The multi-million-dollar Auckland mansion where Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards recuperated after brain surgery has a new celebrity connection: Kiwi actress Lucy Lawless.
The five-bedroom house at 2 St Vincent Avenue, in Remuera, which is on the market for sale, had a starring role in the new season of Lawless’ TV show, My Life is Murder.
In last Sunday’s real estate-themed episode of the TVNZ detective show, aptly titled Location, Location, Location, the house was the backdrop to some spooky goings-on.
Lawless’ character Alexa Crow is called in to investigate when a real estate agent is found dead at an open home, with the vendor insisting that the house is haunted.
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Kiwi actress Jess Hon, who is finding global fame with the hit Netflix series 3 Body Problem, also makes an appearance.
The actual owner of the house, Kim McWilliams, told OneRoof her family was thrilled to see their home appear on screen.
“We had friends around on Sunday night and did a big roast dinner and watched it together,” she said.
“We had such a laugh, seeing them pretend that the house was haunted. They moved all our antiques and some of the art down to the ballroom, which we’d not done before.
“They used our dungeon, but it’s important to know that it doesn’t lead to a tunnel to our neighbour’s house,” she said. Without spoiling a key plot point, McWilliams added that the “neighbour’s house” used on the show was actually a home a few blocks away.
Lucy Lawless as Alexa Crowe in My Life is Murder. Photo / Supplied
McWilliams, who bought the house with partner Tom Bowden in 2021 for $8 million, said they were selling up now that they were facing an empty nest. To their knowledge the house has never been haunted.
She told OneRoof earlier this year, when the house first hit the market, that they had first visited the house to see the renovations the previous owners had carried out.
“We love historical homes and at first just came to see the renovation as we had both been to events at the house. We fell in love with it, and our kids were super excited,” she said.
The property, which is known as Cotter House, had been run as an upmarket hotel for several decades by colourful Auckland hostess Gloria Poupard-Walbridge, who bought it with her French diplomat husband in 1995.
By the time the Rolling Stone member stayed there for a month recuperating from brain surgery, a night’s stay cost between $605 and $1200. It was only when the house went on the market that Poupard-Walbridge could divulge details of Richards’ stay with wife Patty Hansen and children.
The 1860s house was extensively renovated, with the former ballroom, added in 1910, now a modern kitchen, dining and family room opening to the pool. Photo / Supplied
The ground floor games room includes a glamorous wet bar. Photo / Supplied
McWilliams said that the 565sqm mansion had two distinct parts – the older part of the house, which the girls have designated “the oldies’ area” and the modern part, transformed a few years ago. She said the older half of the house accommodates the couple’s collection of antiques and art in a formal sitting room, study and dining room, complete with enormous Victorian sash windows still with their original panes.
“One of the drawcards that brought us here was seeing that the recently completed renovations had been done to a very high standard, with great effort made to match the original architectural style. Having previously renovated old houses, we would not have been keen on embarking on yet another renovation, especially one of this size,” she said.
The swimming pool, surrounded by some 100 palms, opens off the family room area. Photo / supplied
The formal dining room, living room and study feature original sash windows. Photo / Supplied
Barfoot & Thompson agents Leila and David MacDonald, who are marketing the property, can confidently report that they are both alive and well, and happy to see the property on air after all this time.
Leila MacDonald had told OneRoof earlier this year that the combination of the incredible original house with the renovations would appeal to buyers wanting the big family home and roomy gardens.
She would not be drawn on the likely price of the property, but said it would be “way, way above” the CV of $8.2m.
Cotter House is not the first Auckland real estate listing connected to Lawless’ hit show. At the end of last year, a character apartment that was used in My Life is Murder sold for $2.45m.
And it’s not the first time that McWilliams has seen her home on a TV screen. She told OneRoof an inner-city apartment she owned was used as a location for an episode of Filthy Rich, the 2016 comedy-drama that at the time was one of New Zealand’s most expensive shows.
“That time the kids got to watch with popcorn,” she laughed.
- 2 St Vincent Avenue, Remuera, is for sale by way of price by negotiation
