- Beavan House in Onehunga sold for $3.3m on Christmas eve, setting a residential record.
- The historic villa, built in 1908, features a turret and views of Manukau Harbour.
- The property was bought by a local who had long admired it, marking the highest non-development sale in Onehunga.
A landmark villa in Auckland’s Onehunga sold on Christmas eve for $3.3 million, OneRoof can reveal.
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Beavan House, a historic homestead with its own turret and clear views of Manukau Harbour, is the sort of property that could easily fetch $5m-plus in Remuera or Herne Bay.
The property had been on and off the market since early 2024, and was snapped up by a local buyer who knew it well but was only able to make a move just before Christmas.
Bayleys agent Glenn Baker, who listed the property with Jack Davies and Brittany Broadbent, told OneRoof: “The buyer was a client of mine, she had always admired it, so as soon as she was in a position to buy, she called me and said, ‘Glenn, take me over’.
The large 436sqm home boasts five bedrooms, three bathrooms and four lounges. Photo / Supplied
The property, built in 1908, has views across the Manukau Harbour. Photo / Supplied
“There were a couple of days for building inspection, and the sale went unconditional on Christmas eve. I did not have to do much selling.
“She really loved the turret, the 360-degree views. You feel like you are on top of the world there.”
Baker added: “We are chuffed. That is the highest ever residential sale price for Onehunga for a non-development site.”
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While there had been a lot of interest in the property, many buyers still had houses to sell and could not make a move.
“The market is quite active from the $2m to $2.5m bracket for the smaller done-up villas, but this is a mansion. That takes a buyer who has been in and out of a few houses,” Baker said.
The two-storeyed villa, which has an RV of $3.6m, was built in 1908 by local solicitor Charles Schnauer and passed to his son, Captain Arnold Schnauer, who operated boats in the harbour. He named it Beavan House after his wife, Mary Beavan.
The turret on the third floor has breathtaking views of Manukau Harbour and around Onehunga. Photo / Supplied
The vendors, Mary and David Baker, purchased the home in 1993 for $325,000. They told OneRoof in 2024 that it had attracted a lot of neighbourhood interest over the years. “Lots of people stop and look.”
Mary said it had been a great family home and the venue for several memorable parties, including their children’s 21sts and a wedding. They had even held a party for the house itself to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2008.
The most expensive property to sell in Onehunga was a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home on Tawa Road that was zoned for development. That property sold for $4.56m in April 2021. Several months later, another development site on Onehunga’s Trafalgar Road sold for $4.381m.
7 Symonds Street, in Onehunga, has an asking price of $4m. Photo / Supplied
The turret house’s price record could be beaten by an 1860s home on a 3176sqm section at 7 Symonds Street. The five-bedroom home, known as Taiho Villa, was listed for sale in 2021 and 2022, after a renovation by heritage architects Salmond Reed.
The property, which comes with a pool, study, garaging and workshop, is being marketed by Ray White agents Rohan Thompson and Reece Glozier with an asking price of $4m.
Valocity senior research analyst Wayne Shum earlier told OneRoof that it was relatively rare to find such large sections in Onehunga, as many had been bowled to make way for apartments and townhouses.
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