A tiny house on Great Barrier Island has sold for a not-so tiny $355,000.
The 18sqm home sits on a 1196sqm plot of land that also boasts a 600-year-old protected Pohutukawa tree, a “magical” stream with an outdoor bath, and a retro 1960s caravan.
Barfoot & Thompson agent Mike Jensen told OneRoof that interest in the Garden Road property had been huge, thanks to its picturesque setting but protections meant buyers were unable to build a conventional house on the site.
However, the eventual buyers, Aucklanders, had been captivated from the get-go and were planning to use property into their holiday bolt-hole.
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“They just fell in love with the uniqueness of the site,” he said, highlighting the joys of being able to stand underneath the Pohutukawa tree and watching eels swim in the horseshoe-shaped stream.
The previous owner had paid $127,500 for the property in 2018 and had put the 18sqm home on the site.
Like some of the quirky properties on Great Barrier Island, Garden Road comes with an outdoor composting toilet, which Jensen said was a popular method of avoiding putting in a more expensive septic system.
No two properties on the island were the same, he said, which can make marketing a challenge. “Out here every property is unique, it could be its contour, its view, its proximity to the water, its age.”
The Garden Road property boasts a horseshoe-shaped stream and outdoor bath. Photo / Supplied
The toilet is outdoors – and close to nature. Photo / Supplied
He said a recent sale of another section, on Blind Bay Road, showed the strength of demand for property on Great Barrier.
The section, which the vendor had bought in December, 2021, at the height of the market, for $276,000, sold last week for $294,000 - a small price increase but still significant given the downturn.
“[The vendor] put a carport on it, that's all she did. It would have cost her $5000.”
Jensen has a swag of properties on the island that are still on the market for sale, including 201 Puriri Bay Road, a one-bedroom home sitting on a 1277sqm waterfront section.
Like Garden Road, the property had its quirks, he said. “Once again, really good inquiry but it’s literally at water level, maybe half a metre above.”
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There’s a one-bedroom dwelling nestled under another ancient Pohutukawa tree, and there’s another freshwater stream, this one with a number of swimming holes.
Another listing, Earth Song Lodge on Medland Road, has recently gone under contract for around $2 million. The new owner planned to relocate his family to the island and still run the property as a lodge, Jensen said, adding that the island was screaming out for high end accommodation.
“There are enough people around who will pay for the comfort and the luxury so if you can make a product which is good enough for that top end you'll be inundated with demand for it.”
The lodge has self-contained units on five hectares and there are big views over Tryphena Harbour with the Coromandel and Rangitoto in the distance, plus there is a helicopter pad.
Waterfront 38 Puriri Bay Road is touted as a real money spinner. Photo / Supplied
Under contract for around $2m is Earth Song Lodge. Photo / Supplied
Jensen said he had another “money spinner” available - Tipi and Bob’s Waterfront Lodge, which is on the market for $3.1m and comprises seven individual units and manager/owner accommodation.
The property boasts views over Tryphena Harbour and the shops café and bar/restaurant are all walkable. “It's the best money spinner on the island in terms of providing really functional accommodation. It's full 24/7 all year round and works really well.”
The property has been on the market for some time now Jensen thinks the problem is the price bracket the lodge falls into, saying there are plenty of people who see the opportunity to work the property as a business, but that people with $3m generally come to the island to relax.
“They’re not coming out here to create a job for themselves. I think that's the problem with that property, but it's just full the whole time.”
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