A luxury Northland lodge that charges visitors up to $14,700 a night to stay has hit the market for sale.
The three-bedroom stone and glass house, known as the Vineyard Villa is part of multi-millionaire Peter Cooper’s The Landing, a 1000-hectare estate on part of the Purerua Peninsula, north of Waitangi. The estate features a mixture of native forests, nature walks and grazing that has been developed into exclusive accommodation for luxury travellers.
Real estate agent David Maxwell, a partner in new boutique agency Future Isles, is marketing the Rangihoua Road property as a family holiday home, but told OneRoof that it can be rented out “for significant returns”.
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He said that the vendor, a New Zealander based in Australia, is selling the property, which he has owned since 2018, to spend more time on his other investments. He would not disclose price expectations but said: “People need to enquire before we go into the price. How we approach [the price] is that generally when you can’t find comparative sales, you have to value the land and then the replacement cost of the building.”
The property was designed by top architect Nat Cheshire, well-known for his work on the Britomart precinct, including the Britomart hotel, and buildings on the luxury Northland golf course Tara Iti. The house, which garnered a New Zealand Institute of Architects award in 2019, features a striking stone wall that runs from the entrance through the spine of the building and is topped by a striking slab roof that cantilevers off the rock wall.
Glass walls slide away behind the stone wall to transform the entire living pavilion into an outdoor room.
Other luxury agents have told OneRoof that build costs for similar properties in Tara Iti, Waiheke Island and Queenstown are now reaching $25,000 to $30,000 per square metre.
The three-bedroom Vineyard Villa, one of four The Landing Residences, rents out for $14,700 a night during the peak tourist season. Photo / Joe Hammond
The house, designed by architect Nat Cheshire, features a stone wall spine and cantilevered roof with walls of glass. Photo / Joe Hammond
Maxwell said interest in the villa, which went on the market just before Christmas, has been from a mix of overseas buyers, both New Zealand expats or international clients, and locals.
The villa is one of four privately owned The Landing Residences, all serving high-end visitors to the private gated community of private beaches, rolling hills, wildlife sanctuaries and historic sites. Cooper, best known for developing the Britomart precinct, lets his own house – a 10-bedroom Cooper Residence – from $22,495 a night while the four-bedroom Gabriel Residence starts at $18,000 and the more modest two-bedroom Boathouse fetches $9000 a night and more.
Luxury accommodation sites say prices at the Vineyard Villa start from $13,500 in the low season, although Maxwell points out that the high season rate includes, among other things, airport transfers, tours and wine tasting. The property is about half an hour from Kerikeri or the Bay of Islands airport.
The Vineyard Villa has a sunken living room. Photo / Joe Hammond
Walls slide back into the stone wall to create a seamless indoor/outdoor living space. Photo / Joe Hammond
Amenities include a modern kitchen, an open dining area and sunken lounge, two courtyards, an infinity pool and underfloor heating. Downstairs bedrooms have an intimate feel, the living spaces have sweeping views of the land and sea.
The Landing residents also have access to a jetty, boat ramp, gym, sauna, tennis court, basketball court, and the winery.
Maxwell said that luxury properties in the area have steadily increased in value. He is listing two other estates on the nearby Mataka Station, a 20ha lot that is one of 30 sites on the active farm and an Italian-style villa.
Again, ownership includes use of boat ramp, the shared beach club, and access to private beaches, biking and hiking trails. Buyers can build on two hectares of the 20, with the Mataka Station Residents Association leasing the remaining land, offsetting a portion of annual fees. Maxwell would not comment on the price.
Or, for buyers who would rather the work was done, he is also selling a luxurious five-bedroom Italian-style residence on the same estate.
Known as Wiwiki Villa, the 571sqm house was designed by well-known Auckland architect Neville Price as his own home in 2000. Maxwell said the house, which includes 400-year-old Italian roof tiles, turrets and angles, had no expense spared in its building, but is ready for an interior designer to take it to the next level.
An Italian-style villa designed by architect Neville Price is on the market at upmarket Mataka Station. Photo / Supplied
Auckland architect Neville Price designed the five-bedroom house for himself in 2000. Photo / Supplied
The vendor bought the property, which overlooks the Hole in the Rock, in 2012, but again, the agent would not disclose the expected price for the property, which is being sold by negotiation.
He said his Australian vendor was spending more time on his Byron Bay property.
Maxwell said his new agency focused on international high-end buyers, a segment he knows well from his previous careers on super-yachts and luxury travel.
“We have off-market listings ranging from $4m upwards, and some are large trophy homes that will hopefully be getting listed later in the year.”
And do these buyers have a top end to their budget?
“It’s rare that they say ‘here’s our maximum budget’. They’ve usually got locations in mind, lifestyle in mind, it’s unlimited. They’re from all around the world, but predominantly North America and Europe, you do get some from Hong Kong and Singapore.
“The integral part of this process is that they’re always short on time, so if you can get them to the property, you’ve got a good chance to sell it.”
Maxwell said he and business partner Paul Reid, formerly director of golf at Tara Iti, have focused on building quality videos and stories about the properties they list in what he calls a “much more documentary style.”
He said his buyers were not put off by the change of promises from the new government on foreign buyers.
“They do a lot of in-depth due diligence, they do a lot of homework. They love New Zealand and are very excited about the lifestyle, but we’re competing against other places like Portugal or other places in Europe.”
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