A one-of-a-kind off-grid home that sent locals into a frenzy of excitement has sold within a week of hitting the market.
A young couple with a large family stepped into the three-bedroom, one-bathroom home on Ridge Street, in Otumoetai, Tauranga, and knew “pretty instantly” it was the one for them.
Trueman & Co agent Lisa Zawitkoski told OneRoof the buyers had been waiting for some time for the right property.
“When they saw it, their eyes lit up. One of the buyers is really into homeopathic remedies and is an arborist by trade,” she said.
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“The big selling point was that it was off-grid. They loved the space and the recycled materials that had been used. They loved the whole ethos of the house.
“There’s nothing like it in Tauranga. An off-grid home with a lot of land is quite unusual.”
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The couple made an offer within days of viewing the house. However, so did another buyer, but after negotiating with the vendors, the couple made a new, unconditional cash offer, which got them over the line.
Zawitkoski said the buyers were keen to move into their new home and had asked for a settlement of 10 working days, which the owners agreed to.
“They are just so excited. It’s amazing. They are the perfect buyers for this place,” she said.
The vendors, who paid $878,000 for the home in December 2022, had tried to sell it privately before listing it with Zawitkoski and had been surprised at the speed of the sale – which Zawitkoski said was seven times faster than the suburb median.
The floors are recycled timber and the walls are insulated with wool and lined with untreated pine. Photo / Supplied
The current owners put in an impressive forest garden designed and planted by Byron from Backyard Paradise. Photo / Supplied
“For me to come in and generate this much interest and have them sold within seven days, they are absolutely blown away,” she told OneRoof, noting that the time between listing and settlement was exactly three weeks.
Zawitkoski would not reveal the exact sale price but confirmed it was more than $900,000.
OneRoof reported that the open home for the property was one of the busiest in Tauranga in recent months, with people clogging up neighbouring streets just to view it.
Zawitkoski said the house’s eco-credentials and the fact it was situated on a 2471sqm section in the city had excited a lot of buyers, many of whom were younger families.
“The home is beautiful and warm and built with love. It has a rural feel yet is still close to schools, amenities and the waterfront. It’s also a quick drive to the Mount.”
Zawitkoski said off-grid properties were mostly found in lifestyle areas such as Oropi or the Western Bay of Plenty – not in central Otumoetai. “I don’t know how many others there are [in the city], but I would say there wouldn’t be many.”
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