- An Auckland home designed by Chris Tate sold for $2.56m, $110,000 over its RV.
- The “Fire Pit House” was a mortgagee sale after previous attempts to sell failed.
- Another mortgagee property linked to Adam Parore remains unsold, with bidding reaching $4.2m.
An architectural stunner that inspired a former All Black fetched $110,000 over its RV at a mortgagee auction last month.
Start your property search
It is one of several high-end homes in Auckland to hit the market after the lender has stepped in and forced a sale.
OneRoof understands that multiple bidders competed to own the distinctive four-bedroom house designed by award-winning architect Chris Tate in Auckland’s Remuera, with the hammer coming down at $2.56m.
The Mainston Road property, known as the Fire Pit House, was listed as a mortgagee sale at the end of March after previous attempts to find a buyer fell through.
In her listing, Bayleys agent Carolyn Ryan made clear that the photos for the house were taken four years ago and that she could make “no representation or warranty as to the current condition of the property”.
She declined to comment on the auction or say why the mortgagee had forced a sale.
The Mainston Road home, popularly known as the Fire Pit House, was designed by architect Chris Tate. Photo / Supplied
The luxury property first hit the market in May 2022 but attempts to find a buyer were stymied. Photo / Supplied
OneRoof first reported on the house in 2023 when it was on the market with agent Ross Hawkins.
Hawkins told OneRoof that he had dubbed the property the All Black house, not just because of its distinctive black colour and the fact it was next to rugby fields, but because Sir John Kirwan had almost bought the house.
“John Kirwan almost purchased it, but he managed to purchase a site in Mission Bay and grabbed Chris Tate and took him to Mission Bay to design his house down there.”
Hawkins ended up selling the house to the vendors in 2012 for just over $1.2m. Its unique features include a sunken fire pit in the deck and a 13.5m infinity pool jammed hard against the boundary.
Discover more:
- 'They probably rue the day': What could really happen to half-built $300m tower?
- 'Dear friend': Du Val Group founder pops up in property influencer's flipping video
- Who are Sarah Dyer and Duncan Ross, agents at the centre of NZ's mega house sale?
In 2024, Hawkins told OneRoof that the vendors had pulled the property from the market after building work next door had killed a potential sale.
Hawkins said that an offer conditional on due diligence had been made, but the buyer visited for a final pre-inspection the day the diggers arrived next door and went, “Oh, we don’t want to live next door to a construction site”, so pulled out.
Over in neighbouring St Heliers, another high-end property listed as a mortgagee sale has been withdrawn from the market.
This property was listed for sale for $8m by the vendors at the end of last year. However, a change of circumstances saw the mortgagee step in.
OneRoof previously reported that the home was linked to high-profile Kiwi property developer Roger Coulson.
A five-bedroom mansion on Bay Road, in Auckland’s St Heliers, was withdrawn from market earlier this month after being listed as a mortgagee sale. Photo / Supplied
The former CEO of property development and investment company Starline hit the headlines last year after his company, CMT Number 1 GP, went into receivership.
Coulson had been spearheading the rescue and completion of the troubled multimillion-dollar Beachcroft Residences development in Onehunga.
The OneRoof article said records showed Coulson bought 40 Bay Road in 2024 for $6.7m. He put it on the market with an asking price of $8m in November, but it failed to find a buyer at that level.
The home was relisted in March as a mortgagee auction with New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Greg Dennerly.
His marketing on OneRoof stated the property was being sold “as is, where is” and that “interested parties are advised to rely entirely on their own inspections, enquiries, and legal advice”.
Dennerly noted in the listing that the property might be suitable for overseas purchasers.
A multimillion-dollar estate linked to former Black Cap Adam Parore passed in at a mortgagee auction last month. It is still on the market for sale. Photo / Supplied
Another high-profile mortgagee property, one with links to ex-Black Cap Adam Parore, is still available for sale after passing in at auction last month.
The six-bedroom trophy home on Papakura-Clevedon Road, Clevedon, was the home of Kiwi interior designer Danielle Francis, who was previously married to Parore.
Francis told OneRoof last month that the property was on the market because of a dispute with Parore and she had been advised to proceed with the sale and pursue recovery separately.
When contacted by OneRoof about the sale, Parore’s spokesperson said the parties were in dispute about their obligations under a relationship property settlement agreement.
Bidding on the property last month kicked off at $3m – $1.3m below the property’s RV – and escalated to $4.1m before pausing for negotiations. It returned to the auction floor 20 minutes later at $4.125m and got another $25,000 before pausing again for further negotiations. Fifteen minutes later, it came back to the room at $4.2m, but even that sum was not enough.
The house is on the market with Ray White listing agents Marama Curness and Cherry Killgour. They describe it in their listing as “not a typical mortgagee sale”.
- Click here to find more properties for sale
