- A rare beachfront home in Southshore sold for a record-breaking $1.6m.
- The sale was $500,000 above its RV, highlighting scarce uninterrupted ocean views in the suburb.
- Coastal suburbs are attracting buyers and investment, as developers restore buildings and hospitality venues emerge.
A rare beachfront property in one of Christchurch’s cheapest suburbs was snapped up for a record-breaking $1.6 million this month.
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While the price may seem cheap compared to listings in some of the city’s wealthier suburbs, it is a standout sum in Southshore and neighbouring North New Brighton.
Ray White agent Charlotte Mason, who works for Team Holly Jones, said more than 100 groups came through the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home on Rocking Horse Road.
“We actually had a few buyers fly over to look at it. We had one from Australia and one from Napier,” she told OneRoof.
The buyer was a Southshore local who had been hunting for a beachfront home for some time. “When they saw this, they knew they had to have it.”
The purchase price was $500,000 more than the RV and $100,000 more than the neighbourhood’s top price of $1.5m paid in 2024 for a large family home on Baker Street.
The four-bedroom home has unobstructed views across to the Port Hills and out to the Pacific Ocean. Photo / Supplied
The home has a resort feel that the owners created during their 18 years of ownership. Photo / Supplied
Mason said there were just three properties this close to the beach, and all were tightly held. The last time one changed hands was in 2010.
Her vendors bought the property in 2008 and only decided to sell after a change in circumstances.
Over the years, they transformed the home into a Balinese-inspired retreat with extensive upgrades. Adding to the appeal were sweeping ocean views, along with glimpses of the Port Hills to the south and Kaikōura to the north.
Mason said the suburb’s towering dunes obscured sea views from most properties, making homes with uninterrupted water outlooks particularly rare. “Looking out over the ocean. You don’t really get that property in Christchurch,” she said.
“Some have a tiny glimpse of the ocean, but nothing like this.”
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Mason said buyers looking for homes in the area felt it was still extremely good value for money.
Entry-level two-bedroom units in Christchurch’s eastern seaside suburbs could still be picked up from about $400,000, with a standalone two-bedroom property at 97 Baker Street, in New Brighton, inviting enquiries over $499,000.
Fancier homes, however, typically hovered around the mid-$1ms in price. Mason’s colleague Ricky Cave expected more homes of Rocking Horse Road’s calibre to hit the market soon. “I think it’s sort of sparked a bit of interest for beachfront properties.”
Home agent Kieren Gray agreed that demand for coastal properties in the area outstripped supply. “The beachfront stuff down there, there are homes for over $2m, but they just don’t transact, so there’s never been an opportunity to achieve such a price,” he said.
“You can’t build to get that view down there, and you can’t acquire the land to get the view because it’s all owned by people who have had it forever in a day. You really just need someone to die.”
Christchurch City Council is spending $4.2m on upgrading New Brighton’s pedestrian mall. Photo / Christchurch City Council
A three-bedroom home on the estuary side of Rocking Horse Road, in Southshore, was snapped up for $801,000. Photo / Supplied
Gray has just sold a three-bedroom home on Rocking Horse Road on Southshore’s estuary side. He said it had been “super popular”. “We got run off our feet at the first open home.”
His vendors received a “cracking offer” of $801,000 – well above the RV of $640,000.
Gray said the area’s affordable prices were a strong drawcard for buyers. “It is so unique in the lifestyle it offers that it is just so sought after with young professionals, families, retirees, etc. It’s always been popular.”
He has just listed a near-new two-bedroom, two-bathroom duplex at 85A Marine Parade. It has an RV of $1.19m and is directly across the road from the surf club.
The eastern coastal suburbs of Southshore and New Brighton are undergoing a long-awaited revival, with developers and businesses moving into the area.
The Rocks hospitality and retail development in Southshore, owned by Cave and partner Holly Jones, was due to open early next year and would be the first restaurant and bar to open there since the earthquakes.
In New Brighton, Martini Investments is busy upgrading and restoring 12 buildings, including the arcade-style Surfside mall, as part of the wider Pierside development.
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