Bach bought sight unseen: ‘We would’ve paid more if we’d seen it first’

There’s always an element of risk when you buy a property sight unseen, but the owners of this original 1960s bach in Charteris Bay on Banks Peninsula, Jenni and Chris Shallard, took a punt.

The couple, who live in Tauranga, bought the bach five-and-a-half years ago and were stunned when they first saw it: “I was so excited, I couldn’t believe it,” Jenni Shallard says. “It’s got such an awesome view and we loved it instantly. It’s got the best soul. It was lucky we hadn’t come to look at it before - we’d have have paid more if we’d seen it first.”

However, the Shallards did do their homework before putting an offer on the property, which is the Stuff Bach of the Week. “We had a building inspector go through, and my brother saw it,” Jenni Shallard says. “I seem to recall he Facetimed us. He said it was awesome.

“We also knew the area well as we come from down this way, and earlier we had looked at another bach on the same road. So although we didn’t see it, we kind of knew what we were buying.”

The couple, who are just the second owners, paid $800,000 in 2021. They say the first owner, a Returned Serviceman was helped to purchase the site through a Government scheme.

They have already found a permanent home a little further along the road, so they’ve listed the bach for sale.

“It’s very hard to be selling it,” Jenni Shallard says. “We’ve had such good times here, as have our sons. Max was at Lincoln [University] when we bought it, and we kind of wanted somewhere ‘not too precious’ for the Lincoln lads, and they’ve had great fun coming out here. And I’d usually come down for a whole month in summer.”

Mid-century charm remains

A huge part of the appeal of the four-bedroom bach is the traditional character that the family has retained, even though they have renovated extensively. They have put more insulation in the roof and also in the walls of the new bedrooms downstairs, and added extra-thick curtains for thermal warmth.

But they have kept the original ‘60s steel balustrading and the stunning Mid-century steel windows and sliding doors that open out both the living room and the main bedroom to balconies. “We still have the little metal rollers on the doors, and they roll beautifully to open the rooms right up.”

They have also retained the original painted kitchen cupboards and Formica benchtop, and the bathroom vanity. And they have decorated in keeping with the ‘60s-’70s vibe.

There’s also an opportunity to “try before you buy”. Shallard says the bach will be listed on Airbnb over the summer.

This article was originally published by stuff.co.nz