Buying guide
Jacks Point home attracts offer first weekend
A House of the Year winner for 2020 attracts a bid first weekend
Last updated: 25 August 2023
For any agent, bringing a home to market that’s recently won a House of the Year award, makes it a dream property to sell. And if it’s a house that the owners built for themselves with careful attention to quality and detail that also makes it easier, says Ray White agent Heather Walton.
The agent, who usually sells in Matakana and Omaha, and is a multiple Ray White franchise owner, has followed her clients to the South Island to sell this cedar twin pavilion home in Jack’s Point, Queenstown-Lakes. Dividing her time between Matakana and Queenstown isn’t a problem and the market moves between these locations anyhow, she says.
A number of people who came to the open homes on the first weekend were Aucklanders who asked, ‘What are you doing here, Heather?’” she laughs.
4 Kerrera Lane, Jacks Point, Queenstown-Lakes, Otago
The agent was heartened after listing the three bedroom, 225 sq m luxury property on a Friday afternoon (18 August) to have 17 groups through over the Saturday and Sunday. And by the end of the weekend she had her first offer.
“It was a mix of locals and travellers, and people who were in town to look at property and were delighted they were able to view this home,” says Heather.
With design features throughout the house mirroring the Remarkables nearby, every window in the property has a gorgeous vista, says Heather. “The guest bedroom has been designed with a cathedral ceiling and you can lie in bed and look up at the Remarkables,” says Heather. You can also watch a snowstorm from the open plan living and be cosy inside.
The owners have gone all out to make the alpine property as toasty as possible. There’s double glazing as you’d expect, and the heating system includes a large gas fire plus heat pumps and underfloor heating. The walls are 144 mm thick compared to the standard for New Zealand homes of 90 mm, notes Heather.The home also has alpine roofing and special snow protection guttering.
The homeowners have made sure the property, on 717 sq m of land, has excellent indoor outdoor flow and have added extras including commercial grade decking to withstand the rigours of the Otago winters.
Heather raves about the strong community at the golfing precinct of Jack’s Point where everyone looks out for each other and where the current owners have made lifelong friends.
Jack’s Point, which is close to the edge of Lake Wakatipu, is not just for passionate golfers but for anyone seeking a community which has a wide range of activities, stresses Heather.
Jack’s Point is six minutes from Queenstown airport and is only going to get better, she adds. It’s close to the Remarkables Park Town shopping centre and will benefit from more facilities coming to Jack’s Point which will include a hotel.
4 Kerrera Lane, Jacks Point, Queenstown-Lakes, Otago
Another recent bonus is the Jack’s Point restaurant is currently benefiting from the expertise of Masterchef NZ judge and chef Vaughan Mabee from the nearby Amisfield winery and award-winning restaurant. The chef is contributing menu ideas which include a $27 Wagyu burger.
The Ray White agent says she is purposefully selling through a deadline sale because she anticipated people would likely be conditional as they took time to understand how the Jack’s Point community works. Locals, some of whom attended the weekend open homes, know the high building standards that homeowners are expected to maintain in the Jack’s Point community, she says. You can’t just throw up any old fence without consulting the well-run Residents & Owners Association. It’s similar to Omaha in that way, says Heather.
She is expecting the twin pavilion home to sell in the $2.5 million to $3 million price range.