- The villa at 42 Cheltenham Road, Devonport, is for sale.
- It was used in the filming of the Netflix adaptation of John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden”.
- Owners Vicky and Murray Henshall are selling to downsize.
She’ll be sharing screen time with English superstar Florence Pugh on Netflix next year and setting hearts aflutter, but before she hits the big time, this grand dame wants to secure a new owner.
Start your property search
The stately two-storey villa at 42 Cheltenham Road, in Auckland’s Devonport, is on the market for sale.
Owners Vicky and Murray Henshall told OneRoof that their four-bedroom house was transformed at the end of last year for the big-budget adaptation of John Steinbeck’s celebrated novel East of Eden.
English star Florence Pugh was in New Zealand shooting the Netflix series East of Eden. Photo / Getty Images
42 Cheltenham Road and other houses next door doubled as turn-of-the-century Californian homes for the series. Photo / Supplied
Their front garden was given a makeover, their driveway was gravelled, and their window dressings were replaced with sheers downstairs and heavy Edwardian drapes upstairs.
Some of the neighbouring houses on the street were repainted for the duration of the five-day shoot, although the Henshalls noted their home already boasted suitable period colours.
The limited series, which stars Oppenheimer actress Pugh alongside award-winning actors Mike Faist, Christopher Abbott and Ciarán Hinds, was filmed in New Zealand and is expected to make its debut on Netflix next year.
Discover more:
- Luxury pad with shatters Takapuna Beach's $15.7m sale record
- Green Goddess Wendyl Nissen's former home sells for over $4.5m
- Real estate boss Don Ha lists his historic villa for $8m-plus
Murray, a Palmerston North native who went to university in Wellington, first moved to Devonport in 1971. He bought 42 Cheltenham Road in 1982, and has stayed there with his second wife, Vicky, since the mid-1980s.
The house means a lot to them, as does nearby Cheltenham Beach. “Cheltenham Road is one of a few streets in the world that have a beach at each end.” That means swimming at either Cheltenham or Torpedo Bay, depending on which way the wind is blowing.
Murray said the house was built around 1908. “There are people in Devonport whose great-grandfather built the house. It was converted into three flats around 1920, and then an addition was made to create four flats.”
The property overlooks Cheltenham beach. Photo / Supplied
The house is a standout in the market and is packed with period features. Photo / Supplied
Rumour had it that it was a brothel around the 1930s or 1940s; it was definitely a “doss house at that time”, Murray said.
The couple are selling to downsize. “It’s just the stage of life we’re at,” Murray said. “The stairs become something that is to be traversed rather than to be enjoyed. And now we’re ready to downsize.”
Bayleys listing agent Victoria Bidwell said the property was a landmark home in Cheltenham. “There aren’t many double-storey villas around Devonport. Most properties with an upstairs level have had a roof extension. This one has a high stud upstairs and downstairs,” she said.
“The whole front of the house is completely original. It sits one back from the beach, so from the upstairs bedrooms and verandas, you can see the water, see the beach, and actually hear the waves.
“There’s just not really anything else around like that.
“People are going to want to spend money on it. There’s room to put a pool in. I think it’s going to be one of those houses that, when it’s gone, people will think, ‘That opportunity will probably never come again’.”
- 42 Cheltenham Road, Cheltenham, Auckland, is for sale by negotiation
