Xero founder Rod Drury sold his Hawke’s Bay home for $12 million at the end of last year, OneRoof can reveal.
The rich-lister found a buyer for his six-bedroom luxury pad in Havelock North within two months of the property hitting the market.
The private compound on Duart Road was designed by Sumich Chaplin – the architecture firm favoured by New Zealand’s super-wealthy – and has an RV of $10.2m.
While the sale was reported back in December, the sale price remained private until this month.
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Drury declined to comment on the sale. The listing agent for the property, Bayleys’ Gretchen Paape, also declined to comment, saying the buyer wished to remain private.
The sale price is the highest for a residential property in Hawke’s Bay, by a large margin. The previous record-holder was a nearby property, on Duart Road, which sold off-market in 2022 for $8.8m.
The highest sale price for a listed home in the region is $4.6m, for a lifestyle property on Walcott Lane, in Kahuranaki near Havelock North.
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Drury had commissioned the distinctive house in 2015, after purchasing the section in 2013 for $1.65m, according to a report in the Sunday Star-Times.
According to the Sunday Star-Times, Drury listed the house privately soon after it was finished in 2018. It was withdrawn from the market and Drury relisted it on the open market in October 2023, telling OneRoof he was downsizing.
The house includes a cantilevered top floor, and boasts living spaces set around an outdoor pool, a tennis court, and gardens created by the renowned landscaper Suzanne Turley.
Former Xero boss Rod Drury was looking to downsize. Photo / Mike Scott
The interior design is by Jen Pack. Photo / Supplied
The landscaping, which includes border hedging, natives and subtropical plantings, is by the celebrated Suzanne Turley. Photo / Supplied
The interiors were designed by Jen Pack and feature clever use of materials, including European oak engineered flooring and Italian Travertine stone.
Drury also had a gymnasium on the ground floor and a separate self-contained studio for guests, extended family and staff.
The property also had a sophisticated security system, a lift that runs between floors and ducted air-conditioning for all-year-round comfort.
When OneRoof profiled the home in October, Paape said it was undoubtedly one of the most impressive in Hawke’s Bay.
“It’s the biggest and most modern home in Havelock North – easy living, but very classy and understated. Having garaging for eight vehicles, and a tennis court, is a big plus too," she said.
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