Halfway home from an unsuccessful weekend of bach hunting in Whangamata in 2002, an Auckland couple had an epiphany.

“We pulled into the Red Fox Tavern at Maramarua and said ‘we’re going to buy this one’,” one of the owners recalled. “I called the owner and said ‘how much do you want for it before it goes up for sale?’ And we bought it.”

While they’d been hunting unsuccessfully for their first family bach, the couple had spied a flat 450sqm section that had just been subdivided off an older house on the main road to the surf club, Ocean Road.

The family of three teenage boys had been regular renters at the popular Coromandel surf beach for years, so when they finally decided to buy a bach they had a very specific list of wants: it had to be near the beach on the surf club side, a flat section, near everything.

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They had not initially planned to build, but the location was ideal, the section was back from the street and was quiet, so they set to creating their ideal place instead.

They commissioned a design-build company to interpret their ideas for the perfect holiday home – no wasted space on hallways, bedrooms that had their own exterior entrances (that was the teenagers’ number one request, the owner laughed), a placement that made the most of the sunny north-facing aspect of the 450sqm site and something that was easy to look after and lock up and leave.

227B Ocean Road in Whangamata, Thames-Coromandel, is for sale by way of auction on June 15. The four-bedroom, two-bathroom property has a 2023 CV of $990,000. According to OneRoof data, it last changed hands in 2002 for $130,000.

227B Ocean Road in Whangamata, Thames-Coromandel

The four-bedroom, two-bathroom home sits on a 450sqm section which the owners bought in 2002 for $130,000.

227B Ocean Road in Whangamata, Thames-Coromandel

The Ocean Road property is minutes’ walk from the town centre, the beach and the nine-hole golf course.

The smart plan makes the most of the 89sqm footprint. The open-plan living room, which opens to the large front lawn is flanked on each side by a pair of bedrooms and a bathroom. The master bedroom has its own ensuite, and in two of the remaining three bedrooms the boys got their desired outside door.

Polished concrete floors make the place easy care and there’s even room for a laundry and second fridge. The surf and boating gear are taken care of in the extra-high tandem garage which has a lockable door, and the essential outdoor shower for post-surf wash downs is handy.

The well-appointed kitchen opens to the back lawn and two storage sheds, but all the living is done on the front terrace with its dining and barbecue area, the owner said.

“When we built the house and put bi-fold doors in we were the first in Whanga because we wanted that indoor-outdoor entertaining. Lots of people going past were looking down the drive to see how they worked.

“We knew we’d be spending half our time outdoors, so we made the TV on a swivel so you could watch it outside too.”

The owner said that with the good-sized bedrooms, one of which has bunk beds, the bach comfortably fits 10 people over the holidays.

227B Ocean Road in Whangamata, Thames-Coromandel

Ray White Whangamata principal Reuben van Dorsten: “People are trying to purchase a bach now so they can be in before the summer holidays.”

227B Ocean Road in Whangamata, Thames-Coromandel

The owners commissioned a design-build company to interpret their ideas for the perfect holiday home.

Over the years the owners have rented the place out only to friends and family, but the agent, Ray White’s Roxy Pease, said in her marketing that the bach would make an attractive holiday rental.

As well as being close to the beach, the Ocean Road location is minutes’ walk from the town centre and the nine-hole golf course.

But over 22 years later, the owners are travelling more, and their kids and grandchildren are involved in sport so have outgrown the bach, the owner said. It’s time to let it go and the house will be sold fully furnished.

“It was everything we wanted,” said the owner. “Sun drenched, a great position.”

Ray White Whangamata principal Reuben van Dorsten said that bringing the smart four-bedroom house to auction after a short two-week campaign is enticing to buyers who, contrary to the misconception, keep looking over winter.

“People are trying to purchase a bach now so they can be in before the summer holidays. An auction means people will meet the market, the vendors are looking to achieve the best result,” van Dorsten said.

“It’s a great property in a super location that ticks a whole lot of boxes, it’s minutes from the surf club, close to town, it’s got a nice new kitchen, a lockable boat carport. We’ve had a number of people through the open homes as auction properties tend to bring out those genuine buyers who are active.”

- 227B Ocean Road in Whangamata, Thames-Coromandel, goes to auction on June 15