- A former Hare Krishna workshop in Katikati sold for $910,000 after high interest.
- The three-bedroom home features handcrafted adobe bricks and sits on a 5.46ha lifestyle block.
- The buyers plan to obtain a compliance certificate and were chosen for their clean offer.
A former Hare Krishna workshop in the Western Bay of Plenty has sold for just under $1 million.
Start your property search
The unconventional barn-style home on Work Road, in Katikati, attracted a lot of attention when it hit the market earlier this year.
Eves agent Tara Kehoe, who worked on the sale with colleague Durrelle Green, told OneRoof that over 100 people attended the first open home. “We were laughing because it was like a school fête,” she said.
“At every single open home after, there were at least four or five groups that would come through, and it just continued. I would say out of that, probably 70% were just curious because it was just such an amazing and different property.”
The inside of the house highlights the cathedral-like space and the craftsmanship involved in the construction. Photo / Supplied
The vendors’ car collection is on display in the lounge. Photo / Supplied
The three-bedroom house was built with handcrafted adobe bricks and recycled timber, using an ancient Japanese construction technique, and sits on a 5.46ha lifestyle block next to DOC land and a stunning stream.
The vendors had bought it in 2016 from a local Hare Krishna group, which used to make furniture in the barn.
The property, which lacked code of compliance, had an initial asking price of just over $1.09m, but then dropped to just under $900,000 before it was sold for $910,000.
Discover more:
- Upcycling queen of Timaru sells her chic villa for just under $700,000
- Iconic pub set to re-open after owner abandons sale - 'it just didn’t feel right'
- 'What are you doing living in my house?': Restaurant power couple selling dream home
Kehoe said multiple parties had fallen in love with the house, with the agents receiving enquiries from as far afield as France. Some overseas Kiwis sent their parents to viewings.
Even members of the Hare Krishna community still living in the valley expressed an interest in buying the land.
“In the end, we had seven people who were super, super keen. It became a race to the finish,” he said.
“We had people wanting to turn it into a sales retreat. Another wanted to set up a dog rehabilitation centre.”
The buyers were local and had just used the agents to sell their home. "They just sold in Katikati and wanted somewhere safe for their dogs and cats," Kehoe said, adding that they planned to get a compliance certificate for the house so they could take it to the next level.
The property sits on a 5.46ha plot next to DOC land and a stunning stream. Photo / Supplied
“It really came down to the cleanest offer and the right people. Not necessarily about dollars. It was heartbreaking for the others because they desperately wanted it. But that's the nature of the business, unfortunately.”
The vendors, Georgie and Roger Vincent, told OneRoof that they were happy to have sold to buyers who would cherish the property. “We’re happy we got to meet the buyers,” Georgie said. “And we’re happy that it’s gone to a good couple.”
The Vincents had bought a nearby farm because they wanted more land to cultivate.
They told OneRoof earlier this year that they parked their classic car collection in the barn's cathedral-like lounge. “We have my husband’s very first car, which he had when he was 16. It’s a 1966 Fiat 1500 Crusader. It’s not his original, but we found one from the same year. And we’re in the Mini Club, so we’ve got a little 1971 minivan.” The third car is a modern Mini.
Georgie commissioned artwork of a house on a truck for the lounge to celebrate her husband’s business. It complements the cars.
The home and its unusual architecture turn heads, she said. Although it’s remote, drivers still pass by for one reason or another. “On the weekends, people drive up the road, and you see them drive really slowly, their heads almost turning backwards looking at our house.”
- Click here to find more properties for sale in Western Bay of Plenty
