- A Wellington family bought a Breaker Bay bach for more than its rateable value.
- The home, with views of whales and dolphins, was purchased for more than $2m in 2022.
- Listing agent Annie Newell says Wellington RVs are already well out of date.
A bach with “bonus nudists” has been bought by a Wellington family for more than its rateable value.
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OneRoof wrote about the holiday home on Breaker Bay Road, in Breaker Bay, last year when it hit the market for sale.
The vendors, Jane and Stephen, had raved about the views they enjoyed from the beachfront home. Not of the naked sunbathers, who congregate at the far end of Breaker Bay beach, but of the daily stream of whales, dolphins, and seals.
Jane told OneRoof in September that the couple had fallen in love with the three-bedroom home almost immediately. They bought it in January 2022 for just over $2m.
“There’s something every day to look at. On glorious sunny days, it’s breathtaking. And on rough days, wow,” she said.
The property looks out to the bay. The vendors say they often see dolphins and whales. Photo / Supplied
The house was stylishly presented, and championed bright beach colours. Photo / Supplied
“It’s too easy to flick the jug on and realise you’ve been standing there for 15 minutes just staring at the ocean.”
The couple weren’t aware of Breaker Bay’s nudist fame, but it didn’t faze them when they found out. “I don’t think I was aware when we first looked at the house. But everything’s available on the internet, and the minute that you put Breaker Bay in, it’s one of the things that comes up,” Jane said.
The nudists tend to keep themselves to themselves, Jane added. “You can quite happily walk on the beach without being surrounded by nudists. If you want to be amongst it, you’ll go down to that end of the beach. If you don’t, you’ll avoid it.”
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The pair is relocating to Taranaki for business reasons, and reluctantly put the house on the market for sale.
Listing agent Annie Newell, from Lowe & Co, told OneRoof the house had attracted a lot of interest from people “who loved coastal living” to those who “enjoyed the privacy and quietness of the area”.
However, it took a while to find the right buyer. “The Wellington market is challenged, which means certain houses take a little bit longer to sell. Buyers are taking their time to make a decision.”
The deck has been a great place for entertaining. Photo / Supplied
New RVs in Wellington have thrown a spanner in the works for some sales. In the case of Breaker Road, the RV fell from $2.1m to $1.48m.
However, the latest Wellington RVs were taken in September 2024, which meant they were already five months out of date by the time they were issued.
“It’s interesting because in the same way buyers understood the old RVs were too high in terms of market value, now they perceive them as being too low.
“They came out in February, but they’re from September 2024. So they were already five months old and based on older sales. Most of the houses that we are selling now are selling in excess of the current rateable value.”
Newell declined to disclose the sale price of Breaker Bay Road but did say it was higher than the RV. The property had initially been seeking buyer enquiry over $1.795m.
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