A debris-strewn home famous in Foxton that hooked buyers with a $229,000-plus price tag has sold after whirlwind interest.
Property Brokers agent Kate Lemon was run off her feet as soon as the listing for the 1532sqm deceased estate on Avenue Road went live. Within a few days, the five-bedroom property, which was rammed with junk and had an RV of $340,000, had gone viral.
“It was out the gate,” Lemon told OneRoof. “I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that the property kept me very, very busy.”
The “iconic” property sold at deadline after receiving multiple offers. The exact sale price could not be disclosed until after settlement, but Lemon said the vendor had been “absolutely delighted” with the sale.
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“It far exceeded our expectations. It was phenomenal.”
Lemon told OneRoof that everyone in the town knew the property and a lot of people wanted to see it. “It’s always had a touch of magic around that home. The older generation of Foxton remembers how it was, and the people of Foxton know it again.”
Buyers jumped on the "iconic" property on Avenue Road, Foxton because of its history, price and potential. Photo / Supplied
The vendors were looking for a buyer prepared to pay over $229,000 - below the RV of $340,000. Photo / Supplied
The 100-year-old villa property had once been beautiful, but in recent years it became a dumping ground, with rubbish piles covering the entire lawn and reaching the top of the fence. The family had started clearing some of the property after the owner's death.
Her listing described the property as a “diamond in debris”.
“Not for the faint of heart, and while some good headway has been made, the site is still heavily cluttered with scrap, rubbish and debris,” the listing said.
“Can you turn the devastation into reincarnation? The property will be sold ‘as is, where is’, and disclosures exist.”
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Lemon said the potential to either do up or develop the property had struck a chord with a wide range of buyers, including developers and people wanting to breathe life back into the home or those looking to do a mix of the two.
“I had interest from the top of the north to the bottom of the south and international – even in Australia.
“The price expectation that was put on it made it such a viable option for so many people, and I think there are a lot of people out there that want a project who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty and get stuck in and make something beautiful of the place.”
The 1543sqm section is strewn with rubbish. Photo / Supplied
The rooms were overflowing with junk. Photo / Supplied
Her colleague Chris Scadden introduced the eventual buyer, who was from the wider region.
The agents were not exactly sure what the plans for the site were but believed it was to “develop and bring the property back to life one way or the other”.
“We are all excited to see what they decided to do in the end.”
Lemon said Foxton was both affordable and liveable, with the price of entry-level three-bedroom homes starting from about $350,000.
Foxton’s price reflected that it was still waiting for the boom that other areas closer to Wellington, such as Kāpiti and Paraparaumu, had already experienced, she said, and would likely happen once the Ōtaki to Levin Highway was completed, making commuting to Wellington even more viable.
“We know we are sitting on a goldmine here,” she said.
“Foxton and Foxton Beach have a really cool community vibe. We are still old school – we smile at people when we are walking down the street; we say good morning – there’s still that community small town vibe. And with the beach and the coast… it’s just got that really chill feeling to it.”
It also had everything people needed with a supermarket, hardware stores, a doctor’s surgery and schools. “We’ve got everything you need to live, but we don’t have that ugly big city feel.”
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