– An Auckland man sold his fire-damaged property for $490,500 at a $1 reserve auction.
– The 67-year-old plans to rebuild his life outside Auckland after losing everything in the fire.
– The auction attracted 15 bidders, with the winning bid from a man planning to build for his mum.
An Auckland man forced to live on the streets when his home burned to the ground is “stoked” after he sold the fire-damaged property for $490,500 at a $1 reserve auction.
The sale of the Alverston Street property, in Waterview, is a massive win for the 67-year-old vendor, who lost everything in the fire a year ago.
He now plans to take the money and rebuild his life outside of Auckland.
The owner and his dog were homeless after the fire. Photo / Supplied
Ray White agent Hugh Free, who marketed the property with colleague Susan Woods-Markwick, told OneRoof that the result exceeded the vendor’s expectations.
“He’s stoked. It went for a lot more than he thought it would. It means he can move on.”
The vendor had already been paid out by his insurance company and decided to sell the site rather than rebuild.
Discover more:
– Retirees snap up Auckland house with pool and tennis court for around $669,000
– The Kiwi battlers who plan to be mortgage-free by 30
– Auckland do-up left to stranger by reclusive owner sells for over $1.3m
Free said the property had attracted interest from a wide range of buyers, including bargain hunters, owner-occupiers, speculators and builders. One party even talked about putting a tiny home on the site.
Last Wednesday’s auction attracted 15 registered bidders. “It was very manic in the auction room,” Free said.
Towards the end, the auction came down to a battle between three buyers. The successful bid was made by a man who plans to build a home on the site for his mum.
The two-bedroom, one-bathroom home before the fire took hold. Photo / Supplied
The house and all its contents were destroyed. Photo / Supplied
Free said having a consent to reinstate the original 92sqm dwelling already approved by Auckland Council had been a big drawcard for buyers.
The property has an RV of $780,000 – $560,000 of which is land value – and was in an enclave of single-level, standalone brick units built in the 1980s.
Free told OneRoof last month that after the blaze, his client spent a few months sleeping rough with his much-loved Jack Russell. He then travelled around the North Island and is now living in accommodation in Hamilton.
“That was meant to be his forever home. He was going to retire and live in it, and then it [was destroyed in the] fire. Only his dog survived,” he said.
“He doesn’t want to live in Auckland anymore. I think, emotionally, it’s just a bit sore for him.”