- Auckland’s 44 Hakanoa Street, transformed into a Mexican-style villa in the 1990s, is renowned for its legendary parties.
- The four-bedroom home, owned by Munjula Andrews, features thick plastered walls and exposed timber beams.
- Listed at $2.325m, agents describe it as perfect for creative buyers seeking a unique space.
Auckland’s Grey Lynn has more than its fair share of character homes. But none quite like 44 Hakanoa Street.
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Once a square-fronted villa, the home was transformed in the 1990s into a slice of Mexico.
The parties there were legendary, and people still stop Vanita Andrews in the street to talk about them.
The 240sqm four-bedroom, one-bathroom home, which sits on 493sqm of land, belongs to Vanita’s mother, Munjula, who set her sights on unusual Auckland properties after fleeing Canterbury following the devastating earthquakes there.
She snapped up a 110-year-old villa in Parnell and a “castle” in Mount Eden before moving to Hakanoa Street.
The original villa was transformed into an adobe-style home, with plaster walls and exposed timber beams. Photo / Supplied
The house hosted many memorable parties in the 1990s. The vendor’s daughter says she still gets stopped in the street by people who remember the fun times there. Photo / Supplied
“Mum bought the house in 2018,” Vanita said. “She fell in love with all the wooden rafters, and also learnt a little bit about the story behind it.” The vendor at the time was the son of the man who had transformed the villa into an adobe home.
The original villa bones remain, but the 1990s renovation introduced thick plastered walls, exposed timber beams, and curved interior lines reminiscent of a desert hacienda.
“The man who renovated it back in the 90s was really into that Adobe-style housing,” Vanita said. “He had a real thing for that part of the world.
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“He was a very interesting character. He sourced some unique things, like the windows. There’s some really interesting tiling downstairs on the stone floor.
“He used to have a little truck outside the house that sold pumpkin, eggnog, and other interesting things. He might have even sold rugs.”
Vanita said the man’s son – “also an interesting character” – used to hold parties at the house, which left an impression. “People would stop me and say, ‘Oh, I went to the best parties at that house’. I could just be walking into the house, and someone would roll down their window as they drove past and say, ‘Oh my God, the parties at that house were amazing’.
The house was picked up by earthquake refugee Munjula Andrews in 2018. Photo / Supplied
The agents selling the property say the options are endless for buyers. Photo / Supplied
“Someone once told me they met their partner at a party here in the 90s. It’s that kind of house, people remember it.”
Vanita added that the entire street had a community feel, and that the previous owners were very involved in that side of the neighbourhood.
The home itself was perfect for creative people. Vanita’s mother is a nurse by profession and ran rest homes in the South Island, but was also a potter and loved crafts.
When Munjula eventually headed back south after 14 years in Auckland, Vanita and her son moved into the much-loved home. “My son and I moved into it around Covid,” she said.
Vanita is also a creative: photographer by day and a potter. “Pottery is more of a side hustle,” she said.
The home has been a special place to live, Vanita said. “What I love about the house is when you’re upstairs, you feel like you’re almost in a boat. You look out on the balcony and you can see everything, but you feel very cosy inside. It was perfect for [the pandemic era] with what was happening in the world. Then, downstairs, you go down and it sprawls out to an even bigger space.”
The home has an RV of $2.325m and is listed with Whitefox agents Ryan Teece and Reuben Payn. They believe the “options are endless” for buyers. In their listing on OneRoof, they write: “The open-plan living area offers a functional and flowing footprint that connects seamlessly to the outdoors.
“High ceilings, timber floors, and original character details provide the perfect foundation for a bold reimagination or a thoughtful restoration.
“This is a home that invites creativity and connection in equal measure.”
- 44 Hakanoa Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland, is for sale, deadline closing November 27
