An Auckland boatshed sold under the hammer last night for $1.2075 million.
That’s 20 percent more than Auckland’s median house price of $1 million and more than double the national median house price.
Paul Sissons, the listing agent for boatshed No.19 at 1 Ngapipi Road, at Hobson Bay, on the edge of one of New Zealand's wealthiest suburbs, said that all four bidders “really wanted to own it".
He said there had been tremendous interest in the property, fielding enquiries from all around the world, with over 80 people requesting information.
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“We held the auction on site. It was a beautiful evening with the sun streaming in. It was lovely," he said.
The New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent said that the competition between the bidders was spirited. “They'd all been to bidding school. It was well fought and well bought.”
The picturesque boatsheds at Auckland's Hobson Bay are tightly held. Photo / Supplied
Sissons, who marketed the property with colleague Amanda Platt, said that the sheds at Ngapipi Road were highly prized and tightly held, even though owners only have a maritime licence to occupy.
They are expected to maintain the sheds to heritage standard and are forbidden to use them as residences.
“They’re very rare, they just don’t come on to the market. They are effectively priceless as the only ongoing cost is maintenance and once every 35 years a new resource consent,” Sissons said.
Some sheds date back to the 1930s, but No.19 was built in the 1970s and has a stunning white interior, with a pitched gabled ceiling, polished timber floors and a galley kitchen. It has modern bi-fold doors to a concrete pad boat ramp, but Sissons says it originally had slipway designed to winch boats up into the shed for repair.
The shed has views east to Hobson Bay and the city. Photo / Supplied
The winning bidders had been looking to buy one of the sheds for some time.
“The vendors and buyers swapped phone numbers, everybody was very happy. The vendors are very pleased, it was wonderful. Several other owners came by to say hello and were at the auction,” Sissons said.
Owners are expected to take care of the heritage-protected sheds. Photo / Supplied
