A Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home that has just undergone a $2 million refurbishment is on the market with a real estate agent who was the property’s very first owner in the 1980s.
Barfoot & Thompson agent Layne Stephens built the “ultimate dress circle masterpiece” at 103 Shelly Beach Road, in St Marys Bay, Auckland, in 1984. The then developer was the first owner, and this is now the third time he has brought the property to market as a real estate agent.
Stephens was a very busy property developer in the 1980s when he bought 103 Shelly Beach Road. “I bought the whole site, which was a 17-room rest home at the time. I renovated the rest home, moved in, and then built on the site in front.”
Stephens’ architect, Malcolm Hislop, was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and Californian design, and convinced his client that was the way to go with the new-build.
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Knowing that he would live in the home when finished, Stephens kept a very close eye on the building work. “We would regularly have 10 to 11 jobs running at the time. But I made sure I was at least there once a day. Just seeing what was going on.”
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He adds: “It was fantastic to live in. I still live locally and it is probably one of the more interesting homes I’ve ever lived in. It was a postcard home. Great view.
“It’s built out of concrete and steel, and the density of the building absorbs traffic noise [from the motorway below] to a large extent. In the house you’re not aware of the traffic.”
It’s not easy to see the motorway unless leaning over the balustrade. The view from the living areas and master bedroom stretches from the upper harbour in one direction, across Westhaven Marina to Rangitoto, and to Sky Tower and city lights in the other direction.
The dress circle home recently underwent a $2m-plus renovation. Photo / Supplied
The lounge takes in the harbour bridge, harbour and marina. Photo / Supplied
The current owner has spent more than $2m modernising the home, says Stephens. “He has upgraded beautifully and added some very nice contemporary touches. It has a new lift that goes up three floors, and he has put a motor vehicle turntable at the bottom of the drive.
“When you enter the property it feels like you’re walking into a brand-new house. There’s not one surface that hasn’t been touched. All the wet areas, all the bathrooms, kitchen, everything has been [renovated] to a very high spec. It’s beautifully heated. All the floors have been tiled, including the garage. It’s a really special house.”
Floor-to-ceiling windows make the most of the view. Photo / Supplied
The bathroom tiling is something else. Photo / Supplied
The home, which sits at the end of a tree-lined driveway and has a 2021 CV of $3.65m, is on a cross-lease section. Cross leases were the method du jour of subdividing large sites in the 1980s. “But it could be simply put onto a fee simple title because it doesn’t share any services. It’s not a huge cost, but the current owner has just elected to leave it a cross lease,” says Stephens.
At the time the cross lease was set up it was common for two homes to share drainage systems, but that isn’t the case with 103 Shelly Beach Road, says Stephens. “When it was built, everything was dedicated to that house – all the drainage, power, telephone.”
The property originally went to market with a tender date of July 27 – a very tight timeframe, says Stephens. “That was done on purpose to draw people out. And we are dealing with two parties at the moment. We have two buyers that have taken the documents away to get themselves in a position to offer or not.”
One is a local, says Stephens, while the other potential buyer is from elsewhere in the country and is looking for an Auckland “city residence”.
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