Feature article

Summer’s 10 most-viewed million dollar mansions

What made these homes stand out above the rest?

Last updated: 28 March 2024


Some truly beautiful homes came onto the market over summer so we decided to share our top 10 most viewed homes with you, in case you missed out. Let’s see what properties got Kiwi particularly excited this year (and the good news is, some of them could still be yours).

10. Architectural Sensation in a Blue-Ribbon Location

21,496 views - 346 Coatesville Riverhead Highway, Coatesville

One of the features setting this brand new five bedroom Coatesville property apart from the rest is this thoughtfully laid-out home has only just been completed by award-winning building company, Glover Homes. As it’s brand new, buyers can expect the latest in interior design and tech in this central Coatesville home, likely to sell in the $10 million plus range. Its bells and whistles include a Control4 home automation system for remote access and zoned air conditioning. At the same time, the aesthetics are hugely important at this stylish home on a generous 0.8 hectare site, with floor to ceiling sliders in the open plan living room, a vaulted ceiling coated in Hendley French oak timber and the exterior of schist and cedar panels. This home is all about outdoor living too with a number of courtyards and a swimming pool. Your contact is Precision Real Estate’s Nicky White.

9. Amalfi Coast Meets the New Zealand Pacific

22,011 views - 385 Rangihoua Road, Kerikeri

It’s not surprising this Kerikeri home built in the early 2000s at this extraordinary Northland location, soared to the top 10 most-viewed over the summer after listing late in December. The beauty of this architecturally designed home, 25 minutes from Kerikeri, with an asking price of $7.5 million, is the landscape at its coastside location. The Wiwiki Villa is at Mataka Station, a farm known for its conservation values, producing Lumina lamb, Angus cattle and top quality Mānuka honey. Architect Neville Price, has borrowed from cliff-top Italian homes, for the design of this spacious 570 sqm five bedroom, four bathroom home – there’s even 400 year old roof tiles from an Italian church and hacienda-style turrets. Future Isles agent David Maxwell is marketing the villa, currently owned by an Australian, to an ex-pat database and internationals who can buy in Aotearoa, and to local Kiwi.

8. The Best of the Best

34,819 views - 84A Lucerne Road, Remuera, Auckland City, Auckland

Any search for multi-million dollar mansions will always take you to Auckland’s Eastern suburb, Remuera, and many have been enticed by this beauty. This home built in 2012 on the Lucerne Road ridgeline is luxurious and contemporary with everything done to a very high quality, but it’s the view and the location which set this property apart. The home overlooks the Ōrākei Basin, and architect Mart Chaplin of Sumich Chaplin Architects has made his design all about these views, not only to the Basin but to the upper harbour and the city as well. The property has outdoor covered decks and a lush swimming pool and spa looking directly over the water. The four bedroom, plus study and four bathroom house is a generous 560 sqm over three levels and offers the lucky new owner many options. The home at 84A Lucerne Road is on a generous 845 sq m site and interested parties can also buy the adjoining road front section (600 sq m) at 84 Lucerne Road, say Unlimited Potential (UP) Remuera agents, Jo Johnstone and Carol Cong.

7. A Kūaotunu beach house that could be your main home

44,033 views - 213 Kūaotunu-Wharekaho Road, Kūaotunu, Coromandel Peninsula

This beach house is like an amazing art gallery with views to the beautiful Kūaotunu beach and it was given its own feature article on Trade Me Property in January. What makes this home special is its proximity to Kūaotunu’s buzzy little village and its Mediterranean design gives excellent indoor outdoor flow. It’s as well set up for winter as for summer with double glazing, gas underfloor heating and two way feature fireplaces. The 600 sqm five bedroom, three bathroom home has copious amounts of separate spaces and with two private bedroom suites, it’s ideal for guests. An entertainer’s dream, this property has to be seen to be appreciated... The agent for the property is Bayleys Whitianga’s Belinda Sammons.

6. Historic Jewel over Tasman Bay

47,909 views - 24 Richardson Street, Britannia Heights, Nelson

When you think of the archetypal grand Nelson home, this 19th century three-storeyed villa is the one. The first owner of this home built in the mid 1800s was the photographer William Tyree, so it’s no wonder the views are the best thing about this elegant property. And don’t you love it when the previous owners have done the hard work of updating the home? The sash windows and french doors have been replaced, a central heating system has been installed and the house insulated, reglazed, re-roofed and re-clad with new weatherboards. If you’re open to sharing this exquisitely pretty home with interesting travellers passing through, the property is well set up as an accommodation business so you can have some income while you’re away. Oryou could just use one level of the house while your guests are on another. This kind of home would sell for squillions in the big city but the feedback from buyers is that this home will likely sell in the $2.7 million range. Agent Simone Henbrey, specialist high end realtor, is available for more information.

5. Fully rotating house on market for first time

61,158 views - 179 Maraetai Drive, Maraetai, Manukau City, Auckland

Anyone who reads the news will likely have seen this revolving home, The Lighthouse, featured over the summer. How does a house rotate, everyone wants to know. Will you get dizzy living in the place? Built for designer/owner Don Dunick in the 1990s, it is seen as an architectural marvel and it’s for sale for the first time. The fact is, this 109 sqm, architectural three bedroom home has beautiful views to both the bush and the sea, and The Lighthouse can spin continuously (it can do a full 360 degree rotation in 33 minutes) or just when you feel like it, to vary your outlook. An obvious holiday home or coastal base in Auckland, the possibilities are all there.

4. Luxury Living Redefined

67,388 views - 46B Eastbourne Road, Remuera, Auckland

Of course, All Black Beauden Barrett’s home in Remuera was always going to attract a lot of views on Trade Me Property. But it’s attracted plenty of attention on its own merits. This spacious family home in the double grammar zone has been designed and decorated in very good taste.The Remuera home is all about easy family living, the four bedroom, four bathroom property is double-glazed with an open fireplace and it’s beautiful and private. As well as triple car garaging and a swimming pool, another feature to make this property extra appealing is the new owner will enjoy one fifth of a share of a floodlit tennis court with the neighbours. Unlimited Potential (UP) Remuera agents Liza Clark and Cali Petrie are asking $5,780 million for the home.

3. Pahoia Point

68,998 views - 340H Pahoia Road, Whakamarama, Western Bay of Plenty

The grandest of our top 10 most viewed homes, this Bay of Plenty home, known as Pahoia Point, is what a $20 million coastal property looks like. The extraordinary value of this property with a beautiful, architecturally designed home on it, is all about the land. This palatial home on a 56,900 metre site, has 800 metres of riparian rights waterfront and views to Tauranga Harbour and the Kaimai mountain ranges in the west. The extensive five bedroom, four bathroom home, covering 1114 sqm, was designed by well-known architects Warren & Mahoney. They gave it an internal courtyard, a colonnade and reflection pool. The family of the successful buyer will no doubt be fighting over who’s going to live in the waterfront pool house with its own private beach. Not only that, an indoor soak pool is heated by a natural hot spring. Enough, it’s fancy. Ray White Epsom agent Ross Hawkins is representing the seller.

2. Bring me an offer! Vendor needs to sell!

82,022 views - 25 Prince Regent Drive, Half Moon Bay, Manukau City, Auckland

The royal-themed address of this home is very apt given that the property is known as The Castle. Built in 1979, the property has a tower, a crenellated wall, (through which to shoot arrows) a dry moat (that’s no fun!) and a turret. It’s not surprising that it caught the eye of the TVNZ Breakfast show. This five bedroom, three bathroom home is a popular Airbnb property and is generating very good income of around $90,000 to $100,000 annually. The space is designed to give privacy to different groups, and with a swimming pool, a spa pool and a covered entertainment area, Airbnb guests are happy to pay between $1,000 and $1,500 a night. Harcourts agent, James Hu says The Castle would work well for commercial buyers to use as a wedding or corporate event venue or even as a company headquarters. The property also has potential for subdivision so there are opportunities to explore. The CV on the home is $1.825 million and the vendor is realistic and would consider below this figure, says James.

1. Come Fly with Me!

97,739 views - Lot 1, 1232A State Highway One, Wellsford, Rodney, Auckland

It’s the thing you’ve been missing isn’t it? Your own private runway and airfield (Springhill Airfield in Wellsford) with its own hangar. Maybe you’ve just watched Masters of the Air on Apple TV+ and seen how much fun flying an aeroplane can be, or perhaps you just have places to be and a car’s not quite quick enough. The current owner, a former British Airways pilot, enjoys walking or biking down to the hangar, leaping into his plane and going down to Taupō for the day, says Bayleys Warkworth agent, John Barnett. And don’t worry, this 25 hectare estate in Wellsford is more than just an airfield. You also get a well-proportioned 527 sqm family home finished in 2010 and an apartment over the garage, totalling six bedrooms. A heated swimming pool is another key feature at this property which attracted the interest of the TVNZ Breakfast show over the summer.

Our most visited multi-million dollar listing over the summer has two hangars, a clubhouse and lots more for those who have large toys they need to accommodate. A three bay barn with its own solar system can accommodate a boat, ride-on mowers and other recreational toys. And this property could give you some money back – there’s resource consent to develop a five-lot subdivision on the land, the sale of which could make a good contribution towards the $5.5 million asking price on this property. John says the most fun is when he takes people to the airfield and watches their faces as they look down the 870 metre runway. Oh the possibilities.

Author

Gill South
Gill South