- A mansion once owned by TV star Michelle Blanchard sold for $11.4 million to a golden visa holder.
- The Coatesville property features a tennis court, wellness centre, and a hidden panic room.
- The sale reflects growing interest from foreign buyers seeking luxury lifestyle properties near Auckland.
A mansion once owned by one of the Real Housewives of Auckland has been snapped up by a golden visa holder for over $11 million.
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The sprawling six-bedroom home on Mahoenui Valley Road, in Coatesville, was pitched as the “ultimate luxury country lodge” and comes with a tennis court, wellness centre, and a hidden panic room.
It was previously the home of reality star Michelle Blanchard and her husband, David, and even featured in episodes of the Real Housewives of Auckland.
New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty listing agent Natalie Newton told OneRoof that her buyer was from overseas and was incredibly private.
“The buyers [who looked at the home] were from the US, China, Europe, Australia and Canada, so she's from that group.”
The Blanchards sold the Coatesville mansion for $8.8m in 2020. Photo / Norrie Montgomery
The property's highlights include a travertine-marble lobby and wine room. Photo / Supplied
Newton said the $11.4m sale - just over its RV - was great for the Coatesville area, which was enjoying an upswing in interest from foreign buyers.
She said the Mahoenui Valley Road property had even received another offer from a buyer with an Active Investor Plus visa, also known as the golden visa, which allows foreign investors to buy New Zealand homes worth $5m or more.
“[Overseas buyers] are actually coming through requesting Coatesville. I've spoken to other agents across Auckland who call me saying, ‘We've got buyers who are coming from overseas that are looking for Coatesville - what have you got to show us?’
Newton said Coatesville was known among high-end international buyers looking for lifestyle properties close to Auckland City.
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“A lot of these countries, you don't get the space around your property and the privacy, the lifestyle, the cafes.
“Obviously, we've got a little bit of everything here, and if they are looking to move here properly, we've got some amazing schools, both public and private, and we are close to the motorway.
“They want the lifestyle and the space, because within the golden visa they can buy up to five hectares, so you certainly can get a lovely big property, and you can get big land, all within your Golden Visa.”
These buyers tended to target the biggest house on the biggest section, she said.
“We've got Americans, we've got English, we've got Germans, we've got Chinese, we've got Kiwis who've been here for a long time, and they just move around, they are downsizing and upsizing. It really is a mixture.”
The marble kitchen is one of two. The house includes a wellness centre, media and games rooms and a panic room. Photo / Supplied
The vendors spent a lot of money upgrading the grounds. Photo / Supplied
The property had been given a celebrity-grade makeover by the Blanchards when they owned it.
The dramatic under-lit onyx bar, the luxurious pool and porch swing, and the large dining and living rooms starred in several episodes of the Real Housewives of Auckland, which first aired in 2016.
The vendors, however, were unaware of the home’s celebrity pedigree. Phil and Michelle Richards had been living on Australia’s Gold Coast and had been looking for a new home back in New Zealand.
“The agent told us the home was on the Real Housewives of Auckland, so we watched the show,” Phil told OneRoof when the home was on the market.
“It’s a world-class home, and we knew it would be very popular, so we bought it quickly, sight unseen, to secure it. We were lucky to get it. There’s nothing in Coatesville like this,” he said.
The couple bought the mansion off the Blanchards for $8.8m and then set about making it their new home, OneRoof reported.
The Blanchards purchased the property for just over $2m in 2014 and went on to spend several million dollars in a high-end renovation that tripled its size. The upgrade included a pool and pool house, a striking travertine marble-and-brass lobby, a wine room, two new kitchens, and dedicated media, music and games rooms.
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