Four homeowners surrounded by bulldozers and building sites have put their lifestyle blocks on the market for sale at the same time.
The four properties have a combined CV of just over $9 million, and together cover more than three hectares on West Hoe Heights, in Ōrewa, north of Auckland.
Listing photos of the properties on OneRoof highlight their unusual situation. The properties are an island of greenery in a sea of earthworks.
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The owners had purchased the homes back when Ōrewa was a mix of seaside homes, lifestyle properties and farmland, but the drive for more housing has seen an explosion of new builds.
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The housing development underway next to their properties, Strathmill, is expected to deliver more than 400 new homes.
All four homes are listed with Barfoot and Thompson agent Eddie Zhao.
Zhao told OneRoof it was unusual in the current market environment for neighbouring homeowners to sell together, but by working together they had made their homes more attractive to greenfield developers.
“It makes a sizable development for anybody looking for a large residential development. Someone can amalgamate the roads and make a more economical subdivision. One hectare would be too small.”
Zhou said that while the buyer pool was limited, the potential rewards for a developer were significant. “It has to be a financially well-established developer. Most don’t have enough equity to do it,” he said.
However, there would be economies of scale for a buyer once the surrounding land had been developed. “The services will be closer to the boundary,” Zhou told OneRoof.
The Barfoot & Thompson listing on OneRoof shows the four homes, surrounded by what will be a 400-plus housing development. Photo / Supplied
246 West Hoe Heights, like its three neighbours, can be bought individually or as a combo. Photo / Supplied
The four properties had advantages over some of the former farmland being developed around them. Because they were elevated, they had good views, Zhou said. They were also close to the motorway and transport services.
Zhou said that there was an option to buy the properties individually.
On offer are:
- 240 West Hoe Heights, a six-bedroom property on one hectare with a $2.68m CV;
- 246 West Hoe Heights, a five-bedroom property on 1.01ha with a $2.68m CV;
- 248 West Hoe Heights, another five-bedroom property on 1.01ha with a $2.68m CV; and
- 260 West Hoe Heights, a three-bedroom property on 3670sqm with a CV of $1.7m.
Trevor Knox, who owns Number 248 said he and wife Joanne had emigrated from the UK 20 years ago and bought the lifestyle property when it was surrounded by peaceful farmland.
However, changes to New Zealand’s zoning laws opened up the land to intensification.
248 West Hoe Heights has a five-bedroom home and covers 1.01ha of land. Photo / Supplied
The smallest of the offerings is 260 West Hoe Heights. Photo / Supplied
“We got on well with the neighbours over the years,” Knox told OneRoof. “All the [farm] land is gone. We have a new school at the back of us. Now Strathmill is coming.
“We just thought it would be good if we came together and sold. We had a few meetings and decided to put the properties up as a big lot.”
The Strathmill development has met with opposition, with some campaigning to limit the size of the project, arguing that it would cause traffic problems and reduce the quality of life in the neighbourhood.
An artist's impression of the new Strathmill houses. Photo / Supplied
Strathmill was originally proposed as a 201-house development, the New Zealand Herald reported in early 2023. However, developer Shildon Limited applied for consent for more than 400 homes under the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-Track Consenting) Act 2020.
Despite opposition efforts, an expert consenting panel gave the go-ahead in June last year for more than 400 homes to be built.
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