- Mark and Lisa Darrow are trying to sell their Remuera home for $7.85m, offering to trade for a smaller property.
- The house, listed with agent Terry King, has had interest from buyers, with a unique trade offer for properties valued between $4m and $6m.
- The Darrows’ home features five bedrooms, an outdoor pool, and harbour views, but is surplus to their needs after completing a circa $10m project in Omaha.
The high-flying couple who wowed fans of Grand Designs New Zealand with their dream bach in the wealthy beach town of Omaha are still trying to sell their house in Auckland.
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Mark and Lisa Darrow first listed their three-storey trophy home at 56B Arney Crescent, in Remuera, seven years ago. Several agencies have had a go, but the couple have yet to find a buyer for the distinctive property.
It’s now with high-profile Remuera agent Terry King, of The Kings of Real Estate, and has a price tag of $7.85 million - but there’s a twist.
King told OneRoof that the couple made a “significant” change in how they are selling the property: they are willing to trade their house for something smaller as part of the deal.
Grand Designs NZ presenter Tom Webster with owners Lisa and Mark Darrow outside their bach in Omaha. Photo / Supplied
The Darrows’ Auckland home is now surplus to requirements. Photo / Supplied
King said he had two buyers look at the five-bedroom, 402sqm house at the weekend and more have made enquiries.
“We have decided to recognise what we think is one of the biggest hindrances to selling houses over $6 million in Remuera and that is that the people buying more than likely would require to sell their home to move up [the ladder],” he said.
“So we started a campaign which says to buyers we will trade this home for your current house if it’s between four and six million dollars. The Darrows wish to remain in the area because they still want to have somewhere [in Auckland] during the week.
“Chances are someone who likes 56B Arney Crescent will have a house that appeals to the Darrows,” he said, noting that buyers he talked to who had been reluctant to move were stimulated by the unusual offer.
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King said the Darrows children had grown up and they were happy to view anything “of quality” in that $4m-$6m bracket in Remuera or Parnell.
“This could be advantageous for both parties. It would be based on the valuation of the two properties, and the purchaser paying the difference.”
King said the market at the moment was stymied by buyers who want to move up to something bigger but were worried about selling their own place first. “If this is successful, which we are more than confident it will be, then it could be a new way of tackling the reality of the market [right now].”
The Darrows’ Remuera home sits on a 750sqm section, benefits from a solid concrete construction, and comes with an internal lift, an outdoor pool and clear views of the harbour, Rangitoto and North Head.
The view from the Darrows’ Remuera home is stunning. Photo / Supplied
The couple bought it in 2017 for $4.5m, having previously lived on a five-acre country block.
It is surplus to their requirements, now that their children have grown up and they’ve completed their Grand Designs build in Omaha.
Their multi-year project saw them take a piece of land next to the town’s surf club and create a two-storey wonder that comes with multiple berths, a wine cellar, and clear views of the beach and the Omaha skyline. Host Tom Webster said the finished piece, with its undulating concrete panels and lofty ceilings, “feels more like an art gallery than a house”.
The couple said it was “probably our last project so we want to make it a really good one”, noting during the show that they were aiming to spend around $10m, including the $4m cost of buying the land.
- 56B Arney Crescent, Remuera, Auckland, is for sale for $7.85m
