A French-style country lodge created by the late multi-millionaire philanthropist Chloe Wright has passed in at auction.
No bids were made at today’s sale, which had been billed to take place at the luxury chateau in the Western Bay of Plenty.
Ray White Tauranga and Bayfair owner Rodney Fong, who was the auctioneer, said the listing agents were now working with parties who had shown conditional interest and the property was now priced by negotiation.
Fong said most of the interest so far had come from people in the Waikato, Auckland and the South Island and were looking to relocate to the Bay of Plenty.
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It was a genuinely outstanding home and was a “one-of-a-kind example of supreme craftsmanship”, he said.
“I have called over 1000 auctions in my career and never seen a home as outstanding as this one in terms of unique and special craftsmanship in the Tauranga region.”
Wright, who co-founded the childcare provider BestStart, built the mansion as her forever home.
She and her husband Wayne lived there for several years before they decided to turn it into a unique accommodation experience for international guests.
The five-bedroom property, which is surrounded by European-style gardens and charges more than $1000 a night, hit the market for sale following Wright’s death in September last year.
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Ray White listing agent Simon Cotter told OneRoof last month that the whole Wright family had been involved in the creation of the house but it was now time for another family “to love it as much as they have”.
“They’ve loved it. The whole family was part of it, painting window sills and fences and putting in posts.”
Cotter had said Wright was inspired by the houses she had seen while cycling through picturesque French and English villages.
Chloe Wright co-founded BestStart childcare and was known for her philanthropy. She died last year. Photo / New Zealand Herald
Wright created the house as her forever home but later turned it into a boutique hotel. Photo / Supplied
She brought her vision to life with the help of local architecture firm Lochhead Designs and Allan Shaw, of Atrium Homes, with the project taking two-and-a-half years to complete.
The resulting property, which is known to visitors as The French Country House, looks centuries old.
Wright told the Bay of Plenty Times in 2011 that she wanted “people to enjoy a very welcoming New Zealand experience. Nothing commercial”.
“We’ve travelled a lot, and what you remember the most is the people you meet and how you are treated. We want our guests to feel that here,” she said. “I want them to relax and not worry about any stuff.”
The property is surrounded by European-style gardens. Photo / Supplied
Guests pay more than $1000 a night to stay at the property. Photo / Supplied
She added: “The house isn’t just about architecture. People have a very hands-on experience and they soon realise they are getting more than they thought they would.”
Wright and her husband Wayne co-founded BestStart Educare in 1996 and later set up the Wright Family Foundation in 2014.
She was a well-known philanthropist and personally funded numerous organisations, including Plunket, Perinatal Depression, Anxiety Aotearoa, The Parenting Place and Sean Plunket’s radio station The Platform. The Wright family also built four private birth centres around the country.
The house contains many period features but was only built in 2008. Photo / Supplied
In 2020, she was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to philanthropy, education and health.
Cotter said last month the property was “95% built” out of modern materials, “so it’s all watertight”. The structure of the home is brick with plaster to give it an aged look and the roofing shingles sit on top of a layer of Butynol waterproofing.
“The whole house as you walk through is like an art piece,” he said. “You walk through with an absolute amazement of every space and design,” he said.
“Its nickname is The French Country House. It looks like it’s 300 or 400 years old, but it was only built in 2008.”
Cotter said the RV of $3.28 million didn’t reflect the value of the home or the expected sale price.
“It’s definitely got to be well, well, well above where the RV is. But if you put a price on it, people get a preconceived idea,” he said. “It’s a masterpiece, this place.”
- 163 Esdaile Road, in Whakamarama, Western Bay Of Plenty, is for sale
