- Suzanne Paul’s former Glendowie mansion, valued above $9 million, has returned to the market.
- It features five bedrooms, Mediterranean styling, harbour views, three levels, and 686sqm of living space.
- Paul sold it for $4m in 2004 after financial trouble, but later declared bankruptcy.
Suzanne Paul’s former dream home is on the market for sale.
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The five-bedroom Mediterranean-style mansion at 473 Riddell Road, in Auckland's Glendowie, has an RV of over $9 million and boasts dramatic views of the harbour.
Paul, New Zealand's informercial queen, built the trophy home at the end of the 90s but was forced to sell after running into financial trouble.
She got $4m for the property in 2004, although that wasn't enough to prevent bankruptcy.
English-born New Zealand television personality Suzanne Paul shot to fame in the 90s in infomercials. Photo / Michael Craig
The property is back on the market more than two decades later, but memories of Paul's decor, including jewel-encrusted tapware in the bathrooms, still linger.
The owners' son told OneRoof that Paul's home left an impression.
“I was only eight years old at the time [my parents bought the house], and it was very exciting having so much space, so close to the beach – and of course the heated pool was great too,” he said.
“All my friends used to come over for a swim. I’ve been told that Suzanne had wanted it to seem like a slice of Tuscany, and when I lived there it certainly felt like being on holiday every day.”
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The mansion sits on a 2000sqm section, and unfolds over three levels and 686sqm of floor space.
In 2002, Paul told the New Zealand Herald that she had a closet designed to hold 120 pairs of shoes.
She also dedicated an entire level to entertaining with a lounge, a billiard room and a second kitchen adjacent to the outdoor terrace.
“I have just had a party, and there was food and bottles everywhere, but at the end of the night I could walk upstairs and leave it,” she said. “Life carries on as normal on the top two floors until I come down a few days later when I’m ready to face the mess.”
Bayleys listing agent Sarah Liu says the views from the mansion are like a “moving painting”. Photo / Supplied
Occupying a giant 2000sqm section – and unfolding over three levels - the house offers a generous 686sqm floor area. Photo / Supplied
The entrance to the home is impressive. Photo / Supplied
Other property highlights include 136sqm, two-bedroom guest accommodation above the three-car garage and a gym, wine cellar and home theatre.
Bayleys listing agent Sarah Liu told OneRoof that the views from the house were spectacular, like a “moving painting”.
“This is truly one of Glendowie’s most prestigious coastal positions.”
She said 473 Riddell Road was, like a lot of her other high-end listings, attracting the attention of overseas buyers. “Everything seems so unsettled in the world, at the moment, and New Zealand stands out as a country where families feel safe.”
She said money wasn’t a major consideration for these ultra-wealthy buyers. “They’re happy to look at $10m, $20m, even $30m-plus properties, as long as they can find all the lifestyle features that are important to them.”
Earlier this year, a neighbouring mansion, owned by rich-lister Barry Colman, the former publisher of the NBR, was snapped up by a foreign buyer with an Active Investment Plus visa for $13.8 million.
- 473 Riddell Road, Glendowie, Auckland, is for sale by negotiation
