- Julia Vahry sold her 1920s Art Deco home in Hamilton for $1.575m at auction.
- The sale allows Vahry to focus on her acting career in Europe after studying in Dublin.
- The home attracted significant interest, but sold to a single bidder for its panoramic views.
One of the stars of The Traitors NZ woke up to good news this week. A message from OneRoof telling her she had sold her house for $1.575 million at auction this week.
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Julia Vahry was fast asleep on the other side of the world when her iconic 1920s Art Deco home on Marama Street, in Hamilton, hit the floor at Bayleys’ auction on Thursday.
OneRoof broke the news of the sale when this reporter asked for her response via WhatsApp.
Julia Vahry got her first taste of being in front of the camera when she appeared in The Traitors in 2023. Photo / Supplied
She told OneRoof it was good to have “closure” on that part of her life, and that the sale would allow her to fully focus on an acting career in Europe.
“I can focus on figuring what might be for me next between Europe, New Zealand and the rest of the world. Who knows!”
Vahry said she was excited for the new owners. “I have mixed feelings about seeing it go. I will miss the view the moment you open the front door and the afternoon naps in the sun. I am so excited for them to get the keys and experience that feeling too.”
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The Bayleys auction opened at $1.4m, then jumped to $1.575m after negotiations. It was announced on the market and promptly sold to the one bidder in the room.
Vahry, a former police officer, bought the Terence Vautier-designed home in 2020 for $1.45m, and had spent lockdown there with her two children.
After appearing in the first season of the hit reality TV show as a “faithful”, she was encouraged to give acting a try and moved to Dublin to study at Bow Street Academy – the National Screen Acting School of Ireland.
The course started in January this year, and Vahry is already making headway. She has been picked to appear in a dark comedy with one of the stars of Slumdog Millionaire and has booked acting jobs in several TV pilots.
The four-bedroom home has impressive views of Hamilton Lake. Photo / Supplied
It is a piece of art in its own right and has retained a lot of its original Art Deco features. Photo / Supplied
Vahry told OneRoof earlier this month that she had decided to sell the four-bedroom home because she had no plans to return to Hamilton soon.
“Letting it go was a hard decision, but it was the right decision too because I’m here now and this is where I want to be.”
Bayleys listing agent Rachel Waldegrave said the home had attracted a lot of interest from locals, Aucklanders, and expats. “It’s obviously been there for 100 years, so people have had time to look up and admire it. We got a great response from the market.”
The new owner is from Hamilton and had been searching for a home with an amazing view. “He agreed that that’s the best view in Hamilton so that was a huge drawcard as well – the panoramic views from the ridgeline.”
While there had only been one cash buyer on the day, Waldegrave said there had been a few conditional buyers waiting in the wings.
Waldegrave said the home had been particularly popular with families and empty-nesters looking for an entertainer’s home with a low-maintenance section.
- Click here to find more properties for sale in Hamilton