The winning house from the first series of The Block NZ has sold for $1.1 million, an increase of $139,000 on its initial sale at a televised auction.
The three-bedroom Takapuna house was rebuilt on the 2012 series by brother and sister Ben and Libby Crawford, and was sold at auction yesterday at Bayleys Takapuna.
A Bayleys spokesman said the buyers were a young couple who had been renting in Takapuna within walking distance of their new home. They had bought the house with their future family in mind.
The bidding opened at $800,000 and jumped to $900,000 before progressing in increments of $25,000 to $1.025 million, Bayleys said.
Bidding was then paused while the vendors and the highest bidder negotiated.
The auction reopened and the highest bid was raised to the final sale price of $1.1 million.
Former owners Stewart and Lisa Hampton ran their accounting business from the house, and have now moved to Birkenhead.
The couple bought the house at a televised auction in 2012 for $961,000. The sale price was $157,000 above council valuation.
Bayleys Takapuna residential sales manager Hayden Stanaway said it was encouraging to see such strong demand for the property.
The Belmont house renovated by Alice and Caleb Pearson in the second series of The Block NZ sold this month for $1.2 million - $75,000 more than at televised auction six months ago.
The third season of the popular TV3 programme begins on Tuesday with filming underway in Pt Chevalier.