Wellington is on a roll, with a large number of high-end central city homes hitting the market in exclusive suburbs like Oriental Bay, Kelburn, Thorndon and Wadestown.
Many feature sweeping harbour views and some come with a lift. High-end for Wellington is in the $3m to $5m range and while those sorts of prices are dubbed entry level in some of Auckland’s high-end suburbs, such as Remuera and Herne Bay, in Wellington that sort of cash buys a top-notch renovated home with the latest in security and sound systems.
Nicki Cruickshank, principal for Tommy’s Real Estate, says her agency has around 10 high-end properties on the market in the $3m-plus bracket and that’s unusual.
She thinks the large number probably relates to the cycle of people getting older and downsizing.
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“It comes to a point I suppose where a lot of those people are of an age where they don't need a big house anymore and it does go in cycles.
“I remember probably about 2009, 2010 sort of felt like the last cycle of where we had a lot of big houses - they were in the $2ms then, but now they're in the $3ms.”
Tommy’s has three “big, beautiful” houses for sale in Wadestown, a northern suburb close to the city on the hill above Thorndon.
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“They’re all tremendous properties and they’re all a stone’s throw from each other and all well over $3m,” says Cruickshank.
One is 37 Upper Watt Street, which has views to the harbour on the southern side and a big, flat lawn on the northern side – it’s hard to get a good, flat lawn on the hill and get views and all-day sun, Cruickshank says.
There have been good numbers of people booking viewings, which are by appointment for these sorts of properties.
Cruickshank says buyers are often families, usually with both parents working in well-paid jobs, although sometimes buyers come from overseas where they have been working in places like London or Sydney and have saved up some money.
Another Wadestown property is five-bedroom 19 Anne Street, which is listed for enquiries over $3.495m.
Marketed as a “magnificent character home”, the house sits at the top of a ridge and has “staggering” panoramic harbour and city views, along with a big double garage with a studio above and a 1901sqm landscaped section.
19 Anne Street, in Wadestown, Wellington, is a five-bedroom home on a 1901sqm section, and is seeking buyer enquiries of $3.495m-plus. Photo / Supplied
Looking for $3.95m-plus is this six-bedroom home for sale at 55 Barnard Street, in Wadestown, Wellington. Photo / Supplied
There are also concept plans for an additional dwelling and there are gardens with “outdoor rooms” for barbecues, spa, vegetables and recreation.
A six-bedroom home on the market at 55 Barnard Street, in Wadestown, is asking for enquiries over $3.95m.
This property also has extensive views over the harbour and Wellington central and big decking, as well as a wine cellar, integrated zoned sound system, vacuum and security and irrigation systems.
Sometimes homes in Wellington are divided into flats and then divided back into the big roomy villas they originally were.
Number 320 Oriental Parade in exclusive Oriental Bay - Wellington’s “Riviera”, according to agent Amy Allen from Lowe & Co - has not been divided back yet but the resource consent is there if someone wants to do that.
The house, which is on the market for buyer enquiry over $3.85m, was built in 1901 and sits just across the street from the water.
Allen says locals know it as the house with the turret, which was added during 1996 renovations.
“It's pretty iconic,” she says. “It’s probably one of the ones that's most recognised by the locals.”
The property is configured as two one-bedroom apartments which means the buyer has options, such as living in one and renting the other, or converting it to a single large dwelling.
Two one-bedroom character apartments are for sale at 320 Oriental Parade in Oriental Bay, Wellington. Photo / Supplied
Dubbed the Concrete House, this architectural gem at 6 Clermont Terrace, in Kelburn, Wellington, is looking for buyers with budgets of $3.6m-plus. Photo / Supplied
Allen says the owners had Novak+Middleton resource consented plans to convert the property back into a big home of four bedrooms with a lift and a gymnasium, but their plans have changed and they are leaving Wellington.
There is a good pool of buyers for properties like this, in such an exclusive location where the value will hold, she says.
“In Wellington on a busy day the beach down there is absolutely heaving; the Riviera as such.
“You’ve got harbour views looking back into the city so the evening aspect and light is kind of the last of the day’s sun.”
Over in Kelburn, another top notch central Wellington suburb, Tommy’s agent Bill Mathieson is selling 6 Clermont Terrace, a 2011 House of the Year winner designed by architect Simon Twose.
On for enquiries over $3.6m, the “concrete house” is minutes from the CBD.
“It’s an amazing house,” Mathieson says, built around a courtyard and with an incredible sense of indoor/outdoor living.
The house is extremely well-thought out with windows lining up to take advantage of outlooks and views with a lot of glass giving a light feel.
Mathieson says with homes in this price range, the buyer catchment is smaller: “There’s never an abundance of bias for something like that but we've had plenty of people wanting to have a look at it.”
He’s not sure why there are so many high-end homes available currently in the capital city but says Wellington’s values over the last few years have gone up, which means there are now more in the higher-priced category.
An elegant four-bedroom home for sale at 32 Roxburgh Street, in Mount Victoria, Wellington. Photo / Supplied
A contemporary home at 32 Upton Terrace, in Thorndon, Wellington, is on the market for $3.25m-plus. Photo / Supplied
Kelburn is a “primo” suburb, he says, with a village of its own but also a short walk to the CBD and The Terrace one way yet still only minutes from the Botanic Gardens and close to the Cable Car.
He is selling another high-end home in Roxburgh Street in Mt Victoria, another desirable location, for enquiries over $3.65m.
The large character home from the 1890s is beautiful and set in a great location, says Mathieson, who is also selling a mid-century house in Thorndon for enquiries over $3.2m.
Here the three bedrooms all have their own ensuites and with the house built across three levels there is also a lift along with the harbour views.
“It’s a stunning house, it's got views, sheltered, slightly elevated, it's got a lift, it's been pretty much redone from top to toe.”
The lift is an added bonus in Wellington for baby boomers looking to downsize, though the house is a great family home, too, he says.
Mathieson thinks these expensive Wellington homes are usually bought by locals but he says he often doesn’t know buyer backgrounds: “Wellingtonians are not so obvious around their wealth - you can’t take anything or anyone for granted.”
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