- Neighbours purchased a former gatehouse in Remuera for $1.75m.
- The gatehouse, part of a grand estate, will be restored as a guest house.
- A nearby five-bedroom mansion, once owned by Dr Ernest Roberton, also recently sold.
A former gatehouse in Auckland’s Remuera has been snapped up by neighbours who live up the driveway the property once served.
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Listing agent Terry King, of The Kings of Real Estate, told OneRoof there had been a lot of interest in the two-bedroom do‑up, but as is often the case in real estate, the right buyers ultimately secured the property, paying $1.75 million.
The house, on the corner of Remuera and Market roads, used to sit at the entrance of a grand estate, with a mansion, dubbed Capri, at its centre.
“This was built as a gatehouse for that house at the time. It was all the same landholding,” King said.
The cottage on the corner of Remuera and Market roads needs work. Photo / Supplied
The buyers live nearby and plan to bring the house back to life and turn it into guest accommodation for visiting family and friends. Photo / Supplied
Capri was once advertised as having the greatest view in the world, and while the gatehouse did not have a view – stunning or otherwise – and needed work, it was charming, had its own garden and enjoyed all-day sun.
“The whole place was concrete, including the internal walls. It’s incredibly solid.”
Having a gatehouse was a sign of wealth in the early 1900s, King said. “There would be someone there to tip their hat at you coming in and going out, and open the gate for you.
“A gatehouse is a very English thing to have because most country houses were set well away from the main road, so you would have someone living by the gate to actually let people in, or not, then to collect whatever was being delivered to the house so that the horse and buggy wouldn’t go all the way through your beautiful Capability Brown gardens.”
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King said it was likely that the big house employed the original occupant as the gardener and a “total home handyman”.
King said some buyers were drawn to the property by an emotional vision of what it might become, but the challenge lay in turning that vision into reality.
“It’s a heritage overlay. The house itself isn’t actually heritage-listed as a house, but it’s very specific what you can and cannot do.”
The old drive was now a private road with about seven or eight houses on it, and the new owners knew the property well because “they just live up the drive”.
They had always admired the gatehouse and had plans to bring it back to life and use it as a guest house for friends and family.
“In the end, as often happens, the right people bought the house. They were the perfect buyers. They love living where they live at the top of the drive, so it’s just a natural thing for them to do.”
A grand mansion across the road from the gatehouse also sold for an undisclosed sum. Photo / Supplied
The Remuera Road trophy home has an RV of just under $10m and boasts high-quality finishes. Photo / Supplied
By coincidence, the home over the road from the gatehouse has also found a new owner. The five-bedroom Remuera Road mansion sold late last month, and although listing agent Graham Wall, of Wall Real Estate, declined to comment on the sale price, the property’s RV was $9.75m.
A Remuera Heritage Facebook post said the property was once owned by Dr Ernest Roberton, who was an honorary physician to the Auckland Hospital and who held various executive offices in the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, including as president in 1905.
“In the First World War, he served overseas from 1916 to 1919 in the New Zealand Medical Corps.
“He took a particularly keen interest in the education of children and the welfare of orphans. He was one of the founders of the Diocesan School for Girls and became a member of the Council in 1904.”
The property comes with a full tennis court and an outdoor spa and pool. Photo / Supplied
In 1896, he became a member and chairman of the Auckland Grammar School Board of Governors in 1896, until his retirement, and gave many years of service to St John Ambulance for which he was appointed a Serving Brother of the Order of St. John in 1928.
The Walls’ listing for the home said the 741sqm stately home sat on 2833sqm of land. It featured contemporary interiors, five bedrooms, six bathrooms, multiple living spaces, a wine cellar, a tennis court, a pool, spa and sauna, a three-car garage with internal access and a separate two-bedroom poolhouse with its own entrance.
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