A man who bought a two-bedroom home in Auckland’s Massey turned down an all-expenses paid trip to Fiji, playing hardball with the agent instead.
Ray White North West owner Ronald Hachache had promised to throw in a free trip to Fiji for whomever bought his two-bedroom rental property on Bellringer Road.
However, when he schemed up the idea – which included airfares and accommodation at a resort on Denarau Island, in Nadi, Fiji – he had expected it to be snapped up by first-home buyers who might need a break.
“We know it’s a stressful process, the stress first-home buyers are under when they buy, so we thought the perfect reward for them was a holiday,” Hachache told OneRoof at the time of listing the property for sale.
Start your property search
Discover more:
- Olympian Eric Murray reveals renovation therapy - ‘we lived pretty rough for a while’
- Bought for $750,000, sold for $490,000 - Auckland home takes hit at mortgagee sale
- Pavlova House snapped up for less than $2m - ‘won’t be back for another 30 years’
But the offer fell a little flat as the actual purchaser was an older man on his own.
“He didn’t want to go to Fiji,” Hachache said.
“He knew I had to pay for the trip to Fiji. He actually said to me, ‘give me a discount on the price – I don’t want to go to Fiji’.”
The man hadn’t even realised he would get a trip, which had been used as a marketing ploy to get people’s attention in a listing-heavy market, when he went to view the property.
The two-bedroom home had just had a $50,000 makeover before hitting the market. Photo / Supplied
“He just liked the renovation of it. It was a good house.”
Hachache admitted he did budge on the price eventually selling it for $710,000 – $10,000 below RV – but still planned to buy him a housewarming gift.
“I will definitely get him something ... I will have to work out something that he wants to do.”
Hachache originally purchased the property in 2014 for his father to live in, but it was later rented out when his father moved into a house in South Auckland to be closer to his Lebanese church community.
The house was given a $50,000 makeover before being listed for sale, which had been a drawcard for buyers.
- Click here to find properties for sale in Massey
