The penthouse for sale at 8/464 Remuera Road in Auckland's Remuera is big and luxurious but the real jaw-dropper is the garage that comes with it.
The garage can comfortably hold 12 cars and is about the size of an average three-bedroom house. Bayleys listing agent Gary Wallace says yes, some people really do have that many cars.
“There’s one guy I met, I think he had eight supercars and they’re probably worth about anywhere between half a million and $1m each. They’re like works of art – they are collector’s items,” Wallace says.
The biggest problem for the owners of car collections is where to house them, with people often renting a warehouse somewhere like Penrose to store them.
Start your property search
Read more:
- 'Hidden' mansion in Remuera could sell for more than $29m
- Mortgagee mystery: Multi-million-dollar resort home no longer for sale
- $15m concrete and steel artwork for sale in Remuera
“With this particular property you’ve got the luxury of going in your lift and going straight to your private garage and there they are, you decide which one you’re going to drive today.”
The garage is part of a boutique apartment development built seven years ago. It was bought off the plan in 2014 for $6.736m by one of New Zealand's top car dealers, who died shortly after moving into the apartment with his wife. During the build phase he worked with the developer to design the apartment and customised the garage for his car collection.
It doesn’t have to be used as a garage, though. With a temperate underground climate, Wallace says it could be a fabulous wine cellar or the ultimate man-cave. “You could put a billiard table in there, you could have a golf driving range, you could do whatever you want with it.”
The extra large garage was built to house a large car collection. Photo / Supplied
The penthouse has sweeping views of Auckland harbour. Photo / Supplied
And while the garage is great, the penthouse itself is pretty special, Wallace says: “The views over Auckland and out to the gulf are sublime.”
At 340sqm over two levels, it’s bigger than the average house as well. Wallace says an expensive freestanding home in Remuera varies in size from anything between 280sqm and 340sqm, plus this one is only a three-minute walk to the village.
“It’s got the feeling of a home but the freedom of an apartment,” he says.
“It has everything you’d expect from a family home – a study, media room, great living areas and three ensuited bedrooms – and to top it off the views are second to none. I think they’re the best in New Zealand."
The penthouse, which has a 2021 CV of $7.7m, is on the market for sale by a set date closing November 22. It was first listed earlier this year but improved market conditions has seen it return with a more optimistic outlook.
The vendor told OneRoof: "We bought off-the-plan and bought the two top floors. The top was designated a one-bedroom apartment and the next floor down was a two-bedroom apartment. They reconfigured it for us and made our three bedrooms on the top and the main living area on the lower level."
The walk-in wardrobe is spacious. Photo / Supplied
The apartment boasts an impressive media room. Photo / Supplied
“My husband was in the car industry and when the building was being built, I remember the developer ringing him and saying, ‘Well if we just dig out a bit further, we could make it bigger!’.”
Inspired design sees walls of floor-to-ceiling glass envelop both levels, which maximise every aspect of the multifaceted, uninterrupted and perfectly north-facing views. These incorporate the leafy slopes of Remuera, Orakei Basin, Rangitoto, the city skyline, the North Shore and very busy harbour.
Space and quality has not been sacrificed here, with the expansive floorplan offering many areas to relax and plenty of room to host friends.
On the lower level, the chef’s kitchen has a scullery and the aforementioned wine cellar. It overlooks the open-plan living and dining space, which flows out to the spacious, tiled loggia that’s perfect for all-season entertaining.
The master suite takes up half of the upper floor. It has a dressing room, a luxury spa-style ensuite with freestanding bath, and a private balcony.
“We have a private lift that goes between the two floors, for suitcases and if you need to bring anything heavy downstairs. Or, if you weren’t able to negotiate the stairs at any stage, you could put a wheelchair in there,” the vendor says.
- 8/464 Remuera Road, in Remuera, Auckland, has a set sale date of November 22
* Additional reporting Catherine Masters
