– A two-bedroom townhouse in Botany Palms, with a pool, gym, and tennis court, is listed for $669,000.
– Agent Monica Subritzky reports strong interest from first-home buyers and previous residents.
– The complex, known for its well-maintained amenities, attracts families seeking affordable homes near Botany Downs College.
A two-bedroom townhouse at 39/2 Armoy Drive, in Auckland’s East Tamaki, has attracted a lot of interest since it hit the market last week. It’s not just the pool and tennis court that have caught the attention of first-time buyers. The price tag of $699,000 has also led to a flood of enquiries.
Ray White listing agent Monica Subritzky told OneRoof: “I can’t believe the strong interest at the first open home. We’ve had first-home buyers getting help from mum and dad and couples with young children, downsizers.”
Subritzky said that demand was high for places in the 153-unit Botany Palms because of the amenities – rare in more recent town-house developments. Owners get access to the outdoor swimming pool, a tennis court, and a gym.
Buyers love that the Botany Palms complex comes with a good body corporate and well-built homes. Photo / Supplied
The complex’s proximity to Botany Downs College pulls buyers from South Auckland looking for more affordable homes in zone. Photo / Supplied
She told OneRoof the complex was popular with those in the know, citing the interest she had received from renters there, as well as a former resident who sold five years ago to move south but now wants back in.
Putting a price on the home was a deliberate strategy for her vendor. “It’s empty. She just wants it sold, and putting a price on it has helped people. Nothing is as frustrating as not knowing the price. You’re just wasting your time and your buyers’ time.”
Subritzky said the body corporate fee for the townhouse was $1139 per quarter, or less than $90 per week. “Buyers love the idea that they get the pool, the tennis court and the gym for that.”
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She said that usually one property a month in Botany Palms might hit the market, although, unusually two other places are currently on the market: Another two-bedroom home at 34/2 Armoy Drive that has a deadline sale (RV is $790,000) and a three-bedroom terrace at 97/2 Armoy Drive that is for sale by negotiation (RV is $900,000).
Subritzky also pointed to two recent sales in the complex.
A three-bedroom townhouse brought to auction by colleague Dan Grubjesic fetched $857,500 – $7500 over its RV of $850,000 – after six bidders competed for it, while a three-bedroom duplex listed with Ray White East Auckland agents Kylie Haack and Vicky Fenner pulled in three bidders and sold for $877,000 (it had an RV of $920,000).
Two three-bedroom townhouses sold at auction in July. One that backed onto the tennis court went for $877,000. Photo / Supplied
Fenner said that unlike modern townhouse developments, the homes in Botany Palms had many different configurations, so any new listing might draw in different buyer groups.
The property she and Haack marketed had a bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor, making it ideal for the eventual buyer to have a flatmate to share costs. Most importantly, it backed directly onto the tennis court.
“Our vendor, who had been there for 24 years, played tennis until she was in her mid-80s,” Fenner told OneRoof.
“We had downsizers, investors who would rent it out now but retire here later.
“But the complex also attracts families from South Auckland who want to get their kids into Botany College at an affordable price. You get a well-made house, a garage, and more off-street parking.”
The agents all said that the complex was known for its body corporate, which kept amenities up to scratch.
The complex, known as Sacramento when it opened in 2000, was the subject of a lawsuit against the developers because of leaky buildings three years later. The newly reclad homes were relaunched as Botany Palms in 2011, and the agents extol the quality of the rebuilt homes and the well-established body corporate.
– 39/2 Armoy Drive, East Tamaki, Auckland, has an asking price of $669,000