A “no-expenses-spared” luxury home next door to New Zealand's second-most expensive house has hit the market for sale.
The near-new property on Mahoenui Valley Road, in Coatesville, Auckland, borders the sprawling mansion that was once home to controversial internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom and is now owned by the Kiwi billionaires behind Zuru toys.
The five-bedroom lodge is being touted as one of New Zealand’s best lifestyle properties, with the owners telling OneRoof that they gave their architects and designers free rein to create a dream home.
The property, which is listed with Precision agent Nicky White, is seeking buyer enquiry of $9 million-plus.
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The owners, who preferred not to be named, told OneRoof that they had been looking for a home for their son about seven years ago when they stumbled across the 1ha section in Coatesville, on Auckland's northern fringes.
They bought the land and decided to build a new house for themselves. “We liked the location. It was very peaceful, and had a lovely rural outlook," they said.
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The couple said their famous neighbours, the three Mowbray siblings, who bought the former Dotcom mansion in 2016 for $32.5m, were "lovely people" (the Mowbrays' mansion can even be seen in the background of one of the listing photos).
The couple told OneRoof that had they engaged their friend, Tony Fraser, from The House of Nautica, to design a home for the property.
The result was a beautiful 757sqm lodge comprising five bedrooms, three ensuites, an office, guest toilet, 16-metre swimming pool, spa and a swim spa, extensive driveway, garden, and pool lighting.
The owners of the Coatesville lodge wanted a 16-metre pool, spa and swim spa included in the home's design. Photo / Supplied
No expense has been spared and the home includes several oversized fireplaces. Photo / Supplied
The interiors were professional decorated, and the furniture and extensive collection of art is to be sold with the house.
The couple told OneRoof that the site required a huge amount of earthworks and extensive landscaping and the total build cost went well over the initial budget, but they were delighted with the results.
“To build it today, we would not like to guess what the costs would be.”
Despite moving into the home just three years ago, the couple, who are nearing their mid-80s, have decided to downsize and move to a retirement village.
Precision's Nicky White said the property was the one of the best in New Zealand. "The owners have tucked it in with beautiful landscaping so it is very private. The house has got a real international flavour and is very luxurious."
New house price figures from OneRoof show Coatesville to be New Zealand's most expensive suburb. Its average property value of $3.812 million is the country’s highest.
White said buyers moving to the lifestyle suburb were doing so to get more space. "I think there are a lot of people who through Covid have realised they want to be more self-sufficient and not hemmed in."
White said the good properties in central Coatesville locations, such as Mahoenui Valley Road and Glenmore Road, near the markets and cafes, were still commanding great prices. "People want to be as central as they can be," she said.
"There's a real influx of new people coming in with younger kids and so forth, there's still subdivisions going on and land still sought-after."
The price of a 1ha bare section would typically start at $1.3m and would rise up to $3m for a really good location, while the price of an entry-level home started at $2m. When asked what the prices at the upper-end of the market were, she replied: "The sky's your limit really."
- Click here to find properties for sale in Coatesville
