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Time capsule bach for sale, last on the market in 1964
Perched high among the pōhutukawa, this small bach has come to market for the first time since it was built in 1964.
For more than 60 years, this wee bach in Piha has been in the same family - it’s owned by Michael and Christine Swanton and was built in 1964 by Christine’s father. So, for the family to be putting it on the open market for the first time is a significant step.
“We will miss it,” Michael Swanton says. “The kids and grandkids have loved the surf - they’re all good swimmers. But we are finding everyone is busy and it is not being used as much as it once was.”
The large deck is a fabulous place to unwind on a hot summer’s day.
Swanton says it has been a brilliant retreat for the family over all these decades. “In summer when it’s really hot, the pōhutukawa trees provide dappled shade, and there’s always a gentle breeze on the deck. At night you can lie in bed and hear the waves. At times the sea is totally still, but that is very rare.
“When we first bought it off Christine’s father, we would hear seabirds chattering as they burrowed into the sand. In the morning they would all fly off again. While they are long gone, there is quite a lot of other wildlife, including geckos and wood pigeons.”
Practical vinyl flooring and a soft gold-toned wallpaper feature in the open-plan living area.
There’s a track down to the beach that ensures you can have your feet in the sand in a few minutes.
Glow in the dark
The bach has another fascinating feature: “When I would dig in the ground, in the sandy soil, there would be something fluorescent buried in the sand. It was always there, but I haven’t checked it recently.”
But the cottage hasn’t just been a holiday bolthole. Swanton says one of his sons and his wife made it their permanent home for a year when they first got married.
“It’s a very simple little bach. In 1964 I believe my father-in-law paid around £400 for the whole thing - the land and construction. We bought it off him in 1978, after having it valued - we did it properly - and paid $13,325.”
The bach was used as a permanent home for one of the owners’ sons and his wife after they married.
Like most original bach kitchens, this one has the “basics”.
The bach is around 40m², with one bedroom, and a bunk area tucked away towards the rear of the living area. The wooden bunk beds were made by Swanton and he says they will take those with them when they sell to use in another bach they have further north on the east coast. The remaining furniture is negotiable with the sale.
The kitchen is also a nostalgia trip back to the 60s, with painted cupboards and freestanding appliances.
Listing agent Maria Trubuhovich of Piha Real Estate describes it as a “good old-fashioned Kiwi bach”. “Yeah, she needs a bit of elbow grease and love... but the bones are there,” she says in her listing. “Bring your tools and a vision, and maybe a surfboard or two.”
Bunk beds are tucked around the corner at the rear of the open-plan living space.
Michael Swanton made the bunk beds many years ago.
Meanwhile, the Swantons have been busy at their other bach, planting “tens of thousands of trees” on their land.
The property, at 59 North Piha Rd, Piha, is listed at $1,099,000. It has a 2024 RV of $1.1 million. Cotality puts the median property value in Piha at $1,176,378.
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