- A run-down house at 9B Rawene Avenue, Westmere, could be the cheapest entry to the street.
- The property, with an RV of $2.35m, is expected to be demolished by the new owner.
- Agent Tina Gao said the house is “as is, where is” and likely a knockdown.
A run-down deceased estate with holes in the ceiling could be the cheapest path to owning a home on one of Auckland’s wealthiest streets.
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Harcourts listing agent Tina Gao told OneRoof that the three-bedroom house for sale at 9B Rawene Avenue, in Westmere, would almost certainly be bowled by the new owner.
The cross-lease property, which has an RV of $2.35 million and goes to auction on July 26, is metres away from $20m-plus mansions overlooking the harbour.
The home has holes in the ceiling and walls of the living room. Photo / Supplied
The kitchen and tiling are dated. The listing agent thinks the new owner will bowl the home. Photo / Supplied
Gao said Rawene Avenue was one of Auckland’s most desirable streets. “You’ve got Marine Parade, Arney Road, Paritai Drive and Rawene Avenue,” she said.
Homeowners on the street include rich-lister couple Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams, whose new-build mansion has been a magnet for headlines. Also on the street is a modern trophy home once rented by Hollywood star Jason Statham, which recently sold for $28m.
https://www.oneroof.co.nz/news/jason-stathams-kiwi-crib-snapped-up-in-56m-mansion-swap-47450
“Rawene Avenue is the cream of the crop,” Gao said. “You’ve got the Mowbrays down the road doing their development. They have just got sign-off for their helicopter [landing pad].”
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Gao said the house at 9B Rawene Avenue was being sold “as is, where is”. The 90s-era home has not aged well, with the listing photos on OneRoof showing dated tiling and kitchen cabinetry as well as holes in the living room walls and ceiling.
“In most people’s books, it’s expensive, but it is an entry-level property for Rawene Avenue,” Gao said.
“The property itself is probably a knockdown. Quite a nice modern home, but built in the wrong era. I would be very surprised if someone came in and reclad and renovated what’s there. It’s seen much better days. I would call it more dilapidated than anything else.”
The two-storey home offers water views, but sits behind another home on the cross-lease.
The property is on the non-waterfront side of the street but still has water views and is close to some of the $20m-plus mansions that line the coast. Photo / Supplied
Gao said buyers would need to be mindful of rules around cross-lease properties if they planned an expensive rebuild. “It’s a cross-lease property, and you would need to discuss plans with the homeowner in front.”
The home was also on the odd-numbered side of the street, not the more valuable waterfront side, but Gao said the street was still an extremely desirable place to live, regardless of street number. “It’s close to Ponsonby and the city, and you’ve also got the famous Westmere Butcher on the corner, literally a stroll from 9B. There are lovely shops and cafes there as well.”
Gao said the clearance rate in her patch was around 40%. “With the auctions we’re calling at the moment, we’re getting bidders. A lot of the properties that pass in are selling within the next week or two. The people stopping sales at the moment are owners. There are still buyers there, there’s just no pressure for them to pay a premium.”
- 9B Rawene Avenue, Westmere, Auckland, goes to auction on July 26
