The luxury bach built by fashion designer Dame Trelise Cooper sold last week, going unconditional just before lockdown for $3 million, almost twice its council valuation of $1.55m.
The three-bedroom home in Auckland’s rich-lister beach enclave of Omaha had been marketed since June by Di Balich of Precision Real Estate.
Balich told OneRoof that at just three bedrooms, the “work of art” was more an “apartment at the beach, not for a big family.”
“The buyers were Aucklanders, a small family who appreciate the design. It’s the perfect bolthole, as they didn’t want a lot of land and maintenance, they wanted lock-and-leave.”
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Dame Trelise and her husband Jack had commissioned renowned Kiwi architects Fearon Hay to build the concrete and glass house in 2000, one of the first designer baches to spring up in the formerly modest beach town.
Dame Trelise Cooper. She commissioned building of the bach in 2000. Photo / Supplied
The house on Rita Way is just four houses back from the beach. Photo / Supplied
In October last year, Balich also sold the second beach house designed for the Coopers, owned by businesswoman Diane Foreman and media personality Paul Henry, for what was then a record price of $7.35m. Foreman bought the luxury four-bedroom “bach” at Karahu Lane in 2011 for $3.9m, and it had a 2017 CV of $5.2m.
The Coopers' second Omaha house, owned by Diane Foreman and Paul Henry, sold in October for $7.35m. Photo / Supplied
That record was broken this April when a five-bedroom beachfront home on Inanga Lane sold for $7.375m, more than $3m over its 2017 rating valuation.
The Omaha price record, set in April, is $7.375m for a house on Inanga Lane. Photo / Supplied
The house, marketed by Ray White agents Heather Walton and Sue Hatton, had views to Little Barrier Island and was designed by the award-winning Leuschke Group Architects in 2009.
Walton sold another water-adjacent property sold last week, a luxurious four-bedroom house on Taumata Drive, one back from the shore with its own beach access. She told OneRoof it was listed on the Friday and had a pre-auction offer by the Sunday. She cannot disclose the price, which is believed to be over $5m, but says it is record for a house one-back from the beach.
A house on Taumata Drive, Omaha, sold for over $5m after only two days on the market. Photo / Supplied
The six-year-old house, with a heated swimming pool and spa, had a council valuation of $3.82m.
Balich said she also sold another property just before lockdown after only two-and-a-half weeks on the market - a brand-new, four-bedroom house on Omaha Drive.
A brand-new, four-bedroom house on Omaha Drive sold for $4m just before lockdown. Photo / Supplied
“It went unconditional at $4m. And that’s it, the cupboard is bare, there are no more houses on the market.”
Now just one property remains for sale in Omaha - a 1815-square metre vacant site next to the cafe at the northern edge of the beach, with approved concept plans for two adjoining houses.
Balich says buyers are shopping at three distinct price points - “entry level” of under $2m, mid-level at under $3m “and then over $3m there is less restriction, they might go up to $4m or $5m.”
“I’m getting a lot of enquiries for beachfront, people with that money are very discerning, they're waiting for the right thing,” she says.
“Some of them are so frustrated, they’re looking a bit further north. I’m now listing waterfront land in Mangawhai Point. It’s still only 90 minutes from Auckland.”
