute helicopter ride from Wellington. So you can go for brunch at Shed Five, go across to Wellington Helicopters, get in the chopper, be at a five-course degustation lunch, and then back in time for dinner. Or you can stay over there for the night,” says Atwill.
“Wellington Airport has a great FBO [fixed base operator] facility for private jets. I know one gentleman in Hawke’s Bay who runs a nine-seater Citation Sovereign private jet. He does ski runs to Queenstown and he’ll stop in at Wellington on the way through to pick up passengers.”
This four-bedroom home at 68 The Crescent, in Roseneath, Wellington, is searching for with buyers with budgets of $5.39m-plus. Photo / Supplied
Atwill says some of his wealthy buyers are looking for Wellington properties to be their home base. One of his listings, 68 The Crescent, in Roseneath, is looking for buyers with upwards of $5.39m to spend and fits the category, situated as it is on one of the capital’s “most coveted and tightly held streets".
“A lot of these properties are [the owners’] primary residence. They may have a second home over the hill. Or they have an apartment in London or in Auckland. But they want their home base here,” Atwill says, noting that the homes they look for usually needs to be private and have good entertaining options.
This four-bedroom home at 68 The Crescent, in Roseneath, Wellington, is searching for with buyers with budgets of $5.39m-plus. Photo / Supplied
He says the top end of the market in Wellington has been insulated from recent declines seen elsewhere, with demand from returning expats particularly strong. Those buyers tend to focus more on the lifestyle than the price tag, he says.
Schooling is also a drawcard for Wellington rich-listers, says Cruickshank. “For boys, you've got Scots College. Wellington College is a state school, but it's got a very good reputation even if it’s not private. There's also Marsden for girls, which is a really top school, as is Queen Margaret. Primary wise, there's also St Mark's (preschool to Year 8), which is pretty good.”
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