– An “unfinished masterpiece” in Laingholm with views of Manukau Harbour is for sale.
– The home belonged to late builder Mike Te Hira, known for his sporting family and league record.
– The property is a renovation project, appealing to builders and developers with an RV of $770,000.
An “unfinished masterpiece” with views of Manukau Harbour and the Waitakere Ranges and sporting pedigree has hit the market for sale.
Harveys agent Redvers McCabe told OneRoof he was selling the home of his late friend, builder Mike Te Hira, at 131 Victory Road, in Laingholm, West Auckland.
McCabe said he first met Te Hira in the 1980s, when they played league together, and that they had become great mates over the years.
131 Victory Road was going to be Te Hira’s dream home, but sadly, he never got a chance to finish it.
The views from the property are impressive. “That’s what you see when you stand on that roof. Once you’re up there, it’s another world,” says the listing agent. Photo / Supplied
He bought the home with his wife Pam in 1990, but then their three boys came along, “and I guess you could say it’s the classic builder’s home. Oh my gosh, if you spoke to Pam, you’d get an earful,” said McCabe.
“Mike always had grand visions of the place, but he was busy running around with his family, and the house came last,” McCabe said.
“He battled cancer for probably about 30 years, and he never believed it would get him. But unfortunately, he ran out of time.”
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McCabe said the views from the property were second to none. “I’ve been selling properties for 30 years, and even in my travels overseas, those views … the photos in the listing were taken from the roof. They’re not zoomed in or anything. That’s what you see when you stand on that roof. Once you’re up there, it’s another world.”
McCabe said his friend had come from a strong sporting family. “I first met Mike around 1982, playing at Glenora Rugby League. Mike was a promising player back then, and he went all the way through to the Māori Rugby League with the Kiwis.”
Te Hira’s mother, June Te Hira, was one of New Zealand’s greatest women athletes, representing her country in basketball, softball, and hockey, and went on to coach rugby in the 1950s and 1960s. His nephew, Lindsay Tait, also played for the Tall Blacks between 2003 and 2015.
The property still needs work to bring it up to scratch and is being sold with scaffolding and plastic wrapping in place. Photo / Supplied
McCabe remembers his friend for another reason: building Auckland’s best “dunny”. He said the views from the toilet were incredible. “When I first went to the toilet there, I looked out at the view, and I’d never seen anything like it.”
With Te Hira’s children now living overseas or outside of Auckland, the family had decided to move on. “Pam’s not a builder, so she’ll be downsizing into something smaller,” McCabe said.
The home is a renovation project for the next owner. There’s scaffolding around the home, plastic wrap in place, and double-glazed windows awaiting installation.
The listing on OneRoof is pitched at builders, developers, renovators, and those “with a keen eye for potential and understanding of real estate”.
McCabe said: “It’s a type of property that will suit a niche group of people. It’s going to take a special type of buyer. Someone may come in and reclad the whole thing. It’ll be somebody that’s in the trade who understands all the requirements.”
The home, which sits on 1103sqm of land, has an RV of $770,000.
– 131 Victory Road, Laingholm, Auckland, is for sale by negotiation