A state-of-the-art Hamilton property overlooking the Waikato River and St Andrews golf club could become the most expensive house to have ever sold in the city.
The luxury house, which comes with a walk-in wine cellar and golf simulator, is entering unchartered waters, with the $6.49 million asking price more than $2m above the city’s current record house sale.
A property on Opoia Road in Hamilton East currently holds the title of the city’s most expensive house after selling in June last year for $4.1m. It was one of several big sales to have been made in Hamilton in the last 18 months, with a large property on River Road, in Chartwell, selling for $3.65m in April 2021.
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Russell Thomas, who is marketing 88 Braid Road, believes it is worth every dollar and said even his wife wanted to buy it. “It will be a significant sale once it’s sold,” he said.
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The four-bedroom and three-bathroom architecturally designed property spans more than 540sqm and includes extras such as Brazilian marble in the kitchen, an impressive wine cellar, large glass veranda, outdoor kitchen and putting green.
The two-storey home sits on a 1,246.5sq m section in the popular north-west Hamilton suburb.
88 Braid Road is “virtually brand new”, says the listing agent. Photo / Supplied
The ambitious $6.49m price tag is more than six times that of the average property value in St Andrews, which was $959,000 in the three months to April, according to the latest OneRoof Valocity market report. The north-west suburb also saw a 19.4 per cent increase on the same period last year.
Thomas said the home was the “whole package” from its aspect, interior design, to how it had been constructed.
“It’s an absolutely phenomenal property – one of a kind in Hamilton.”
This house on Opoia Road, in Hamilton, fetched more than $4m last year. Photo / Supplied
The property was “virtually brand new” after being completed last year, he said. “It’s non-stop, it’s a plethora of features.”
The owner is heading to the beach, where he is building a replica of the Braid Road property.
Thomas said there were always buyers out there for such beautiful home and now the borders were open they were expecting to see more interest from overseas.
Lifestyle properties on the outskirts of Hamilton are also attracting high prices. Thomas is also marketing a sprawling mansion and separate cottage on a 4.49 ha section at 75 Bollard Road in Tamahere for $6.5 million.
Last month a 5239sq metre riverside retreat on River Road in Horsham Downs – just north of the city’s boundary - sold at a Lugton’s auction for an impressive $4.1m.
But Thomas said the luxury city homes and the larger lifestyle properties on city’s outskirts were not comparable. “They are totally different and they will appeal to a totally different clientele as well.”
Other high value Hamilton homes currently listed on OneRoof hover around $2m and $3 million – a price tag agents told OneRoof earlier this year that was becoming more common.
Only 25 properties of about 3500 properties sold in Hamilton in the past 12 months have broken past the $2 million mark.
Lodge managing director Jeremy O’Rourke said a house had never sold for $6.5m in Hamilton before.
“In terms of understanding that part of the market – you are in unchartered territory really. There are properties around the city of that value and there are certainly lifestyle properties close to the city that are of that value, but sales at that level are rare.”
A four-bedroom, four-bathroom stately home on Queens Ave with views overlooking Hamilton Lake is listed for sale on OneRoof for $3.25m, while a nearby four-bedroom and two-bathroom home on Lake Crescent that also boasts incredible lake views has a sale price of $2.85m.
