RuPaul drag queen stars Anita Wigl’it and Ivanna Drink have sold their Auckland “dream” home for an undisclosed sum well “north” of the property’s CV.
Wigl’it and Drink, aka Nick Hall and Shameel Kennedy, had put their three-bedroom villa on King Street, in Grey Lynn, on the market after their marriage split last year.
Hall told OneRoof that they had poured their heart into the house, giving it a full makeover, but had decided to sell with Kennedy heading overseas to Europe.
White Fox real estate agent Ryan Teece told OneRoof buyer interest in the villa had been huge. He showed 100 groups of buyers through the property, and had received five offers, including one from an overseas-based buyer.
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He told OneRoof the buyers were moving from a nearby inner-city apartment. They had been captivated by the villa’s outstanding outdoor entertaining area.
“Because it is such an unusual house, it suited lots of people. The buyers had only seen a couple of other places, but some of the people looking had been looking for a while. It’s such a unique place, I don’t think we’ll ever see anything like it,” Teece told OneRoof.
While he could not disclose the sale price, he said it was well above the 2021 CV of $1.575m.
“It was pitched at the right price point.”
Anita Wigl’it, right, and former husband Ivanna Drink. The pair have made separate appearances on the hit TV show RuPaul Drag Race Down Under. Photo / Supplied
The couple fitted an Italian resort-style pool with a waterfall in the backyard. Photo / Supplied
When Hall and Kennedy bought the villa five years ago, they had intended it to be their forever home. They had just completed a spectacular transformation inside and out as the house went on the market.
Hall told OneRoof this week he was pleased with the sale.
“It was a standout offer. The buyers just loved the garden and are really going to enjoy it. Now I just have to empty the house,” he said.
Hall, who co-owns the popular Auckland restaurant Caluzzi Cabaret, shot to fame when he took part in RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under in 2021. He married fellow RuPaul Down Under star Kennedy in 2020, just after the first Covid lockdown lifted.
Hall's favourite spot - a tiny Japanese-style garden which houses the hot-tub. Photo / Supplied
The kitchen was rearranged to add an island and better storage space. Photo / Supplied
Hall told OneRoof he was excited to begin work on his next project, an original 1930s deco house. He said he had already briefed an architect and has brought the landscape designer Matthew Torr, of Empty Studio, who created the King Street backyard to bring the same excitement to the next renovation.
Plans include another “glam studio” (Kennedy and Hall had turned their shed at the King Street house into a large wardrobe for their costumes, wigs and shoes) and another Japanese-style garden and soaking tub.
Teece said he was in the process of finding similar properties for the buyers who missed out. “Everyone has been impressed by the quality of the renovation, especially when a lot of properties in that price range are not that exciting,” he said.
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