A well-known celebrity is among those showing interest in a large Balinese-inspired property in a sleepy coastal town in the Western Bay of Plenty.
The large five-bedroom, four-bathroom home in Maketu caught the eye of the unnamed celebrity who has ties to the town, which is probably best known for its famous Maketu Pies.
The property at 115 Town Point Road, in Maketu, was put on the market last year and has recently had its price reduced to $1.8 million after becoming surplus to the owner’s requirements.
OneRoof records show the property last changed hands in 2019 for $1.53m.
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Bayleys listing agent Steve Low said at $1.8m it was great buying for what he believed was one of the best houses in one of the best streets in the town.
“It [Maketu] is a bit of a best-kept secret, and this is arguably one of the nicest homes available on the coastal strip with its magnificent sea views of Motiti and it looks right down to the Kaituna entrance.” There is also a huge garage for storing jet skis and the walking track to Newdicks Beach is just minutes away at the end of the street.
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The property is built to a high quality standard and includes an expansive kitchen, multiple living spaces, an outbar, wrap-around deck and an inground pool. It also has a separate self-contained, one-bedroom unit, which could be run as an Airbnb.
“Maketu has probably been overlooked and people have gone past Maketu to Pukehina ... apart from being world famous in New Zealand for its pies, it’s also home to a number of international celebrities.”
Low said the same property in Papamoa would be worth “a huge amount more”.
The large family home was built to a high quality standard and includes an expansive kitchen. Photo / Supplied
The property has views out to Motiti Island. Photo / Supplied
The area is growing with work on the nearby 200-hectare Rangiuru Business Park already underway. Low said once this opened there would be a lot more people looking for accommodation in the surrounding areas, especially with the opening of the Tauranga Eastern Link making Maketu more accessible.
“The managers and the CEOs that are going to be coming into work for those companies internationally will be looking for places like Pukehina, Papamoa and Maketu to live.”
Already there were about six new homes being built near the Town Point Road property in Maketu, he said.
“It’s a lovely part of the community. When I was doing open homes there, people were coming in and saying ‘g’day’. It’s really friendly and a lot of people have lived there for a while.”
The town has a mix of permanent residences and holiday homes, and is best known for being the home of Maketu Pies for 40 years. The company hit hard times in 2019 and is now under the ownership of Te Arawa Management Ltd (TAML), the commercial subsidiary of Te Arawa Lakes Trust, who bought it out of receivership.
There are also a number of seasonal kiwifruit workers who stay in the town. A large property at 195 Arawa Avenue comprising a range of accommodation options including one to three-bedroom cabins, tent and campervan sites, plus houses providing income from semi-permanent residents is also for sale in Maketu and is being sold by a deadline sale.
- Click here to find more properties for sale in Maketu
