The slump may have slowed the Auckland housing market, but there are some seriously spectacular homes still up for grabs in the city.
At the time of publication, OneRoof.co.nz had more than 30 luxury homes listed for sale in Auckland with a search price of $10 million-plus.
The majority are to be found in the city’s most prestigious and wealthiest suburbs, including Remuera, Orakei and Herne Bay, although some are in wealthy lifestyle areas on the fringes of the city.
In the last 12 months, Auckland houses accounted for 20 of the 25 properties that sold for $10m or above, although that’s just counting settled sales. OneRoof knows of several more eight-figure deals that have yet to be made public.
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The highest settled sale price so far this year is $20m for a mansion estate on a 7.4ha lifestyle block in Whitford.
The 10 listings profiled below all have the potential to give that record a run for its money. Together they have a combined worth of more than $130m – so quite a few Lotto wins if you want all 10 for your portfolio.
This five-bedroom wonder for sale at 13 Burwood Crescent, in Remuera, which looks out over the harbour is tipped to break records. Photo / Supplied
Conceived by New Zealand’s architect to the stars Julian Guthrie, this five-bedroom glass and steel mansion is arguably the best house in the best suburb in the best city. Listing agent Graham Wall, of Wall Real Estate, expects the property to break price records, declaring it “the best contemporary home for sale in New Zealand”.
The walls of floor-to-ceiling glass along the northern side create a connection with the landscape and frame the ever-changing outlook, which encompasses North Head, Rangitoto, the Waitemata Harbour, Hobson Bay and Ngapipi Road’s iconic boat sheds.
The inspired design is, depending on your age, evocative of Thunderbirds, 007 spy bases and harbour-edge war bunkers but it is in fact a “nod to Tadao Ando, Japan’s most famous contemporary architect”, says Wall. “Julian Guthrie is really in fashion at the moment because he’s absolutely on point.”
Wall got $18m for it in March 2016, selling it to an American financier, just two years after it was built. At the time, it was 2016’s biggest sale, but the record was overtaken a month later by the $22m sale of Chateau de La Sur Me, on Clifton Road, in Takapuna, to Carmel and Hugh Fisher, of Fisher Funds.
Wall thinks he’ll do better this time around. “The CV for 13 Burwood Crescent is $22m, but the price expectation is well in excess of that. When we sold it to these owners in 2016, $18m was a record for the street at the time.”
The current owner is a North American family that moved to New Zealand in 2016. “Now they’re returning to New York in three months’ time because the children are enrolled in universities in America,” says Wall.
Wall says this time interest is coming from overseas New Zealanders living in London and local families. (Click here to see more pics of this listing.)
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The person who buys the Seascape penthouse, as depicted in this architectural render, will own the top apartment in NZ's tallest residential tower. Render / supplied
Seascape 83 Customs Street East, Auckland Central
For those who want a home at the very top of the property ladder, the penthouse suites in the Seascape may be the listing they are looking for. The three-bedroom luxury apartments, in what will be New Zealand’s tallest residential building, are priced from $11.2m.
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Scarlett Wood, who is marketing the apartments with colleague Gavin Lloyd, says: “the design and level of finish will set a new benchmark in New Zealand”.
The harbourside building is currently under construction with completion expected in Q2 2024. The 179sqm three-bedroom, three-bathroom floorplan means that residents won’t be short on space. The real selling point is the fact the apartments sit 130m above the ground. “On a nice day up here, it’ll be hard for buyers to resist,” Wood said. (Click here to see more pics of this listing.)
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9 Karori Crescent, in Orakei, captures the "essence of Versace glamour", according to the listing. Photo / Supplied
The six-bedroom mansion that is being sold by Bayleys agent Sarah Liu is the type you’d expect to see in Beverly Hills. It’s lavish, extravagant and unapologetically glamorous. The decor is 1930s Hollywood meets Versace – think Roman columns, hand-painted ceilings, Venetian glass chandeliers, gilt detailing and black marble floors.
The 613sqm house, which sits on a valuable 885sqm site zoned for urban density, has show-stopping views, and, as expected with properties in the top price bracket, caters to every modern whim, and includes a movie theatre, wine cellar, eight-car garaging, a self-contained pool house and miniature soccer field.
Liu says the property, which has a 2021 CV of $10.4m, is for sale by way of price by negotiation. (Click here to see more pics of this listing.)
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Hobson House, at 95 Victoria Avenue, in Remuera, used to belong to Grant Dalton. Photo / Supplied
Perhaps the most high-profile luxury listing currently on OneRoof is the five-bedroom house that was formerly owned by Team NZ chief Grant Dalton. The property made the headlines at the end of 2021 when it was snapped up for $19.75m, and is now back on the market.
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Karen Moore says the home, known to many as Hobson House, has been upgraded since it was purchased a year-and-a-half ago.
The listing photos show it has been substantially re-decorated. Replacing the executive styling of the previous owner are coloured Venetian-style crystal chandeliers, bright designer wallpapers and curtains, and furnishings and decor that are a riot of daring pinks, blues and yellows.
The stately home is located on an almost flat half acre at the heart of Remuera, with a gated entrance leading up to the arrival court and portico. It also incorporates four-car garaging, a tennis court, swimming pool, a home gym and media room.
The property has a 2021 CV of $17.5m and is for sale by way of deadline private treaty, closing June 15. (Click here to see more pics of this listing.)
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The five-bedroom luxury home for sale at 36 Aldred Road, in Remuera, sits on 4280sqm. Photo / Supplied
“This is a very special piece of land,” says Bayleys listing agent Gary Wallace, of the 4280sqm available at 36 Aldred Road. “It’s not surrounded by lots of homes and enjoys incredible seclusion, privacy and lush greenery – it feels like you’re in the middle of Titirangi, not at the very heart of Remuera.”
The house was rebuilt and expanded by its current owners. “Our vendors have exceptional taste so have created a grand and elegant, yet very warm and inviting environment that feels like home,” Wallace says.
The owners bought the home for $2.9m in 2013 and lived in it for seven years before embarking on a 14-month reinvention, masterminded by architect Darryl Sang.
“We basically took it back to its bones and extended it considerably as well. Now it’s spacious and in summer with everything opened up wide to the grounds it almost feels like you’re living in a tree house,” they told OneRoof.
Perfect for hosting large celebrations, the arrival court out front has space for up to 10 extra vehicles. The standout feature though has got to be the powder room’s high-gloss gold metallic tiles. (Click here to see more pics of this listing.)
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31 Paritai Drive, in Orakei, is billed as a modern work of art. Photo / Supplied
Graham Wall is also selling one of the few properties for sale on Paritai Drive – home to New Zealand’s most expensive home, the former Hotchin mansion, which Wall sold for $38.5m in 2013.
His current listing, 31 Paritai Drive, has a CV of $12.75m and is famous for having the country’s best private art gallery. The 918sqm David Mitchell-designed architectural icon is on a 1315sqm section and has, according to Wall, a racking and storage system better than Auckland Art Gallery.
The three-bedroom property’s position on the rich-lister dress circle means it has unobstructed views over Okahu Bay and out to the Waitemata Harbour. (Click here to see more pics of this listing.)
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The five-bedroom mansion at 226 Remuera Road, in Remuera, boasts a "no-expense-spared" makeover. Photo / Supplied
Wall is also marketing a 1000sqm Arts and Crafts mansion at 226 Remuera Road, in Remuera, with his son Andrew. He told OneRoof earlier this year that the mansion underwent the most extraordinary rebuild.
“Is it a $10m renovation? It’s probably New Zealand’s most expensive repurposing of a house, it’s gorgeous,” Wall said. “We believe it will sell in excess of $20m.”
Nestled beneath Mount Hobson and located on an 1820sqm site atop Remuera’s northern slopes, the five-bedroom historical home was originally designed by architect John Walker and crafted in 1914, then extended by architect William Gummer in 1935. Many classic features have been restored rather than replaced in its latest incarnation. (Click here to see more pics of this listing.)
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This ornate villa on Victoria Avenue, in Remuera, is more country estate than city home. Photo / Supplied
Nearby is a classic villa tucked away on a 1599sqm site on Victoria Avenue. Ray White agents Richard Thode and Heather Walton have highlighted in their listing the property’s charming period features, including a turret, exterior finials, ornate plastered ceilings and veranda, as well as a suite of mod-cons, including central heating, a chef’s kitchen, media room and temperature-controlled wine cellar.
The paintings dressing the home are bold and goes to show that, like Wall’s listing above, many of these properties are living works of art. (Click here to see more pics of this listing.)
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10 Okahu Street, in Orakei, is a modern seven-bedroom showpiece with water views. Photo / Supplied
Talking of works of art, Bayleys’ Sarah Liu has a seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom home designed by the late great Ron Sang. The acclaimed architect was known for his artistic influences and beautifully proportioned floorplans, and this Orakei masterpiece is a sterling example of each.
It’s positioned on a prime 1246sqm corner site, where three wide levels each overlook Okahu Bay, Devonport and Gulf Harbour beyond, is for sale by price by negotiation, and has a CV of $10.6m. (Click here to see more pics of this listing.)
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172 Orakei Road, in Remuera, was given a significant upgrade in 2016 and comes with its own tennis court. Photo / Supplied
For those who want something less contemplative and more physical, New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agents Keitha McLaren and Patrick McAteer have a recently-renovated showpiece home on Remuera's Orakei Road.
Original features like high ceilings have been preserved and perfected throughout the luxury home, but what makes the property special is the resort-style grounds, which include a swimming pool, tennis court and sauna, all framed with beautifully manicured gardens.
There is also garaging for five vehicles or a combination of three cars plus toys, a workshop, games or gym. The property has a CV of $12.25m and is for sale by price by negotiation. (Click here to see more pics of this listing.)
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