- US exec Nick Grayston sold his Remuera villa for more than $8 million.
- The five-bedroom home, bought in 2017 for over $6 million, was modernised by Grayston and his wife.
- Grayston and Hélène Bizouerne, now in France, expressed sadness at leaving their family home.
The former CEO of the Warehouse group has sold his Auckland trophy home to an overseas buyer for more than $8 million, OneRoof can reveal.
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The five-bedroom villa on Arney Road, in Remuera, was listed for sale last year, after UK exec Nick Grayston abruptly left the top job at the Kiwi retail group.
New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty agents Natalie Newton and Margaret Bao picked up the listing at the start of May, after Grayston and his wife, Hélène Bizouerne, decided to switch agencies.
Grayston in 2021. He left the Warehouse last year and is now living in France with his wife. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Newton declined to disclose the sale price but said it was above its RV of $8 million, telling OneRoof it was a "great result", with the property selling within three weeks of its relaunch.
"The home was purchased by an overseas buyer, reinforcing the value of our global reach through the Sotheby’s network. There were around 20 private viewings, and the property attracted multiple offers early on."
Jonathan Sissons, head of Sotheby's Remuera, added: "Buyers at this end of the market are discerning and looking to tick all the boxes. They want turn-key and if they haven't got that, they just continue looking."
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Grayston and Bizouerne are currently living in France but spoke to OneRoof last month about how much the home meant to them.
“Those were important years in the children’s lives – and ours – so, in many ways, we’re all very sad to be finishing this particular chapter,” Bizouerne said.
Grayston and Bizouerne snapped up the villa in 2017 for just over $6m after shifting to New Zealand with their family the year before.
They had lived in a series of modern homes overseas, and told OneRoof last month that renovating a historic Auckland villa wasn’t at the top of their to-do list - until they saw Arney Road.
The house was originally the home of renowned New Zealand architect Edward Mahoney, and French-born Bizouerne told OneRoof it had an "incredible sense of space".
The Arney Road villa was the home of renowned New Zealand architect Edward Mahoney. Grayston and Bizouerne were won over by its "incredible sense of space". Photo / Supplied
The listing photos for the house highlighted some of the couple's unique touches, including a Moooi Horse Lamp. Photo / Supplied
Grayston, who had taken on the top job at The Warehouse, wanted a family home that offered privacy and was close to the city's top schools.
“Our first home here was in Takapuna, but we really wanted to be on the other side of town for the children’s schooling, and this property in Remuera felt perfect,” he said.
The couple had modernised the home and recounted their renovation adventures in previous interviews and profiles. They assembled an expert team of architects and builders to realise their vision.
Three of the five bedrooms enjoy en-suites, and the overall layout of the house lends itself to use in various other configurations to provide accommodation for guests or extended family.
“What we really appreciated about this house was the upstairs-downstairs aspect as our children reached their teens and needed their own space,” Bizouerne told OneRoof.
The Arney Crescent home of entrepreneur Diane Foreman and media personality Paul Henry is up for grabs. Photo / Supplied
Ray White agent Richard Thode got $11.6m in December for this modern home on Arney Road. Photo / Supplied
Grayston left The Warehouse last year, with his $2.2m “golden parachute” making headlines when the company released its annual report in November.
Arney Road and neighbouring Arney Crescent are home to some of the country's most expensive homes, with both streets targeted by the rich-listers and executives.
Other top homes available in the wealthy enclave include the mansion being sold by entrepreneur Diane Foreman and her broadcaster husband, Paul Henry, at 33 Arney Crescent.
Henry, in a video to promote the house, said: “You’ll have to be rich. It is fabulously expensive.”
Ray White agent Richard Thode recently sold a Brent Hulena-designed house next to Grayston's villa. He got $11.6m for the luxury pad - $7m above RV.
He told OneRoof last year that Arney Road and neighbouring Arney Crescent were X-factor streets.
“There are some very big Remuera homes, lovely properties on both sides of the road. If you quote it as an address, you know people will always recognise it,” he said. “There’s only a handful of addresses that command that in Remuera.”
Thode said being on the street, even in a relatively modest home, was desirable. “If you’re not in that big a home, your neighbour is. So, you get some upside just by default of having high-quality homes around you. It’s a beautiful-looking street.”
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