A young father who bought an uninhabitable Wellington property with a tree growing through the middle of it has ambitious plans to turn it into a dream home for his family.
The deceased estate on Nevay Road, in Karaka Bays, with breathtaking views out to the Wellington Peninsula sold at the end of last year for an undisclosed price.
Tommy’s listing agent Alexia Stoddard said the new owners were “mesmerized” by the views and planned to restore the architecturally-designed 1960s home back to its former glory.
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“The views are just outstanding and it’s private and it’s a great location and it’s sunny.”
Stoddard said the buyers, who were from Wellington, had been expecting a child at the time of buying the property and planned to raise their family there.
Not only did they have a vision for the home, she said, but they also had the know-how and connections to tradespeople who could remediate and renovate the property.
Work to restore the property started almost immediately and was attracting immense interest from neighbours who have previously watched the empty property unravel over the last decade. It was officially deemed uninhabitable in 2018.
The new owners were sold on the "mesmerizing" views of the Wellington Peninsula. Photo / Supplied
The listing photos reveal missing doors and windows and only half a kitchen. Photo / Supplied
The original owner commissioned renowned architect Charles Fearnley to design the five-bedroom, two-bathroom home for his own family. There was also a downstairs granny flat connected by a spiral staircase.
At the time of being sold only parts of the kitchen remained and there were missing doors and windows.
“It was such a unique house.”
However, despite its condition, the property still had a mid-century feel to it and some of the original light fittings, wooden beams, brickwork and rimu floorboards were still intact.
A 3D render of the property was also provided to prospective buyers to show them what it could potentially look like after a full renovation.
A 3D render of the house was shown to prospective buyers. Photo / Supplied
It was marketed as a “rare blank canvas” that would appeal to investors, global buyers and local residents with a passion for the area.
The property sold within less than a month of hitting the market for a second time in November. The deadline was even brought forward after the new owners made an acceptable offer to the family members who were selling the estate.
The property had previously been listed with an Auckland agent earlier in the year and passed in at auction in June after failing to get a bid above $500,000. It was then given an asking price of $699,000 before being withdrawn from the market a few months later.
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