- A singing real estate agent sold an iconic 1980s castle in Halfmoon Bay.
- The five-bedroom home, which had an asking price of $1.688m was bought by an investor.
- The castle attracted 100 groups during the four-week campaign, with interest from developers and investors.
A singing real estate agent has scored an impressive hit with her sale of an iconic castle in an Auckland suburb.
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The castle, which attracted the attention of local children during the 1980s and 1990s, has been picked up by an investor who was in the market for something a bit different.
The sprawling five-bedroom, three-bathroom home on Prince Regent Drive, in Halfmoon Bay, was originally built by a Kiwi builder for his South African bride but has more recently been run as a lucrative Airbnb.
Barfoot & Thompson agent Kitty Long took over the property after several failed attempts to find a buyer with various agents over the past five years.
The five-bedroom, three-bathroom has been run as a lucrative Airbnb for the past decade. Photo / Supplied
The Prince Regent Drive castle even had a modern-day moat in the form of an inground swimming pool. Photo / Supplied
Long told OneRoof: “When I first signed the listing, I knew it was going to be challenging, and I had heard other agents had tried but didn’t sell, so there was pressure when we first started. But I strongly believe in auctions, so I recommended the owner run an auction campaign.”
The eye-catching castle even made it onto TV last month, with Long showing the nation exactly what was behind the imposing brick wall, complete with a turret and moat.
During a segment on Seven Sharp, Long showcased her musical talents with a few bars of You Raise Me Up to demonstrate the castle’s acoustics.
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A coffee cart was parked up in front of the castle and snacks were provided at the first open home, which attracted about 30 groups.
A total of 100 groups went through the castle’s impressive doors during the four-week campaign. Long said some people were just curious to have a look inside, while investors and developers were seriously interested in it. “Lots of children came to see it. I said, ‘Don’t worry, it’s free entry - no tickets’.”
The main interest came from developers and investors, and it was eventually snapped up by buyers who liked the idea of running it as special accommodation. “It’s a very special house - unlike the usual residential properties,” Long told OneRoof.
The property passed in at auction at the end of last month, but then attracted multiple offers when it was priced at $1.688m. The first contract fell over, but it was immediately replaced by another unconditional offer. The exact sale price could not be disclosed until after settlement.
The vendors are based in China but had previously run the castle as a successful Airbnb. The nightly rate for eight people was about $1250 plus cleaning and fees.
Long has just listed an igloo-shaped property at 2/11 Ngaio Street, in Takapuna. Photo / Supplied
The two-bedroom, one-bathroom home is to be auctioned next week. Photo / Supplied
The castle is not the only unique property to come Long’s way. One of her current listings is a dome-shaped home in Takapuna.
The unusual property is one of three of similarly shaped properties down a long driveway on Ngaio Street, next to Lake Pupuke Tennis Court and Taharoto Park.
Long said the property had drawn inspiration from famous Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi and homes like this were commonplace in Mykonos in the Greek Islands.
The two-bedroom home is to be auctioned next week and, according to Long’s listing, buyers should ignore the RV of $1.5m.
“Our realistic and motivated vendors are willing to meet the market,” Long’s listing said.
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