{"id":510054,"date":"2026-07-04T22:39:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T22:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/510054\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T22:39:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T22:39:09","slug":"home-owners-spend-thousands-marketing-grey-lynn-house-in-path-of-northwest-busway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/510054\/","title":{"rendered":"Home owners spend thousands marketing Grey Lynn house in path of Northwest Busway"},"content":{"rendered":"

The couple\u2019s property is among 240 that lie within the busway\u2019s designated route and will likely be torn down to make way for the multibillion-dollar transport project<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Herald reported last month on the plight of residents in nearby Ivanhoe Rd<\/a>, where one side of an entire street is set to be bulldozed to make way for a busway interchange at Western Springs. <\/p>\n

\"ThisThis house at 36 King St, Grey Lynn, was bought last year as a dump, but has since been extensively renovated. It is now on the market, but potential buyers are being warned it is required by NZTA for the Northwest Busway. Photo \/ Dean Purcell<\/p>\n

Howard said the King St couple were faced with an unenviable choice: either wait up to 10 years to be bought out by Waka Kotahi – New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) when construction eventually begins, or get on with their lives by bringing the process forward and finding a new home. <\/p>\n

They chose the latter. <\/p>\n

But Herald inquiries have revealed curious features about the process, which one commentator has labelled an absurd waste of money for those already reeling at losing their homes.<\/p>\n

Land owners who don\u2019t wish to wait for the compulsory buyout process can ask the Crown agency that requires their property to expedite the purchase via the Environment Court.<\/p>\n

But to do so, the owner must list the home for sale and market it as if its value was not \u201cblighted\u201d by the notice of requirement now attached to its title. <\/p>\n

Howard said his clients had spent $5000 on a full marketing package, paid for professional photography, and listed the property on major real estate websites \u2013 all in the full knowledge that no one would buy it. <\/p>\n

\u201cCharm with old-world soul,\u201d the listing reads. <\/p>\n

\u201cCharacter, comfort and location come together seamlessly in this classic Grey Lynn bungalow. Homes of this calibre, in such a tightly held position, are always in demand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe King St home was modernised before its current owners learned that it was required by NZTA to make way for the Northwest Busway. Photo \/ OneRoof<\/p>\n

The listing ends with a note that the entire property is subject to an NZTA designation notice and potential buyers should seek legal advice. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of inquiries,\u201d Howard told the Herald.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of hits on the website. Everyone who hasn\u2019t read the real estate ad fully rings me up and wants more information.\u201d<\/p>\n

But after being made aware of the busway notification, \u201cthere\u2019s no further interest\u201d. <\/p>\n

Howard said the rules meant that vendors, despite facing forced Crown acquisition, \u201chad to be seen\u201d to actively market their homes. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t just put it on Trade Me for $198 and [say] \u2018That\u2019s all we\u2019re going to do\u2019, because you\u2019re not exposing it to the wider market. It\u2019s crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TheThe dilapidated state of the house when it was bought last year for $900,000. Photo \/ OneRoof<\/p>\n

Asked what would happen if clients didn\u2019t bother with the \u201ccharade\u201d, Howard said the Crown would say: \u201cYou haven\u2019t tried to properly market it. You\u2019ve just pretended to. We\u2019re not going to buy it off you because you\u2019re not being genuine.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the situation was a requirement under the Resource Management Act (RMA) and a law change was needed. <\/p>\n

Howard has represented several other owners in similar predicaments (see more on this below).<\/p>\n

He was loath to charge the King St owners too heavily for his services given the likely buyer \u2013 NZTA \u2013 was effectively already known.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I do in that situation is I just charge an hourly rate. There\u2019s no way I can honestly put my hand out and say, \u2018You\u2019ve got to pay me $45,000 commission\u2019.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u2018Reasonable efforts to sell\u2019 – NZTA responds<\/p>\n

NZTA said the busway would be built in stages, with some properties not expected to be required for 10 years or more. <\/p>\n

It was not feasible to buy every property as soon as it was identified for acquisition, with purchases usually occurring about two years out from construction. <\/p>\n

\u201cEarly acquisition is typically limited to cases where there is compelling need driven by the land owner.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was no requirement for affected home owners to list their properties for sale or undertake a marketing campaign if the Crown was making the purchase approach. <\/p>\n

If a land owner wanted to compel NZTA to buy their property earlier than required, they could do so through the Environment Court. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe court must be satisfied that the land owner has made reasonable efforts to sell the property but has been unable to do so due to the designation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Owners whose properties were compulsorily acquired were compensated in line with the Public Works Act, which ensured they were \u201cno worse off\u201d.<\/p>\n

This included paying market value, which is independently assessed as if the designation affecting the land was not in place. <\/p>\n

The Crown would also pay reasonable legal, valuation and relocation costs, and one-off disturbance costs for things such as new school uniforms. <\/p>\n

\u201cThese costs recognise both the financial and personal impacts of acquisition and help support land owners through the process,\u201d NZTA said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe understand the uncertainty designations can create and are committed to working closely with affected land owners … and seeking fair, reasonable outcomes wherever possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kume\u016b couple spent thousands \u2018tarting up\u2019 house knowing NZTA planned to pull it down<\/p>\n

Howard said he\u2019d handled similar cases in Kume\u016b, where NZTA was acquiring properties for a State Highway 16 bypass. <\/p>\n

One particularly sad case involved an older couple who bought a sprawling rural property on Pamona Rd. <\/p>\n

They spent years building their dream home, which included a schist house, outdoor pool, spa and petanque court, before learning it would be taken by NZTA and \u201cripped down\u201d to make way for a wetland. <\/p>\n

\"AnAn Auckland couple spent years building their dream home at Pomona Rd, Kume\u016b, before learning NZTA needed to compulsorily acquire it to make way for a wetland. Photo \/ OneRoof<\/p>\n

Not wanting to wait for the compulsory buyout, the devastated couple spent tens of thousands of dollars \u201ctarting up\u201d a neighbouring house where they lived during the build. <\/p>\n

They then listed both properties for sale, knowing the exercise was futile and that NZTA was the only viable buyer, Howard said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe renovated the house they used to be in to make it more saleable and had it dressed and everything. They spent a fortune. They repainted it, had gardeners in and extended the decks.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple \u201cdidn\u2019t want to take any shortcuts\u201d and felt compelled to do the work to ensure NZTA brought forward the acquisition. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey knew it was unsaleable, but they had to prove it was unsaleable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"InsideInside the property on Pomona Rd, Kume\u016b, that was purchased by NZTA in 2024 to make way for a SH16 bypass. Photo \/ OneRoof<\/p>\n

Howard said NZTA eventually paid out nearly $6m for the two properties, with the deal settling late 2024. <\/p>\n

The man died eight months later, and his wife is now in a rest home. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey were in there a couple of years, and then this came about and turned their life upside down.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the process was traumatic for people losing their properties, Howard said NZTA paid fair compensation, which included recognition of \u201cdistress\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo they\u2019re not just ripping people off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crown has \u2018stacked deck\u2019, advocate claims<\/p>\n

Daniel Ratahi is director of Public Works Advisory, which assists owners whose properties are earmarked for Crown acquisition. <\/p>\n

He said the process was \u201chighly stressful\u201d for affected land owners. His firm was currently representing several people whose properties were being acquired for the busway project. <\/p>\n

A compulsory acquisition involved valuations, building reports and could also mean commissioning consultants to assess the development potential of a property to ensure owners received top dollar during negotiations with the Crown.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe help our owners navigate that process,\u201d Ratahi said. <\/p>\n

He said the Crown had a \u201cstacked deck\u201d when taking homes under the Public Works Act, with taxpayer-funded access to top legal advisers and consultants. <\/p>\n

After a notice of requirement was received, it could be 15 to 20 years until construction began and the Crown began purchase negotiations. There was no certainty for owners, Ratahi said.<\/p>\n

Some owners would therefore want to expedite the process through the Environment Court. Ratahi said they may be in financial hardship or need to free up money for medical treatment. <\/p>\n

In those cases, forcing owners to list their homes and pay huge marketing costs to prove they had made reasonable efforts to find a buyer was a \u201ccomplete waste of money\u201d, he said. <\/p>\n

Lane Nichols is Auckland Desk Editor for the New Zealand Herald with more than 20 years\u2019 experience in the industry.<\/p>\n

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