A luxury mansion in Wellington’s wealthy Oriental Bay sold last week for an undisclosed sum after passing in at auction.

But while the listing agent is remaining tight-lipped about the deal, he revealed to OneRoof that the price was the highest for the city so far this year

Bayleys’ Ben Atwill said the four-bedroom character villa was picked up by a local family after it failed to hit the reserve at auction.

The striking home, which has a 2021 RV of $5.4 million, had been touted as one of the best in the city, and features a lift, double garage, water views and a modern extension by Athfield Architects.

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Atwill said there had been strong interest in the property from overseas buyers during the six-month campaign. “With Hay Street, we had enquiries from the US, Canada, UK, and trans-Tasman. Mostly expat Kiwis returning home,” he said.

Atwill told OneRoof in October that the house was one of the best in the Wellington market. “I would even go as far as to say it’s probably one of the nicest homes in Wellington outright. It’s certainly the nicest home that I have been to in Wellington,” he said.

The luxury home on Hay Street, in Oriental Bay, Wellington, attracted interest from overseas buyers. Photo / Supplied Photo / Supplied

The Hay Street home boasts stunning water views. Photo / Supplied

The luxury home on Hay Street, in Oriental Bay, Wellington, attracted interest from overseas buyers. Photo / Supplied Photo / Supplied

It has been renovated from top to bottom. Photo / Supplied

He added: “It’s not something you buy and then you have to go and put in another $100,000. This house is done.”

According to OneRoof figures, the highest settled sale price for a residential home in the Wellington region in the last three months is $2.8m, for a five-bedroom home on Friend Street, in Karori.

The city’s biggest sale price of 2023, however, was $4.915m for a glamorous townhouse that was rumoured to have undergone an extensive $10m renovation.

The luxury home on Hay Street, in Oriental Bay, Wellington, attracted interest from overseas buyers. Photo / Supplied Photo / Supplied

A five-bedroom home on Friend Street, in Karori, fetched $2.8m in December last year. Photo / Supplied

The luxury home on Hay Street, in Oriental Bay, Wellington, attracted interest from overseas buyers. Photo / Supplied Photo / Supplied

A townhouse on Oriental Parade, in Oriental Bay, was 2023's most expensive house, selling for just under $5m. Photo / Supplied

The luxury home on Hay Street, in Oriental Bay, Wellington, attracted interest from overseas buyers. Photo / Supplied Photo / Supplied

29 The Crescent, in Roseneath, is another classic Wellington home for sale. Photo / Supplied

Atwill said $3m-plus sales were picking up in Wellington, noting that buyers had realised the market had bottomed out and this was a good time to move up the ladder.

The agent has another high-end character home on the market at 29 The Crescent, in Roseneath. The four-bedroom, two-storey villa has a 2021 RV of $4.05m and is for sale by tender, closing March 27.

Atwill said it was quite different from the Hay Street villa. “Hay was quite palatial, even though it was a villa. It had a 2012 modern extension, and it had a very strong presence about it. You had that juxtaposition between the classic charm and the ultra-modern sleek, clean lines of the extension. It was quite gallery-like, whereas The Crescent is more homely. It has a sense of connection with the rear backyard through the French doors. You could watch the kids play, and be handed a gin and tonic through the window.”

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