Spencer has been a favourite on New Zealand television<\/a> screens for many years, thanks to his presenting roles on long-running and hugely popular property shows like Location Location Location (43 seasons and counting<\/a>) and Love It or List It, alongside Kirstie Allsopp. He\u2019s television\u2019s most irresistibly likeable chap<\/a>, with his genial charm and sensible advice appealing to viewers here and in the UK, regardless of whether he\u2019s helping homeowners search for a one-bedroom flat in Huddersfield or a million dollar mansion in Mayfair.\u00a0<\/p>\n For a change of scenery, Spencer travelled halfway around the world to make New Zealand\u2019s Best Homes, the property series that celebrates the best of our architecture and landscape. The first season was well received in both Aotearoa and Britain, which meant he got to return to discover another 18 luxury properties in stunning locations. Spencer noted that while the houses he visits are undoubtedly high end, most are understated in their style. \u201cThey\u2019re low key, but they\u2019re not showy, they\u2019re not bling. I think that\u2019s very attractive. It\u2019s very seductive.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Spencer was particularly impressed by the innovative ways New Zealand houses are built, and how each home connects with the environment around it. \u201cThe creativity of the architects and the skill level of the craftsmen has been off the scale. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve seen craftsmanship like this anywhere else in the world,\u201d he said. He was also fascinated with our obsession with oversized front doors and houses that have no front door at all. This season, he visited several holiday homes without a front door, leaving him bewildered. \u201cWhen you\u2019re on holiday, why don\u2019t you want a front door?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Spencer had been on a mission to find New Zealand\u2019s best homes, but The Spinoff had a few of our own suggestions that strangely had been left off the official list. We sent Spencer photos of several famous New Zealand homes for his consideration, and asked for the property expert\u2019s first impressions. While these houses may not be as opulent or enormous as those we see on New Zealand\u2019s Best Homes, they\u2019re still pretty snazzy in their own right \u2013 and they all have lovely front doors.\u00a0<\/p>\n We set the bar high with Premier House, the recently-refurbished<\/a> official residence of the prime minister, located in Wellington. Spencer was impressed. \u201cThe proportions look sensational,\u201d he reckoned. \u201cThere\u2019s a sense of grandeur that leaps off the photo. It looks like it\u2019s in a commanding position, which is obviously rather apt.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n From executive lodgings to everyone\u2019s house: the West family home<\/a> from Outrageous Fortune and Westside. \u201cI\u2019m not quite sure when it was built, but it certainly wouldn\u2019t have been your finest period of architecture,\u201d Spencer said politely. \u201cIt looked quite plain, but very functional.\u201d (The 1960s-era West Auckland property was demolished<\/a> in 2021). Then, it was a quick hop, step and a jump to The Boot<\/a>, a quirky little B&B near Nelson. Has Spencer ever wanted to spend the night in New Zealand\u2019s Best Shoe? \u201cI couldn\u2019t really fathom it. It doesn\u2019t make sense to my small brain.\u201d<\/p>\n Spencer hadn\u2019t visited Hobbiton, but he was a fan of Bilbo Baggins\u2019 underground hobbit hole<\/a> (\u201ccute, cosy and characterful\u201d) and liked everything that Larnach Castle<\/a> (built in 1871) had to offer. \u201cA castle has a great sense of history and grandeur. If the walls could speak, they\u2019d have an awful lot of stories.\u201d Unexpectedly, Canterbury\u2019s space-like Area 51 Futuro-Dome house<\/a> also impressed him. \u201cI thought that was really cool. It\u2019s not really my thing, so I was quite surprised at my reaction. I loved it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nPhil Spencer stands in front of a house featuring in an upcoming episode of NZ\u2019s Best Homes (Photo: TVNZ)<\/p>\n
Bilbo Baggins\u2019 house, Premier House and The Boot<\/p>\n