One of Marlborough’s oldest villas, built in the 1800s by the region’s first MP and Cabinet Minister, is on the market for sale.
Blue Seas Homestead is a waterfront property in the Marlborough Sounds, a series of submerged river valleys at the top of the South Island.
There is a three-bedroom renovated house but the property also features a “boatel”, which is like a motel but with boats, that was added in the 1950s.
The listing at Elie Bay in Pelorus Sounds is a rare offering and is one of the largest flat waterfront sections in the sounds, says New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty agent Angus Mann.
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The property can be accessed by boat or car and is surrounded by a pristine pastoral landscape with lush, landscaped gardens, an orchard, mature native trees, a stream, and “spectacular” views of the surrounding ranges and across the water.
The villa is steeped in history and was a little run down when the current owner took it on but he sensitively and creatively refurbished it, says Mann.
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“It was built originally by the first Marlborough MP, Charles Houghton Mills, and was the original homestead of the Hopai Station, which is a big farm out in the sounds, so it’s an iconic piece of property.”
Charles Houghton Mills was a member of Richard Seddon’s government in the late 1800s, Mann says, and, according to Wikipedia, was Minister for Trade and Customs and Minister for Immigration.
Mann says the property features in a book, Before We Say Goodbye, written by a former owner, which tells how the MP’s father, Richard Mills, came to New Zealand in 1840 bringing a consignment of cattle on the ship but the ship was wrecked and the cattle lost.
Richard, however, survived and settled in Nelson.
According to the book, years later his sons, including Charles, rowed their whaleboat from Nelson, though French Pass to Pelorus Sound.
The Elie Bay Road property sits on one of the largest flat waterfront sections in the Marlborough Sounds. Photo / Supplied
“It was their idea of a holiday. After spending a week or two exploring the sound, they rowed back to Nelson, a distance of 128km,” says Mann, via the book.
The brothers loved the area so much they decided to take up land there in the 1870s.
In those days, the local mill milled all the timber and the majority of the house is built from native woods.
The house has a classic villa layout with three big bedrooms, a formal dining room, lounge, farmhouse kitchen and a study, and there’s a verandah out front.
The current owner bought the property in 2009 when it was in “quite a state of disrepair” but he spent the last six years refurbishing it and bringing it back to its days of glory and while the interior is not original it is superbly done, says Mann.
While secluded, the property is connected with mains power and internet.
The “boatel” needs refurbishment but provides another four bedrooms with cooking and bathroom facilities, and it faces the stream and has sea views.
A two-bedroom water-facing bach on Akerbloms Road, in Kenepuru Sound, recently sold for $650,000. Photo / Supplied
Mann says Denys Parsonson, the former owner who wrote the book, built the boatel which he ran as a business, bringing in guests from around the world.
Once restored, it could be used again as accommodation for holidaymakers, travellers or as a guest wing.
There is an airstrip at Elie Bay which is often used for fixed wing aircraft, and a weekly mailboat service delivers groceries and other essentials, and the property owns two out of five shares of the Elie Bay wharf.
The new owners can get there by their own boat, or it’s two-and-a-half-hours drive from Havelock.
Mann says the price expectation is in the high $2ms and there has been strong interest, which he is not surprised at as he says the property is “pretty special”.
He did not want to say why the owner is selling, just that he comes from overseas and has other properties around the world.
Mann says the Marlborough property market overall is relatively buoyant after the softening of the last 12 months.
“Marlborough is generally considered an affluent region with our economy being underpinned by strong industries such as viticulture, aquaculture, farming, forestry and a plethora of construction projects.
“We are also seeing strong demand from purchasers outside of the region who are looking for a lifestyle change, especially lifestyle properties with income opportunities.”
3900 Kenepuru Road, Kenepuru Sound, has a $750,000 price tag. Photo / Supplied
Tall Poppy Marlborough and Picton business owner Grant Douglas just sold a bach on Akerbloms Road, in Kenepuru Sound, for $650,000 - well over its $550,000 CV.
The two-bedroom north-facing bach with water views had been modernised and saw a lot of interest with a local the eventual buyer, though inquiry is usually 80 per cent out of towners.
“Canterbury would be probably the largest market, Nelson, Wellington to a lesser extent and then Auckland to a lesser extent.”
Wellingtonians with boats love buying in the Sounds, he says.
“A lot of baches in the outer sounds have a higher number of owners from Wellington because they keep their boats in Mana over in Paremata and it only takes them an hour.
“They’ve got those big gin palaces and just chug over and have a wine on the way. Well, probably not a wine given the Cook Strait.”
People can get to their bach by boat faster than driving from Picton, he says.
Douglas has another property on the market, at 3900 Kenepuru Road, Kenepuru Sound. It has a $750,000 price tag.
The three-bedroom is tidy with a golden beach in front of it and has lovely views, mature trees and a garden.
There’s good interest, especially from Cantabrians who can pack their bags on a Friday afternoon and embark on the four-to-six-hour drive which is worth it once they get there.
A five-bedroom home with a 6.7ha vineyard at 57 Fareham Lane, in Renwick, is for sale by way of price by negotiation. Photo / Supplied
Douglas agrees the market overall is good. He covers the Blenheim residential market and the Picton and Sounds’ market, describing Blenheim as the residential/vineyard area and the others as water views and beaches.
“I think in Blenheim the market is definitely moving. It’s not huge but positive signs there.
“If properties are priced well they will sell but if they are priced $1 more than buyers see the value, they will just sit there and not sell.”
He is quietly optimistic about the year ahead: “I don’t think we’re going to kick any large goals but I think it will track along.”
Bayleys Marlborough franchise director Glenn Dick says the market is solid and he is looking forward to the year ahead.
“There's probably a higher than usual amount of listings and stock on the market.
“Is it just because we’ve got a stable government? Is it because there’s confidence in the market? Are there people that were holding on a little bit last year just to see what happened, or is it because we’ve got stability of interest rates?”
A tidy bach for sale at 799 Kenepuru Road, in Mahau Sound. Photo / Supplied
Whatever the reason, people are out and about at open homes and making inquiries, he says.
“We've got a good range of vineyards, lifestyle blocks, we've got good high-end residential, we've got good middle of the road residential, and a nice array of holiday homes in the sounds.”
Bayleys’ offerings include a five-bedroom, three-bathroom home and income vineyard at 57 Fareham Lane, in Renwick, which has an RV of $16.1m and features a two level home with the main living elevated above the 6.7 hectare vineyard.
There is also a self-contained apartment, a studio unit and a standalone cottage.
Another offering is a three-bedroom bach at 799 Kenepuru Road, which has an RV of $870,000. It has its own boatshed and is dubbed by agents Will Porter and Bailey Dewe “Kiwiana in the Mahau Sound”.
The property is nestled in the bush but has both waterfront and road access.
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