Richie and Gemma McCaw got $3.775 million when they took their luxury Christchurch home to auction this year, so the pressure was on Dame Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford at Ray White's office in Auckland's Grey Lynn.
Their Sandringham property, the only one on the bill, attracted ... well, I don't know because I was turned away at the door. The reason? It was a closed auction, and no one but registered bidders was allowed into the room.
The two agents who refused me entry - and I must stress they did so politely - said they had to think of their vendors.
Their clients were not in the room. The former prime minister and her husband are said to be in Sydney looking for their next home. They likely watched the action from across the ditch, and possibly interacted with the listing agents by phone or by computer in one of the negotiation rooms.
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From what I could see before I was turned away, there were several people in the auction room. At 6pm, on a Wednesday in the first week of the school holidays, it's either get in a car and grab a home that belongs to a former world leader or relax into The Chase on TVNZ+1.
Because the auction wasn't being live-streamed either, the action was off-limits. What I do know is that Ardern and Gayford paid $1.74m for the bungalow in 2018, the RV is $2.3m, and at 7.08pm, Ray White's website declared the property had sold. No sale price, no bid record, just "sold".
Ray White listing agent Tim Hawes, who marketed the home with colleague Nathan Karpik, called OneRoof soon after to confirm the sale. He wasn't able to reveal the price, but he did say the property was sold off the floor and that the buyers were "lovely people".
They were "so stoked", Hawes said, just "over the moon". "Both sides were happy with the outcome," he added.
What the buyers secured was something stylish and homely, according to the listing. “Behind a crisp white fence on one of Sandringham’s prettiest streets, this timeless 1930s bungalow introduces itself with traditional weatherboard charm and a welcoming front porch,” the listing said.
Ardern and Gayford bought their home in Auckland’s Sandringham in 2018 for just over $1.7m. Photo / Supplied
Ardern with singer Ed Sheeran. Ardern and Gayford have hosted several celebrities at the Sandringham bungalow. Photo / Instagram, Jacinda Ardern
Gayford outside the couple’s Sandringham bungalow on the night of the 2020 election. He brought fish and venison for neighbours and media. Photo / Peter Meecham
Hours earlier Ardern and Gayford had cast their votes at Mt Eden War Memorial Hall voting centre. Photo / Brett Phibbs
“The clever layout offers a superb balance of togetherness and quiet retreat across four bedrooms and multiple living spaces. At the rear, the light-washed master suite and lounge serve as a calming sanctuary, serviced by a freshly updated ensuite.
“Entertaining is effortless, with social spaces extending outward in every direction. French doors open from the kitchen and dining area onto a sheltered central deck perfect for the daily rhythm of family life.
“This private, fully fenced backyard is an oasis of mature greenery, complete with a third patio next to a solid concrete-block garden studio that is ready for hobbies or storage.
“Secure electronic gates open to generous off-street parking for multiple vehicles, leaving you to simply move in, unpack, and enjoy an enchanting slice of a tightly held neighbourhood.”
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The last time Ardern sold a family home was in 2018, when she was heavily pregnant, and less than six months into her new job as Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Ardern didn’t advertise the home on the open market; rather, she trusted her agent to find a buyer from his database.
The agent told the New Zealand Herald back then that the house on Moa Road in Auckland’s Point Chevalier had been snapped up by a “nice Kiwi family” for $1.32m – $333,000 more than Ardern paid for it in 2016.
Ardern and Gayford had already bought their Sandringham bungalow and were getting ready for family life in suburbia. The house was close to Westfield St Lukes, Eden Park, a good primary school, several parks and playgrounds, and a swag of good cafes and restaurants on Dominion Road.
The Bayleys listing at the time described the 1930s-era home as a bungalow haven, with three double bedrooms, an open-plan kitchen, a study, a dining and family room and a master bedroom with an ensuite. The garden boasted a large deck, subtropical plantings and a treehouse.
The four-bedroom home has an RV of $2.3m and had been stylishly staged. Photo / Supplied
The extension, which comprises the main living area and the master suite, enjoys plenty of sun. Photo / Supplied
The listing for the property said it was “perfect for the daily rhythm of family life”. Photo / Supplied
Ardern and Gayford got married at Craggy Range Vineyard in 2023. Photo / Felicity Jean Photography
The house hadn’t changed much since the couple took possession. When OneRoof turned up for the second open home, there were plenty of shoes on the porch (20-plus at a rough count).
Young families spent 30 minutes exploring the home’s many nooks, opening cupboards and trying to imagine how they’d fit in. Some had brought their parents with them, helpful for securing that “bank of mum and dad” finance, or for soothing grumpy babies while they checked out the bathrooms and kitchen.
Some knew the house had some star power, but most were there because they were in the market to buy and weren’t all that fussed that the house they were looking at belonged to a former prime minister and had hosted the likes of Ed Sheeran, Stephen Colbert and Hillary Barry.
The house itself was staged, and OneRoof guessed that Ardern and her family hadn’t been there for some time, given her extended stint at Harvard in the US following her resignation as Prime Minister at the start of 2023. The family is now reportedly looking for a home in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, where prices are much higher than in Auckland, although Australia’s market has started to cool, a plus for buyers.
Agents not involved in the sale told OneRoof there was strong demand for four-bedroom homes in the suburb. Photo / Supplied
The master bedroom has an ensuite. The laundry is in the main bathroom at the front of the house. Photo / Supplied
The kitchen has seen a lot of scones in its time. Photo / Supplied
There were some vestiges of family life before the Sandringham house was readied for market – a few picture hooks without pictures and a concrete block garden studio that has Gayford written all over it (not literally, although the white board hanging on the wall did have “Rock” and “Wife” scribbled down).
OneRoof did notice security cameras around the outside, but nothing outrageous, or indeed suggested that a prime minister and her family used to live here. It was pretty low-key and down-to-earth, much like Ardern herself.
Either side of the home were upgraded villas, and the street itself had a nice vibe. OneRoof could imagine lots of young families living here, although one couple OneRoof approached after the open home wasn’t impressed. They knew it was the former prime minister’s home, but they felt it was “average”. On the other hand, other families leaving the house seemed pretty animated, liking what they saw there.
Ardern and Gayford chose to sell in a buyer’s market, with Auckland property values down 2.5% below year-on-year, and Sandringham house values down 5.4% over the same period.
Ardern and Gayford at the premiere of Prime Minister last year. Photo / Getty Images
Ardern was living it up in Sydney at the ARIA Hall Of Fame Special Event last month. Photo / Getty Images
Research by interest.co.nz found that only 30% of the 186 Auckland properties that went to auction in the seven days from June 20 ended up selling under the hammer. In Canterbury, the clearance rate was 50%.
The auction results for Sandringham homes from the past quarter shows a patchy market at best. However, agents told OneRoof late last month there was a shortage of good four-bedroom, two-bathroom properties in the Sandringham-Mount Eden area.
“We routinely have very good numbers for these [four-bed, two-bath] properties. They seem to be in hot demand at the moment,” said Ray White Mount Eden owner Jared Cooksley, who is not involved in the sale.
He said many buyers tossing up whether or not to renovate their own homes often looked at what was for sale and decided to buy something already done instead. “They’re motivated by family situation, rather than market dynamics.”
He said the sweet spot in this area was properties at or just under the $2m mark
Ray White agent Robyn Ellson, who is also not involved in the sale, said: “It probably hits the sweet spot in the market in terms of what people want. A well-presented, character bungalow, north-facing. It’s got a nice look to it; it should perform well.”
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