– Mike King sold his Papatoetoe home for $1.5 million at a heated auction.
– Twelve bidders competed, with the house eventually sold to a developer.
– The sale allows King to buy a rural home and step down as I Am Hope executive director.
Mike King shed “happy tears” after he sold his much-loved family home for $1.5 million at a heated auction in South Auckland.
The comedian-turned-mental-health-advocate listed his renovated house on Glen Avenue, in Papatoetoe, last month, and the response was huge.
Twelve registered bidders, including nine developers and three home buyers, crowded King’s backyard to take part in the auction this afternoon. All up there were about 50 people including neighbours watching.
Ray White auctioneer Sam Steele asks for bids at the busy auction in the King family’s backyard. Photo / Supplied
King hugs his agent after the hammer fell and the property sold. Photo / Supplied
King said a few words about the house, its history, and why he had loved living there before auctioneer Ray White Sam Steele took over.
The auction opened at $900,000 and galloped past the $1m mark as buyers made some chunky bids. The contest eventually slimmed down to a head-to-head clash between a family and a developer.
King yelled out that the house was on the market after the developer made a $1.5m bid, and seconds later, the hammer fell.
Discover more:
– Kieran Read’s family home for sale for first time in 28 years
– Everything must go: Collectors selling their mansion and paintings after quitting NZ
– Waterfront home built by NZ’s first celebrity sailor sells for $4.3m
Ray White listing agent Fatima Ali said King and his family were overwhelmed with the result.
“The vendors were in happy tears,” she said.
“They are over the moon…. Buyer and seller shookhands – everyone is happy.”
Ray White Manukau co-owner Tom Rawson said it was a great result with King hugging the family who missed out and thanking the other bidders.
Rawson was unsure of the developer’s exact plans for the site, but expected the house would be replaced with multiple dwellings similar to what was happening on the site next door.
Mike and Joanna King bought the house 11 years ago for $740,000. Photo / Supplied
A state-of-the-art kitchen was installed just before Covid. Photo / Supplied
The sale means King and his wife Joanna can continue to look at opportunities to move to the country.
King told OneRoof last month that the decision to step down from his role as executive director of the I Am Hope foundation to spend more time with his family meant he no longer needed to be close to the airport.
King’s job has him travelling around the country speaking to schools and raising funds for the charity he founded. He’s on the road up to four times a week, but that ends when he steps down from the executive role and becomes ambassador for the charity.
The Kings bought the property for $740,000 in 2014 thinking it would be their forever home. Over the years, the Kings have poured a lot of time and effort making it their own.
The original 1950s cottage, which had undergone a massive extension in the early 2000s and still needed work when they bought it.
“Everything was a cheap Bunnings green. It didn’t look the greatest, but I saw the potential of the whole place. It just needed a really good scrub up,” King said.
“I sanded back every window, I’ve painted the house twice. We’ve done a lot there.”
They spent $90,000 on the property just before Covid, redoing all the floors and installing a state-of-the-art kitchen complete with a built-in hot water and sparkling water tap.
The property was always a surprise for people who didn’t realise how big it was until they stepped inside, he said.
“It’s a gorgeous open-plan home with a separate courtyard and swimming pool area. It’s got everything a young family needs – everything,” King told OneRoof.
While he would have liked to see it go to a family, he also knew there was a big possibility it would be developed.