An Auckland mansion once owned by the Sultan of Brunei’s big-spending brother, Prince Jefri Bolkiah, is quietly for sale, with agents marketing the Herne Bay pad to just overseas buyers for now.
Scarlett Wood and Patrick McAteer, of New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty, have pushed out the 800sqm house at 36 Herne Bay Road to the company’s global database, but are holding off launching the listing to the New Zealand market.
OneRoof approached the agents but they declined to comment.
The large five-bedroom house, built in the late 1980s, was last on the market in 2013.
Start your property search
Read more:
- You'll need $10m just to get through the door
- Luxury estate hits the market after neighbour sells for $13.25m
- 'It's crazy': Off-grid home in the Coromandel a magnet for foreign buyers
Back then its interior-designer owner told the New Zealand Herald the house had been fitted out in anticipation of Prince Jefri taking up residence after he bought it in 1992.
At the time, agents for his brother, the Sultan, had begun buying up homes in the surrounding streets of Herne Bay in anticipation of the royal entourage staying in the suburb for the 1995 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting being hosted in Auckland.
The multi-billionaire sultan ended up staying in hotels, and in 2005 sold all 11 of his houses for almost $35m. Prince Jefri sold the Herne Bay Road house in 2004 for $4.65m, records show.
The interiors are top of line and reflect the owners' classic tastes. Photo / Supplied
The five-bedroom home sits on a 1985sqm private block and comes with an inviting pool and outdoor living space. Photo / Supplied
While Prince Jefri’s real estate transactions weren’t as splashy as his brother’s, his decorating style certainly was. When the house was last on the market in 2013, the owner recalled brass and gold trimmings, indoor fountains flanking the foyer, a bath in the shape of swans’ wings and deep red bathroom tiles, and a lot of salmon-coloured carpet and terracotta tile.
To remove those excesses, the owners commissioned the first of two makeovers, asking architects Lance and Nicola Herbst to smooth the house back to the white and stainless steel of the original 1980s house while landscaper Ted Smyth took care of the swimming pool and resort-like 1985sqm grounds.
More recently the owners brought in renowned architects to the rich-listers Sumich Chaplin and landscape designer Suzanne Turley to completely remodel the house, pool and gardens of the hidden corner property.
Only the curved staircases – a grand double one in the entry lobby, an external one that leads from the pool to the roof-terrace – leave hints of the original. The house is now wrapped in cedar battens, the stainless steel replaced with burnished steel and wood, and a new covered outdoor living room updating the terraces. The luxury kitchen’s butler’s pantry includes a dumb waiter to the ground floor utility room for party catering.
Both the rooftop terrace and upper floor living areas have views of the harbour, while the ground floor adds a champion squash court, full gym and games room to the expected mix of garaging, entry and service rooms and two bedrooms. Upstairs there are three bedrooms and a library, as well as multiple living and entertaining areas.
A standout feature of the resort-style home is the spiral staircase. Photo / Supplied
The property, which has a $17.5m CV, was once owned by the Sultan of Brunei's brother. Photo / Supplied
The reconfigured pool and gardens now come with a heated pool, an outdoor spa and an all-year-round cabana that has a built-in barbecue, ice machine, wet bar and fireplace.
“You’ll be enchanted by the attention to detail and craftsmanship that has poured into this home re-creation,” the agents say in their advertising.
“Exquisite finishes grace every corner of this home. Showcasing high level of workmanship that is truly second to none. While the house boasts luxury and elegance, it also envelops you in a warm and inviting atmosphere that makes it feel like a home.
“This extraordinary residence has remained one of the best kept secrets in this coveted neighbourhood and it’s time to unveil its opulence. This isn’t just a home, it’s a true work of art,” the advertising says.
The house was big and bold when it was built in 1987 by Adams Langley Architects. Photo / Supplied
The games room is a fun touch. Photo / Supplied
The house was conceived by investor Robin Johannink who had to sell the white Hollywood-style mansion that spread across three sections on the corner of Herne Bay Road and Upton Street at the depths of the property depression in the early 1990s.
He told a reporter years later that he had poured $3.2m into the build.
“I was left with no house and still had a mortgage,” he said.
- Click here to find more properties for sale in Auckland
