A grand Wellington mansion owned by a former Russian politician has sold, but the sale price is a secret.
The seven-bedroom hillside lodge at 19 Monteith Grove, in Brooklyn, hit the market in September with an asking price of $5.5 million.
The price dropped to $3.95 million before the end of the year and had been under offer at the end of the year.
The listing agent, Ben Hawan, from New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty, said he could not reveal any details of the sale. “There's a very strict confidentiality clause,” he added.
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In a previous interview with OneRoof, Hawan said there had been huge surge of interest in the property on the back of the price drop.
The residence was used as a short-term luxury accommodation with prices starting from $1650 per night. Photo/ Supplied.
"We had interest from overseas buyers but most of enquiries were from Wellingtonians," he told OneRoof in December.
The house is quite striking and cascades down a large 2278sqm section, offering panoramic views of the city.
It was sold by former Russian politician and journalist Vadim Boyko, who made New Zealand his home in the mid-2000s.
Boyko spent millions turning the original two-storey residence into a five-level luxury lodge and spa retreat. The house is a mixture of styles from around the world, from Italian marble and South African hardwood floors to Persian rugs and British antique furniture.
The property has a glass cable car connecting all five levels and boasts a resort-like bar, a theatre, gym and billiards room, indoor heated pool and a spa with steam rooms.
Hawan told OneRoof last year that people either absolutely loved the design of the house or didn't.
The property stretches across 2278sq m of freehold land in Brooklyn, Wellington. Photo/ Supplied
The interest in 19 Monteith Grove comes amid a surge in Wellington's housing market. The city’s median property value is 18.3% up on pre-Covid levels and now sits at $1.025 million.
The boom has also resulted in some sky-high prices, with the wealthy enclave of Oriental Bay becoming the city’s first $2 million suburb.
The city's highest settled sale price post-Covid was $4.31 million for high-end property at 348 Oriental Parade, in Oriental Bay, while the highest settled sale in Brooklyn post-Covid was for a pair of homes at 54-56 Mitchell Street, which sold for $2.489 million in November.
The address boasts two hill-side homes - one, a four-bedroom residence and the other a two-bedroom home built for the vendors' grandparents.
Still on the market, and possible record-breaker for this year, is another luxury Wellington property that hit the market late last year.
46 Hobson Street, in Thorndon, is seeking offers of over $6.5 million - down from $7.95 million when it was originally listed in October.
The house at 46 Hobson Street, in Thorndon, Wellington could be city's biggest sale as it's listed for $6.5m. Photo/ Supplied
Tommy's Real Estate agent Phil Mears says the refurbished villa, which sits on a large freehold 1911sq m site in the heart of the city, ticks every box for modern living.
“It’s pretty rare to have a large flat piece of land in the middle of the city. Wellington is geographically challenged with hills and there’s not a lot of flat land,” he said, adding that property is split over six titles which provides buyers the opportunity to develop and sell each title separately.
