- A four-bedroom waterfront house on Rawene Avenue, Westmere, sold for $12.5m, over $2m above its RV.

- The property, designed by Stevens Lawson, features beach access and a strong architectural pedigree.

- Bayleys agent Gary Wallace noted high interest in Westmere’s waterfront homes, emphasising lifestyle over cost.

An award-winning house on one of Auckland’s most desirable streets has sold for $12.5 million – more than $2m above its RV.

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The striking four-bedroom waterfront property on Rawene Avenue, in Westmere, was snapped up by a local buyer at the end of last year.

Bayleys listing agent Gary Wallace said the buyer owned a waterfront property nearby and had been looking for a change.

“He loves being on the waterfront and wanted to maintain that lifestyle,” Wallace told OneRoof. “The property just ticked a whole lot of boxes.”

The Stevens Lawson-designed house on Rawene Avenue, in Westmere, Auckland, was a standout property in the market. Photo / Supplied

The Rawene Avenue vendors added dark staining to the kitchen and new island. Photo / Supplied

The Stevens Lawson-designed house on Rawene Avenue, in Westmere, Auckland, was a standout property in the market. Photo / Supplied

The master bedroom boasts clear views of the harbour. Photo / Supplied

Wallace said waterfront sites in Westmere were tightly held and tended to sell for a premium when they did come to market.

He said the Rawene Avenue home had a strong architectural pedigree, having been crowned Home of the Year in 2007. It was built in 2005 by award-winning architects Stevens Lawson for Kiwi design guru Bret Gower, who sold it in 2018 for $8m.

Most of Westmere’s big waterfront properties don’t have beach access, but in this case, the property’s flat lawn flows seamlessly to the sand. “It just has a beautiful aspect, and it has a boat ramp so a compelling proposition really,” Wallace told OneRoof.

The house itself has been profiled many times in design magazines. Various writers have praised its abstract sculptural form. The dark-stained house is barely noticeable from the street, with its garage door hidden into the timber siding and the front door obscured by trees trimmed into eye-catching Dr Seuss-style balls.

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The vendors had leaned into the dark timber look devised by the architects, installing a new kitchen island of blackened timber and steel, and deepening the stain on the timber ceilings that wrap it. They also opened up the lounge and improved the flow to the dining room.

The ground-floor bedrooms look into the courtyard greenery while the upstairs bedroom, with its dramatic dark walls and ceiling, opens onto the deck and boasts views of Auckland harbour.

Wallace said many older homes on the coveted street were bowled and replaced with more modern structures or extensively rebuilt and renovated.

The Stevens Lawson-designed house on Rawene Avenue, in Westmere, Auckland, was a standout property in the market. Photo / Supplied

The Rawene Avenue property is a modern take on a traditional Kiwi bach and boasts a sunken outdoor lounge. Photo / Supplied

The Stevens Lawson-designed house on Rawene Avenue, in Westmere, Auckland, was a standout property in the market. Photo / Supplied

The pool overlooks the beach below. Photo / Supplied

“Being waterfront, the sites are so special you could build a beautiful family home and not be too concerned about over-capitalizing.”

He said buyers at the top end of the market tended “to focus on what the property offers them. The money is important, but it’s secondary to the lifestyle.”

Wallace said the Rawene Avenue house had attracted quite a bit of interest and he was working with two buyers who had missed out and were still looking for a berth in Westmere. “They are very focused on that particular area – you can’t get them out of that side of town to Parnell,” he said.

Wallace was also working with some homeowners in the area who were looking to sell off-market. “We are quietly working with buyers in the background.”

The Rawene Avenue home achieved the fifth highest settled residential sale price of 2024. It is also near the mansion ZURU billionaire Anna Mowbray has built with her new husband, former All Black Ali Williams. They spent $24m acquiring their waterfront estate – a price record for the suburb.

Last month Kellands agent Martin Dobson sold an architectural stunner on Rawene Avenue for an undisclosed price. The property, also designed by Stevens Lawson, had a CV of $10m.

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