– The Seascape penthouse in Auckland sold for an undisclosed sum, originally listed at $24m.
– Only one of the six Seascape penthouses remains for sale, with four bought by residents and one by a European buyer.
– Construction on the $300m Seascape resumed after a dispute, with completion expected in 18 months.
The two-storey penthouse at the top of New Zealand’s tallest residential tower has sold for an undisclosed sum.
A spokeswoman for the soon-to-be-completed Seascape, on Customs Street East, in central Auckland, confirmed that the luxury apartment was under contract, but declined to disclose the identity of the buyer.
She did reveal that the final sale price depended on whether the buyer went with the customised fit out or specified their own design.
The luxury apartment is one of six in the Seascape’s penthouse collection. Photo / Supplied
The penthouse comprises two levels. Photo / Supplied
The penthouse, one of six in the 187-metre-high tower, was listed with an asking price of $24 million in 2022. The others were priced from $11.5m.
The spokeswoman said only one of the six apartments in the Seascape’s penthouse collection was still for sale. She said four had been bought by New Zealand residents, and the fifth by a European buyer under the exemption category for overseas buyers.
The $300m Seascape has been overshadowed in recent years by its slightly smaller neighbour, the Pacifica. That tower was launched around the same time as the Seascape, but has been open for almost five years.
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Work on the Seascape stopped last year after a dispute between the developer, Shundi Customs, and the building company, China Construction NZ Limited.
Construction resumed earlier this year after Australian builders Icon took over. The New Zealand Herald reported this week that Shundi Customs had pushed back the expected completion date from “approximately 18 months” to “approximately 18 months from the restart of fit out works”.
Previous marketing for the Seascape penthouses highlighted the quality of the planned finish. “These ultra-premium residences feature substantial open-plan living, extensive enclosable balconies, grand entries, and multiple bedrooms and bathrooms. They have the highest quality materials, fittings and appliances, and a luxurious interior design that marks them as some of the most exclusive homes in the country,” listings on OneRoof have noted.
Construction work stopped at the Seascape last year and has only just restarted. Photo / Jason Oxenham
“The kitchens are perfect for entertaining with large marble islands, gas hobs and double sinks, while the ensuites – which feature a freestanding bath and double vanity – are the ideal place to unwind at the end of the day.”
Shundi Customs told the New Zealand Herald this week that a quarter of the tower’s 221 apartments had yet to find buyers, with the company relaunching its marketing with Bayleys this month.
It told OneRoof that it had recently recorded a pick-up in buyer enquiries for its apartments. Overseas buyers for off-the-plan properties are exempt from the current foreign buyer restrictions.
Bayleys also has the listings for the Pacifica’s penthouses. The Pacifica’s top floor was asking at one point for just over $40m, but the developer, Hengyi Pacific, decided in 2022 to split it into four smaller, but still quite large, apartments.
Two of the penthouses are on the market for sale with Bayleys agent Gavin Lloyd. The smaller three-bedroom apartment is pitched as “sky-high penthouse living – at an affordable price”. The larger four-bedroom penthouse aims to snare a buyer with around $17m to spend – $1m more than what it was looking for a year ago.
When they launched, the Pacifica and the Seascape were the shiny new apartment towers on the block. Now, they face stiff competition from stunning penthouses in newer luxury apartment towers and developments, including 51 Albert, which has a $16m price tag for its top floor, and Parnell’s One Saint Stephens which is offering its penthouse for $15.25m.