A riverside home that threatens to smash Hamilton’s highest house price record every time it sells is back on the market after a million-dollar-plus renovation.
And this time is no exception with the listing agents expecting it will succeed this time in taking the title for the city’s most expensive property.
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Hamilton developer Jason Barnes snapped up the luxury lodge-style property nestled at the end of a cul-de-sac at 27 Pollock Drive, in Chartwell, in 2016 for $2.5 million and is now selling to downsize.
Barnes, who is probably most well-known for his role in moving the 113-year-old St Paul’s Church from Hamilton CBD to Te Kowhai and transforming it into Saints Cafe, has just finished an impressive seven-figure renovation on the home carried out by high-end interior designer Bronwyn Turton of Turton + Oliver Interior Design.
The impressive upgrade included a brand-new kitchen with Miele appliances, walnut cabinetry and a Taj Mahal sensa stone bench, herringbone flooring, wool carpet and tiled bathrooms.
The schist stone and cedar exterior gives the home a lodge feel. Photo / Nicole Troost
The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home has four living areas including an impressive games room with a commercial-style bar.
A self-contained studio is accessed on the other side of the triple garaging and on the other side of the property is a standalone pool room with a covered heated pool, gym, sauna, kitchenette and bathroom.
The gated home is accessed by a long driveway and is set on a 3231sqm manicured section spread over two titles, with a combined RV of $3.56m.
However, Harcourts listing agent Yvenna Yue, who is marketing it with Craig Annandale, said the RV did not reflect the property’s worth or the fact it had undergone a massive high-end renovation.
She believed it was the nicest home in Hamilton and expected the sale price to reflect it.
Forget the gym membership, the house has its own pool complex complete with a gym and sauna. Photo / Nicole Troost
The Pollock Drive property made headlines when it was listed back in 2016 because it was also touted to break records after undergoing an extension by the previous owners who picked it up for $2.375m in 2013.
It failed to beat the then record held by a Flagstaff property at $2.975m, but the listing agents anticipate it will break the current record, which is held by a modern waterfront property on Lake Crescent that sold at the end of 2021 for $4.605m.
“It’s been a house that’s always been up there whenever it’s sold and it’s been on the receiving end of a massive renovation ... the inside is beautiful.”
Another selling point was its elevated location looking out to the Waikato River and across to Beerescourt.
“It’s like Game of Thrones and you are the king,” she said.
“It’s the trophy home in Hamilton.”
The home has just undergone a massive seven-figure renovation which included a new kitchen and bathrooms. Photo / Nicole Troost
The home was originally built in the 1950s for the Waikato University and has evolved over the years as various high-profile owners have added their own touch to it.
A major extension, which included enclosing the swimming pool was undertaken between 2000 and 2010, while the latest makeover took six months and was only completed this year.
Some of the materials also have their own back stories and 820 tonnes of schist stone was used to create the resort-style exterior. The internal timber beams were reclaimed from the Huntly, while a previous owner won a pair of large wooden internal doors leading to the games room from China at a local auction house. The double copper entrance doors are a new addition by Barnes.
There are four living rooms including a games room and a fully functional bar. Photo / Nicole Troost
Yue said the property would suit a range of people from families to professionals who work in the city.
“What makes this area popular is the fact that it’s convenient. This is extremely central.
“It’s very much got a lodge vibe to it – families, even people with young kids – it’s got nanny accommodation.”
It might even appeal to farmers looking to retire to the city, she said.
The property is being sold by tender.
Meanwhile, a multi-award-winning home across the river at 92 Braid Road, in St Andrews, with both views of the Waikato River and the St Andrews golf course is also expected to fetch more than $4m and could see the two properties going head-to-head for the top sale price.
Hamilton properties with a water aspect – whether it be lake or river – generally tend to fetch a premium and is something all the sales that have broken past the $4m mark in the city share.
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