A near-new waterfront home in Napier has sold for $5.625 million, setting a new record for the city's most expensive residential sale.
The three-level Charles Street property in the fast-growing seaside suburb of Westshore had been tipped to smash Napier's house price record when it first hit the market in 2025. After a lengthy search for the right buyer, it has finally delivered on those expectations.
New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty agent Damian Sweetapple, who marketed the home alongside colleague Jacqui Taylor, said its beachfront location, panoramic views, striking architecture and exceptional build quality underpinned the result.
“Ultimately, I believe the result reflects the scarcity of properties of this calibre. It is not simply about the size of the home, but the thought, design, craftsmanship and attention to detail that have gone into creating something truly exceptional," he told OneRoof.
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The award-winning home was completed in 2023 and had all the bells and whistles. Photo / Supplied
The well-thought-out three-bedroom, two-bathroom home includes an inground swimming pool. Photo / Supplied
“When you combine this with such a sought-after coastal position, you have a property that stands apart from anything else currently available in the Napier market.”
The buyer, a Hawke's Bay local, had first viewed the three-bedroom, two-bathroom property when it was marketed with another agency before taking a second look more than a year later after it was relisted with Sotheby's.
“Having already experienced the property, the buyer was able to revisit it with a fresh perspective and ultimately recognise the opportunity it presented,” Sweetapple said.
“It's particularly pleasing that the property has been purchased by a local buyer who understands and appreciates what makes this home and its location so special.”
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Completed in 2023, the award-winning home features a lift, floor-to-ceiling glazing, a four-car garage, workshop and heated in-ground pool. Designed by Christchurch firm Three Sixty Architecture, with interiors by Auckland designer Irene Crean and construction by Hawke's Bay builder JPW Builders, it won a New Zealand Institute of Architects award for the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne region.
The vendors bought the waterfront site in 2019 for $1.7m, demolishing the existing home and replacing it with the luxury residence. The new property has an RV of $5.08m.
Westshore has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years, with older homes increasingly being replaced by high-end coastal residences as buyers are drawn to the suburb's beachside lifestyle and proximity to the city.
The record sale comes just over a year after a luxury apartment in Ahuriri became the first Napier property to sell for more than $5m.
Taylor also brokered that deal, which achieved $5.15m in June 2025.
Sweetapple said the latest result highlighted the strength of demand for premium coastal homes in Napier.
Mint Realty agent Nic Goodman believes there are several Hawke's Bay properties capable of commanding similarly lofty prices.
She is currently marketing a one-year-old home at 3 Meanee Quay, Westshore, which has an RV of $9.95m and could set the city's next benchmark.
The 607sqm residence, designed by Architecture HDT and built by Gemco, was conceived as a contemporary coastal courtyard home. It features four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a heated magnesium pool, spa and cabana, an eight-person lift and uninterrupted marina views.
Goodman said only seven freehold properties in Napier had RVs above $4.5m.
A four-bedroom home at 3 Meeanee Quay, in Westshore, with an RV of $9.95m is also looking for a new owner. Photo / Supplied
Impressive features include a heated magnesium pool, spa and cabana, an eight-person lift and a front-row view of the marina. Photo / Supplied
They were typically either newer, high-spec homes with sea views or substantial Napier Hill residences on large sites that had undergone extensive renovations.
"There's not many... So there's a real exclusivity around some of these higher value homes in Napier."
Bayleys agent Bridget Alexander said Hawke's Bay continued to offer buyers architecturally significant homes in exceptional locations at prices well below those seen in many of New Zealand's established luxury markets.
Sales above $2.5m remained relatively rare, she said, with just five residential properties changing hands in Napier at that level over the past 12 months.
Alexander is about to list a 420sqm lifestyle property at 23 Esk View Road with an RV of $2.83m, and expects strong interest from both domestic and international buyers.
"Esk Hills is a unique pocket of Hawke's Bay, still largely undiscovered beyond the region. It's generally tightly held, offering space and privacy while crucially remaining within easy reach of Napier CBD and Hawke's Bay Airport," she told OneRoof.
The home was built in 2006 by the developer of the Esk Hills Estate as his private residence, and last changed hands in 2013. It is also among 11 homes and gardens featured in Cranford Hospice's Holly Trail next week, which showcases some of Hawke's Bay's finest properties.
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