- An Auckland home that hosted Sir Richard Branson sold in June for $8.1m.
- It was Saint Marys Bay’s highest sale this year, despite falling below its $9.4m valuation.
- The residence includes a dramatic staircase, harbour views, wine cellar, pool, and shared tennis court.
The 007 home that hosted billionaire Sir Richard Branson more than a decade ago has finally found a new owner.
Start your property search
The four-bedroom home on Shelly Beach Road, in Saint Marys Bay, was snapped up in June for $8.1 million.
The deal is the suburb’s biggest so far this year, but the sale price fell short of the property’s $9.4m RV and the $11m-plus the owners had been seeking when they listed in 2021.
The architecturally designed property has been on and off the market for several years and was most recently for sale with New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Louise De Martin.
De Martin, who picked up the listing in March, did not respond to OneRoof’s request for comment, but her listing described the St Marys Bay home as “unapologetically unique”.
Sir Richard Branson outside the Soul Bar in Auckland in 2011. Photo / Doug Sherring
The staircase is a hit with everyone who visits the Shelly Beach Road home. Photo / Supplied
The view from the house takes in the full sweep of the harbour. Photo / Supplied
The home had a lift connecting all levels and was pitched as a “lock and leave” home that could also be eligible for golden visa holders.
OneRoof wrote about the property in 2019 and then again in 2021. Owner Peggy Carter told OneRoof that Sir Richard Branson and his family used the 508sqm Auckland home as their base while he headlined an Outward Bound Trust fundraiser in New Zealand in 2011.
Carter and her late husband John commissioned high-profile architect Andrew Mirams to carry out a refresh of the home – and he didn’t disappoint.
Discover more:
- Xero country boss selling her mid-century 'masterpiece' for close to $5m
- $1b agent's close encounter with Rod Stewart and Rachel Hunter
- Open home horrors: 'A Great Dane jumped on the wife and started humping her'
“It was a real 80s house when we bought it and is totally different now. About a decade ago we did a major renovation with the help of Andrew Mirams,” Carter told OneRoof in 2019.
The oversized front door opens into an impactful foyer incorporating a two-storey central void. It showcases a dramatic curved staircase, topped by a skylight and chandelier, with glinting ribs of glass balustrading.
“That staircase is a big hit with everybody,” said Carter, who was a key player in the wine-making and cork industry. “It is out of this world.”
According to De Martin’s listing, the reinvented home is a “sculptural and refined” residence that frames the harbour as “living art”.
The James Bond-esque home was reinvented by architect Andrew Mirams. Photo / Supplied
The property boasts many luxury touches. Photo / Supplied
The sale price is the highest so far for Saint Marys Bay this year. Photo / Supplied
“Expansive glazing draws light deep into the interiors, while carefully considered proportions create a sense of scale without excess,” De Martin said.
The new owner gets a 508sqm house with James Bond vibes on a 1570sqm section. Highlights include the aforementioned staircase and chandelier; a temperature-controlled wine cellar; a triple garage; and a solar-heated swimming pool with its own pool house.
The home also boasted impressive sweeping views of the city’s lights, the harbour bridge, Westhaven Marina, and, right across Waitematā Harbour, Rangitoto and the city that, according to the listing, could not be blocked out.
There is also a tennis court shared with the neighbours that Australian tennis pro Pat Cash once played on.
OneRoof data shows the last significant sale in Saint Marys Bay was in August last year, when a luxury home on Yarborough Street fetched $6.17m.
- Click here to find more properties for sale in Auckland
