– Mike King sold his Papatoetoe home for $1.5 million to a developer who plans to demolish it.
– King plans to recycle parts of the house, including a $50,000 kitchen, to benefit other families.
– The sale exceeded expectations, allowing King to consider moving to the country.
When Mike King leaves his South Auckland home for the last time, he plans to take as much of it as he can, including the kitchen sink.
The comedian and mental health advocate sold his Papatoetoe home at auction on Wednesday for $1.5 million.
King and his wife, Joanna, had hoped to hand over their much-loved home of 11 years to another family to enjoy, but in the end it was snapped up by a developer.
The new owner plans to flatten the 1950s cottage and develop the land. King, who watched in dismay as developers tore down his neighbour’s house, is determined to save as much of his as he can, so straight after the auction, he approached the buyer.
A developer plans to demolish the Glen Avenue home and replace it with multiple dwellings. Photo / Supplied
The $50,000 kitchen will be pulled out and go to a new home. Photo / Supplied
“I said, ‘Do you want the sleep out?’ They said no. I said, ‘What about everything that’s inside?’ They said, ‘Take it, take it.’
“I’ve already given my garage to my mate. He’s coming over to pick that up before we leave. We are going to gut the whole kitchen, probably take a lot of the windows out.”
King plans to recycle as much of the house as he can, including the $50,000 kitchen with soft-touch drawers and boiling and sparkling water taps.
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“I’m stoked that they’re letting me, because I will make sure other families benefit, and that’s how we should be doing these things,” he told OneRoof.
“We honestly did our best for home-buyers, but hey, there are going to be lots of other families who are going to enjoy that property. That will always be our home.”
At the start of the auction, held in his backyard, King gave a short speech encouraging the three home buyers competing against the nine developers for the property to look at the bigger picture.
King high-fives Ali: “Stoked with Fatima and how she worked. I know I was a royal pain in her ass the way I operate.” Photo / Supplied
Ray White auctioneer Sam Steele asks for bids at the busy auction in the King family’s backyard. Photo / Supplied
“I told them there are a lot of developers here, but this is a great family home and that they should try not to think about what they would be paying now but to look at what they would be getting in two, three, five years.”
King said that he and Joanna bought the Glen Avenue property in 2014 for $740,000 and had now doubled their money.
However, the under-bidders were unable to compete with the developer’s deep pockets.
King said he and his wife really felt for them. “My wife and I gave them a big cuddle and shed a tear for them because it would have been great to have them there. They just missed out.”
Meanwhile, King and his family are now looking forward. The sale price, which exceeded his expectations, meant they could now explore other opportunities, he said. A move to the country is now possible because King is stepping down as executive director of the I Am Hope Foundation and into an ambassadorial role, which does not require as much travel or to be near the airport.
“I got a great price for the market. We are at the bottom of the market now, down half a million dollars from three years ago, but it was a great price, and we get to buy a house in a low market.”
He also praised Ray White agent Fatima Ali for persevering with him and getting him a good result.
“Stoked with Fatima and how she worked. I know I was a royal pain in her ass the way I operate.”