A weather-beaten pioneer cottage tucked away on Blind Bay Road looks set to be flattened, with agent Mike Jensen saying the characterful but dilapidated building’s best days are long gone.
The Barfoot & Thompson agent who is handling the sale of 328 Blind Bay Road, says the property is being sold strictly “as is, where is.”
“If this were in Grey Lynn, you’d try and save the materials at least,” he told OneRoof.
Jensen said his vendor, a local investor, had a quote for $14,000 to demolish and remove the cottage from the site. The owner bought the block at a mortgagee sale about ten years ago, but plans to develop it never eventuated.
Council records suggest the building dates back to the 1930s, when Public Works relief crews were based in the area cutting roads by hand and building the stone bridges and culverts that still survive today.
The 1128 square-metre property sits just above Blind Bay, surrounded by mature trees and with access to the nearby beach and boat ramp.
“I would have driven past that house a thousand times over the last twenty years, and I didn’t even know it was there,” Jensen said. “It’s slightly elevated, and you can’t see it from the Blind Bay Road. But it’s only about 300 metres to the beach and the boat ramp. The mature trees in front provide both privacy and shelter. It’s got pretty much everything people are looking for when they come to the Barrier to build.”
“The obvious question is: what do we do with the house? There are two strategies. You could try to save the existing footprint to avoid resource consent, but we think it will be demolished,” he said.
“We’ve got a written quote from Aotea Contractors, $14,000 to take the house away and dispose of it. That quote is available to any potential buyer. If I didn’t have that answer, I’d be going nowhere.”
Jensen says there has already been strong enquiry. “We’ve got two or three parties arranging to come out and stay for inspections,” he said.
He advises buyers to ignore the official rating valuation. “If you rang me, I’d be quoting $350,000,” he said. “The new RVs are completely inaccurate. I pay no attention to them.”
“I have to allow a longer marketing period on the Barrier so people can plan their trips. We’re closing on the 20th of November.”
The agent says the island’s property market has been active in recent months. “I sold a property on Medland Road last week to a barrister living in Auckland. He works a lot overseas and bought it as a getaway. He’s going to live on the island and run his business from there.
“I also sold a four-hectare bush block with a sea view for $450,000 to an Australian couple with three young kids. They’re moving to the Barrier to build a new house and escape the heat of Australia.”
328 Blind Bay Road is for sale by deadline private treaty, closing November 20.
