- Two lots of A-frame homes in Auckland and Coromandel, owned by separate individuals, are for sale with multimillion-dollar expectations.
- Colin Watson built the Auckland homes, charging minimal rent; tenants have stayed long-term.
- Bronnie Kennedy upgraded the Coromandel chalets, and is now selling privately to travel more.
Two lots of A‑frame homes – one in Auckland, the other in Coromandel – have hit the market for sale.
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The two listings couldn’t be more alike if they tried. Each property has a main dwelling and four A-Frame-style cottages. They also have multimillion-dollar sale expectations.
The oldest cluster is tucked up a driveway in Auckland’s Blockhouse Bay. Owner Colin Watson, who turns 99 in May, started building his collection of A-frame homes around 60 years ago.
Stepson John Abbott told OneRoof that the A-frames were designed by a Danish-born architect, working in Auckland at the time, and that Watson, who worked as a mental health nurse, built the first one for him and Abbott’s mother to live in.
Watson built the A-frames himself with the help of a labourer. They were designed by a Danish architect 60 years ago. Photo / Supplied
The property next door, 52 Terry Street, is being sold with the A-frames on No.54. Photo / Supplied
“He eventually built the other three as an income. And that’s what he did progressively over the next few years as finance became available and got an income from them,” he said, adding that his stepfather built them himself using only a labourer to help out.
“They were built with pretty good quality materials. Colin was always a bit of a pioneer. They’re pretty substantial. He used what was called a board made from compressed wood wool and concrete.”
Later on, in the 1970s, he built another home on the 1222sqm site next door. That property is also up for grabs along with the four A-frames.
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Abbott said of his stepfather: “Colin was a bit of a philanthropist, and he charged the tenants minimum rent on the basis that they would be happy to stay [in the home] as long as possible. The tenant at number four has been there for over 20 years. His children have grown up in that unit. A lot of the others have been there for a long, long time.”
Listing agent Bronwyn Abbott, who is Abbott’s daughter-in-law, agreed: “The tenants always ask me how Colin is doing. They have a fondness for him.”
Together, 52 and 54 Terry Street sit on almost 3000sqm of land, boast eight bedrooms and have an RV of just over $4.3m. They are for sale by negotiation.
The Coromandel A-frame chalets for sale at 1112 Colville Road, in Amodeo Bay, are up for grabs for $2.8m. Retired teacher Bronnie Kennedy bought the property with her former husband when they immigrated from England a decade ago.
Also up for grabs are the A-frames at 1112 Colville Road, in Amodeo Bay. Photo / Supplied
The chalets are part of Aroha A-Frames, Bush & Beach Retro Retreat. Photo / Supplied
“When we bought them, there was a family of ducks living in the bottom one,” she told OneRoof.
Kennedy, who has a love of interior decoration, upgraded the chalets and brought the land back to life. “We’ve done lots of native planting. I planted a hundred plants there a few years ago, and they’re flourishing. The tuis are arriving.”
She said her interest in A-frame style homes led her to join a US-based international A-frame appreciation group. “The Facebook page is hilarious.” When Kennedy mentioned that she planned to put guttering on her four A-frames, the group exploded. “They all came back and said, ‘oh no, you can’t put the gutter on the bottom because the snow just backs up’. Well, I don’t have that problem [in Coromandel].”
Kennedy, who operates the chalets as Aroha A-Frames, Bush & Beach Retro Retreat, is selling the property privately. The property is located 13.7km northwest of Coromandel town. The 1.22ha property has an RV of $1.18m, but that does not include the business.
Kennedy is currently working through the options of a possible subdivision, and potential buyers will have access to any reports and documents on that process.
She has loved the property and running the business, but said that 10 years was enough. “My partner and I want to do a lot more travelling. I have two sons in Germany and two in Australia, so I’d like to be freer to do that.”
- 52 and 54 Terry Street, Blockhouse Bay, in Auckland, is for sale by negotiation; 1112 Colville Road, Amodeo Bay, Thames-Coromandel, has an asking price of $2.8m
