- Stefan Huy and Bruni Gebauer-Huy sold their Christchurch home for $770,000 after a council dispute.
- The couple couldn’t bid on the adjacent land due to the foreign buyer ban.
- The land sold for $1.223m, ending their plans to build a driveway.
Husband and wife travel writers Stefan Huy and Bruni Gebauer-Huy have sold their beloved Christchurch home for $770,000 – less than RV – after failing to solve a long-running dispute with the city’s council.
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The German journalists had spent more than a decade negotiating with city officials to buy the vacant plot next door to their house on Clifton Terrace, in Sumner.
The couple had wanted to build a driveway through the 1140sqm section to their house, which is only accessible via a staircase.
However, the council decided to auction off the 1140sqm section overlooking the sea, which prevented the couple from making an offer because they do not live in New Zealand full-time.
The land sold under the hammer for $1.223 million – well above its RV of $37,000.
Travel writers Stefan Huy and Bruni Gebauer-Huy sold their two-bedroom home on Clifton Terrace at auction for $770,000. Photo / Supplied
The property at 1 Kinsey Terrace had fallen into council ownership after suffering damage in the 2011 earthquake.
News that the council was auctioning the land was the final straw for the couple. Because of the foreign buyer ban, they were unable to make an unconditional bid at auction.
Stefan told OneRoof last month that the sale had killed off their dreams of future-proofing their home.
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The Kinsey Terrace auction drew 12 registered bidders, with more conditional buyers in the background, Bayleys agent David Archibald told OneRoof. Some were dreamers, reeled in by the $37,000 RV. “We had strong email interest, though some of it was misguided because of the RV.”
The auction opened at $884,000, and quickly gathered pace as three competing parties – all locals – drove up the price.
The successful buyers were looking to build a house on the land, he said. “It was bought by a local couple. They are not first-home buyers, but they are young. They already own on Clifton Hill.”
The 1140sqm land at 1 Kinsey Terrace was picked up by young buyers who plan to build a house on the section. In the background is Stefan and Bruni's house. Photo / Supplied
New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Rod Cross sold the Huys’ Clifton Terrace property at auction a couple of weeks later. “We had a fantastic auction. We had seven registered bidders and several more waiting in the wings. We surpassed the owners’ expectations,” he said.
“I think bidders spied an opportunity to add value to the property through renovation or adding their own touches,” he said, adding that a local buyer with plans to repair the house.
Cross told OneRoof that his buyer was not related to the people who bought Kinsey Terrace. “If somebody had the money, that could have been a very interesting proposal.”
He said the sale was bittersweet for his clients. “But they’re very happy with the result and it allows them to move on. Our job was to get a great price for them.”
Stefan told OneRoof last month that he had tried everything to get a deal over the line with the council. “We made offers that were well above market value [based on an independent valuation],” he said.
He added: “What the earthquake failed to do, the council has now achieved: we have to leave our home after 36 years.”
Councillors told the couple they had a responsibility under the Local Government Act to get the best price for ratepayers.
Stefan told OneRoof that the foreign buyer ban had hit the couple hard. “We are travel writers and have specialised in New Zealand and the South Pacific for almost 40 years. We spend four to five months in New Zealand every year, but we also have to take on assignments in Europe to make a living in our profession.
“However, we are rarely in New Zealand for more than [the requisite] 183 days. Participating in the auction is problematic and impossible within the council’s current timeframe. After the decision, the council couldn’t sell 1 Kinsey fast enough.
“I don’t need to tell you how sad and disappointed we are about this, but we will continue to update our various NZ travel guide books and write reports about New Zealand for overseas markets, and we still have our caravan ... But of course, our enthusiasm has taken a blow.”
Bayleys’ Archibald said he had sold several other council-owned properties in the city that had been red-zoned. “We have more coming, in Balmoral Hill, Scarborough Hill.”
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