An Auckland bungalow that recently featured on Love It Or List It New Zealand has been given a price tag after passing in at auction.
The three-bedroom home on Koromiko Street, in New Lynn, was second on the bill at Barfoot & Thompson’s auction today, but attracted no bids. The auctioneer announced that there was no one in the room able to make an unconditional offer and declared that the house was now on for $1.045 million – below its RV of $1.15m.
Homeowners Erin and Christian had called on Love It or List It New Zealand’s hosts, designer Alex Walls and real estate agent Paul Glover, to help them out of the property hole they found themselves in after six years of fruitless renovations.
Walls’ clever makeover won them over, and at the end of the hit TVNZ show, they declared they would “love it”.
However, in the two years since filming took place, the couple and their two children outgrew their bungalow, and they decided to “list it” last month.
Owners Christian and Erin Jensen loved designer Alex Walls’ transformation of their home. Photo / Supplied
Erin told OneRoof last month that she was a huge fan of the Australian version of the show and decided to submit the house for the show. She got a call back from the producers the same day. “I love Love It Or List It Australia, but at the time I did not know it was Alex [Wall] was going to be the designer for New Zealand, so that was really exciting.”
Walls’ makeover in the show took less than an hour, but the actual renovation work took months. Erin and her family moved in with her parents while designer Wall and her building crew reworked their house. They didn’t move back in until Christmas 2023.
The couple, who bought the bungalow in late 2018 for $875,000, hit the jackpot when Walls and the show’s producers beefed up their $55,000 renovation budget with $10,000 of engineered wood flooring and Bosch appliances, courtesy of the show’s sponsors.
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Erin said Walls was amazing. “She asks you what colours you like and takes into consideration your style, they talk to you about what walls they are going to take down, but you do not know the actual design detailing.
“Most of it is a surprise. You just don’t know the colours and everything, so it is exciting when you see it.”
Erin, an artist and a “crazy DIY” addict, said that the couple quickly added their maximalist style to Walls’ efforts, bringing back their art and collections when they moved back in.
The designer kitchen, complete with Bosch appliances, is a “showstopper”, says the listing agent. Photo / Supplied
The house is a standout in the market. Photo / Supplied
“But the open plan has been so good, especially being able to see the kids while you cook. The light coming in is so cool,” Erin told OneRoof last month.
“The colours just make our art pop, the tongue and groove and the tiles in the kitchen and front porch are just so unique and beautiful. There is so much storage; we had nothing before.”
Erin said she was going to miss the appliances, although they will take the fridge with them to their new place.
She said that with the boys growing up and needing more space, the family decided to move to the countryside. “Perhaps we could do Escape To The Country as the sequel,” she quipped.
Barfoot & Thompson agent Brigid O’Connor, who is marketing the three-bedroom property with Sacha Collins, told OneRoof last month that Walls’ kitchen was a “showstopper”.
“This house is a standout for the level of heritage and the contemporary design.”
Walls’ own home, which she built with her engineer husband, sold under the hammer last month for $3.35m – double its RV.
– 33 Koromiko Street, New Lynn, Auckland, is for sale for $1.045m