Do Kiwi house-hunters want grand designs or just a great kitchen? Recent sales would suggest that while buyers love the idea of a house that's visually stunning, what really seals the deal are top of the line fixtures and fittings, and, of course, a great location.
On Sunday, a house designed by celebrated architect Ron Sang passed in at auction, after a marketing campaign that highlighted its importance as a work of art. More than 400 art lovers and buyers attended the open homes and its sale was even conducted by art auction house Webb's.
However, the updated three-bedroom home on Hapua Street in Auckland's Remuera passed in at auction. The house did sell on Wednesday for an undisclosed sum, but the listing agents said the price was in line with their expectations of $4m-plus.
Ollie Wall, of Wall Real Estate, told OneRoof today that the buyer was someone very interested in mid-century architecture.
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Selling homes that are celebrated more for their design and status than their qualities as as home can be hard. One real estate agent, who preferred not be named, said buyers always had a check list. “A house has to have the right flow, the right number of bedrooms and have a big kitchen. It still has to be on the right street."
A five-bedroom 1970s architect-designed house with an award-winning renovation on Pamela Place in St Heliers , Auckland, sold for $5.1m. Photo / Supplied
The renovation of the Pamela Place house included a massive new kitchen that could easily have cost $100,000, says the agent. Photo / Supplied
Late last year, a two-bedroom townhouse on Hapua Street created by another famous 1970s architect, Claude Megson, sold for $1.38m - $240,000 above its 2017 CV - while a more conventional but no less stunning four-bedroom new-build on the same street sold for $3.4m.
Another Auckland agent, Barfoot & Thompson's Paul Neshausen said that while there were buyers keen on New Zealand's architectural gems good design alone was not enough.
Neshausen just sold a five-bedroom home designed by Sang contemporary Robert Railley for $5.1m. The house, on one of Auckland's best streets, had been extensively updated, boasted top-of-the-range fittings and had a view of the harbour.
Neshausen said: "In modern homes, the kitchen is the hub of the house. It’s easily the most expensive room with all the enhancements. You can spend $100,000 on that alone.”
This quirky two-bedroom townhouse by architect Claude Megson, on the same Remuera street as the Sang Art House, sold late last year for $1.35m. Photo / Supplied
Smaller sizes may work for families if the street is great, said Ray White agent Elyas Salimi, who sold a house designed by Megson for $4.2m this month.
The three-bedroom home on Cliff Road, St Heliers, had a new kitchen, but retained Megson’s layout. “This is an absolutely stunning street, the family buyers loved the address,” said Salimi.
“To some people it’s a collectors' edition. It wasn’t for everyone, but the family who bought it are extremely happy. It looks out over the bays and has access to the waterfront.”
For most Kiwis, the buying and selling of houses is a serious business.
Real estate auctioneer Mark Sumich said: “[An auction] is a serious event for the buyer and the seller. The gimmicky side of things will not necessarily bring a larger sale price.”
Another three-bedroom house on Cliff Road, St Heliers, Auckland, with stunning sea views sold for $4.2m this month. Photo / Supplied
