Real estate cliche one: location is the one thing you can’t change about real estate, so zoom into the best suburbs for your best buy. Cliche number two: worst house, best street.
So here are our finds of the most expensive houses in a tony suburb - and the amazing bargain buy that could start you off on the right side of the tracks.
Auckland: Herne Bay
The location of this stunning Pete Bossley estate (there are two homes for sale on the site), smack on its own peninsula, is undisclosed but a fast satellite snoop reveals it overlooks Herne Bay’s desirable Cox’s Bay (officially Westmere, but the locals beg to differ). The main house has five bedrooms and four bathrooms spread over a striking 580 square metres of living, facing the water, sunsets and your own solar heated pool. There’s a boat house and ramp for the Sea Legs trip around the waterfront, your own cinema with Dolby sound and a four metre screen, beautiful craftsman finishes everywhere. Fill the neighbouring three bedroom house with guests, staff or children. The CV for the main house is $14 million.
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Price by negotiation. Marketed by Pene Milne, Sotheby’s International.
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Luckily Herne Bay in the sixties and seventies was not full of lawyers and anti-urbanism types, so there is some smart density dating from the seventies and earlier. This one-bedroom flat on Sentinel Road is small and perfectly formed in a boutique block of 12, complete with its own carpark. With the shops and buses at the top of the road, the beach at the bottom, this has got to be the bargain entry to the suburb. The one bedder has a CV of $680,000 there’s also a two-bedder in the same block. And also check out listings on Sarsfield Street for similar.
Price by negotiation. Marketed by Vern Hines, Barfoot and Thompson, Mount Eden.
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Tauranga: Mount Maunganui
The Mount has golden sands and golden real estate that only seems to go up. Golden mile on Marine Parade can often mean a stunning piece of dirt - but with an old family bach waiting for the bulldozers. A block back, Rita Street has the cachet of luxury new builds and high up views of the water.
This four level home has views for Mauao, the Harbour, all the way to Kaimai Ranges, with the best living on the top floor, four bedrooms and three bathrooms below (and a gym or multi-use spaces on the ground floor), architectural oak and glass stair case and an entire floor of master suite (fireplace, check; private lounge, check; terrace, check) all for a CV of $3.92 million.
Price by negotiation. Marketed by Jan Wilson, Powers Realty.
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Closer to the highway side of the Mount - but still within cooee of beach, schools and shopping and the Mount lifestyle - is a two bedroom, 70 square metre house on a cross lease section. Complete with garage, a sweet lawn with fruit trees, and potential to do the renovation (or landlord) thing.
Asking $439,000. Marketed by Billy Russell, Ray White Bayfair.
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Wellington: Oriental Parade
Waterfront views, pool swimming, a sweet walk into town - Oriental Parade is the best of inner city living in the capital.
This luxury home has had a full rebuild (think top top architects, seismic engineers and international interior designer, Neil McLachlan), but retains the period-appropriate gable roof, pretty porches and high ceilings, has a luxury three bedrooms, four bathrooms and it’s own carpark. The 257 square metres are spread over three floors of living (naturally there’s a lift), there’s courtyard out the back or decks out the front so always somewhere sheltered. This is Wellington on its best.
Asking $4.05 million. Marketed by Amy Allen, Anji Foster Lowe & Co.
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With the same close up views of the water, a sweet little starter flat on the ground floor of a deco block will set you back only $649,000 for two bedrooms. There’s a single garage, easy flat access and a smartly renovated kitchen. Marketed by Anastasia Hickey, Lowe & Co.
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Christchurch: Fendalton
The leafiest of leafy suburbs, Fendalton is the home of both Boys’ and Girls’ high schools, parks and beautiful houses. This grand Tim Londsdale designed house spreads over 542 square metres on a huge 1500 square metre property. There’s the designer kitchen, loads of outdoor terrraces, pool and pool house, a lavish four bedrooms and parking for four cars. CV sits at $3.05 million.
Marketed by Steve Ellis, Raj Bhana, Bayleys Fendalton.
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This is not a suburb with many starter houses, so this 80 square metre two bedroom brick and tile townhouse is a find. Contemporary updated kitchen and floors, sunny with a great garden that’s just begging for the full Fendalton treatment (currently a plain lawn, hills hoist, potential galore), with all the advantages of zone and location . CV is just $430,000.
Deadline sale May 3. Marketed by Maria Paterson, Ray White, Strowan.
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Queenstown High: Kelvin Heights
Around the country edges of Queenstown there are some vast estates asking prices well over $20 million. But if you’d prefer to be closer to town, Kelvin Heights around the lake from Queenstown has the best views of the town, lake and mountains, is the place to be (and it’s less than 20 minute drive for a Fergburger) - or hop on the Bay View Boat Ramp for a water taxi ride into town).
With a CV of $3.1 million, this Mason and Wales-designed house feels suspended above Lake Wakatipu. There’s the walking track below, a landscaped native garden and two outdoor terraces to take in those views. Of course there’s the designer kitchen, a library/office, a bathtub with views, two fireplaces and plenty of storage.
Price by negotiation. Marketed by Serena Glass, Sarah McBride, Sotheby’s International.
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We had to double check that the price asked for this two bedroom apartment - only $599,000 - was correct. It maybe only 73 square metres, but it has a deck that’s bigger than a doormat (which is what passes for outdoor living in newer builds) and a smart new kitchen. One of the bedrooms is only a single, the bathroom could do with a zhuzh, but as a starter holiday house or good earning renter, the price is hard to beat.
Marketed by Hadley van Schaik, Gerard Bligh, Sotheby’s International.
