A landmark home in Auckland’s Mission Bay has sold for $11.5 million.
The off-market deal for the five-bedroom, three-storey house on Ronaki Road was brokered by New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Karen Moore.
The vendors had been renting out the luxury home for around $5000 a week since January after relocating to Australia and had been keen to make a sale.
Sotheby’s Remuera owner Jonathan Sissons was unable to reveal who bought the property, except to say that they planned to keep it as a rental for the time being.
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Sissons noted that National's plans for overseas buyers had had an effect on the local market, although the purchase of Ronaki Road was completed before the party made its plans public.
“It’s pushed people to make decisions, we’re already seeing quite a bit of interest from USA and Europe, although not so much from China,” he said of National's pledge to overturn the foreign buyer ban for properties worth $2m and above.
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“There are quite a few buyers at that end of the market - at $10m-plus. It’s actually quite busy. You’d be surprised at the number of people, but of course they don’t want to compromise on what they’re looking for."
He said the buyer of Ronaki Road had looked at a number of properties before he was shown the house. "It's high-end, modern, with a tennis court, no compromise.”
Moore told OneRoof property last sold in 2017, but could not disclose what the vendors had paid for it. The home had been on and off the market since May 2022 and earlier listings said it had undergone extensive renovations by the who’s who of Auckland design, including architect Jack McKinney, interior designer Jenny Anderson and landscape designer Suzanne Turley.
The spacious house had grand entrance doors of burnished metal, a kitchen with a butler’s pantry and marble benchtop, textured limestone walls and french oak floors. The formal and informal living spaces included a media room, a study and family lounge, and a gym. The house overlooked a full-sized tennis court and swimming pool and had 180 degree views of the Waitemata Harbour and Rangitoto Island.
It had also been offered with the option to buy an adjoining 597sqm of land zoned for urban density. OneRoof records show that it sold in January this year for $3.008m - below its $4.05m CV.
The five-bedroom, 645sqm house had been renovated by top architect and designers and included a swimming pool and tennis court. Photo / Supplied
The house had views of the Waitemata Harbour and Rangitoto. Photo / Supplied
Another home in the neighbouring suburb of St Heliers that was on the market earlier this year and failed to sell has now also been rented out.
The historic Sholto Smith Arts and Crafts on St Heliers Bay Road has a CV of $10.6m, and is likely to be fetching $3000 to $4000 a week in rent.
Ray White Remuera agent Thomas Farmer, who marketed the home, told OneRoof the house was on the market for about five months and while there was definitely interest, the range was not quite in the vicinity of the CV.
The house is a character home and a heritage overlay restricts what can be done by new owners, Farmer said.
“It is a very unique buyer that would be looking to buy that home. You’ve got to want that home. The home has got to work for you as it is because you're not going to be able to change anything.
The grand house was rented out in January asking $5000. Photo / Supplied
The adjoining 597sqm of land sold in January for $3.008sqm. Photo / Supplied
“You obviously can modernise internally but the actual property itself is a character home and can't be changed, removed, altered externally, so it is a very specific buyer that’s looking for a Sholto Smith home like that.”
A lot of people who can afford to buy at the upper end of the market are also looking for a more modern home, Farmer said.
“They’re definitely wanting something that’s almost new in that price point. They’re wanting something they don’t have to do anything to, that they can move into ready.”
The house, while beautiful and well maintained, had not been renovated or refreshed since around 2009 so potential buyers were factoring renovations into their spending, he said, and there were very few properties of that price and caliber in the area.
“It’s lovely. It’s the highest point on the ridge there on St Heliers Bay Road. It had an incredible view up the channel, out to the city, out to Rangitoto, just an incredible view.”
A heritage house in the neighbouring suburb of St Heliers with a CV of $10.6m failed to sell and is now rented out. Photo / Supplied
OneRoof profiled the house late last year, explaining it was called Colwyn and designed by renowned architect Sholto Smith as a romantic gift to his wife and furnished with extraordinary detail.
Smith even had the fireplace mantel engraved for his wife with the Shakespearean verse ‘Being your slave, what should I do but tend upon the hours and times of your desire’.
The house was finished in 1925 and OneRoof records show it last sold in 2009 for $5m.
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