A builder's DIY folly just metres from the beach in Mount Maunganui has hit the market with an RV of nearly $6m.
The three-bedroom glass and steel home at 17a Oceanbeach Road sits on a 873sqm section on Tauranga's "golden mile" that hasn't changed hands in more than 40 years.
The unusual-looking house, which includes an impressive curved glass front and a hydraulic lift, is the unfinished passion project of a local builder and goes to auction on May 11.
The listing agent, Bayleys' Kay Ganley, said the address, on the corner of Marine Parade and Oceanbeach Road, was considered one of the most desirable on the Mount coastline, and while she wouldn't be drawn on price she said the property “would do better” than other recent sales on the strip.
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Last year, properties on Oceanbeach Road were attracting big money, with one house fetching a $7.51m in June and another selling for $6.45m in September.
Ganley said that everyone who had shown interest in the property had been impressed by the site's proximity to the beach but some had expressed an interest in retaining and renovating the house.
"The original plan included a third level and the stairs have been constructed in preparation. Sadly, the owner didn't get time to finish his vision," Ganley said.
The house at 17A Oceanbeach Road goes to auction on May 11. Photo / Supplied
Construction of the house began in 1994 and the curved glass walls and stainless steel-wrapped arch to the loggia are testament to the Mount-meets-Gold Coast style of the times.
The listing follows last week's news that a five-bedroom penthouse apartment on Maunganui Road sold for a record-breaking $10.2m at the end of last year. However, agents have reported a shift in the market.
Heath Young, chief executive of the Realty Group which operates Bayleys and Eves in the Bay of Plenty, said that real estate sales in Tauranga had been strong in the first three months of the year but had softened in April.
“Volume of sales is lower, with listing activity still strong, so the number of days [a property is] on the market is getting up to 40 days. So that’s certainly a shift more towards the buyer."
“Now people are a bit more cautious and realistic, they’re selling before they buy and offers are conditional on the sale of a previous property. That’s the normal routine market."
Property Brokers regional manager Simon Short said that more properties for sale had changed the dynamic of the Tauranga market, but lifting levels were more normal than what he calls the “exaggerated” low levels at the end of last year.
“This is more like what it was five to seven years ago, but we’re quick forgetters in the real estate market,” he said.
“Equally, prices have retracted but a shift of 4% to 5%. We’re not back to pre-covid prices.”
“There are headwinds, but good quality properties still have good competition, and people are still listing for sale, they want to get in sooner rather than later.”
