The magical $2 million mark has been struck twice as a stunning waterfront property in Te Puna was sold at auction.
A local resident, one of the original kiwifruit growers on Tauranga's northern outskirts, yesterday paid a record $2.55 million for the specially designed, four-bedroom home sitting among a lavish garden
in Park Lane, off Snodgrass Rd.
She was the only bidder at the Tauranga First National auction - and after she signed up for her new home she was able to sell her own five-year-old property further up Snodgrass Rd for $2 million.
"It will be nice to move into the house since it runs right down to the water," said the new Park Lane owner, who did not want to be named.
It was the highest price paid for a residential property in the area, though there have been bigger kiwifruit orchard sales.
The 1.8ha Park Lane property was bought in 1988 by Doug and Myrlene Bunting, who owned building companies and a First National real estate office in Hamilton. They spent their time between two homes in Hamilton and the Western Bay while dramatically remodelling the Te Puna property.
They wanted to turn a basic house into an entertainer's dream.
The luxury features include spa-pool, billiard room and solar-heated swimming pool. In the garden a 50m waterway, made from 19 tonnes of rock, meanders through the grounds and there is a sweeping, tree-lined driveway to the house.
"My husband was a clever man, he could turn his hand to anything," said Mrs Bunting. "He had a passion for the property, and I'm pleased to get the best dollar for all the hard work he put in."
Mr Bunting died a year ago and his widow has decided to stay in Hamilton.
The successful auction was one of a series of big sales completed by the First National office this month as buying interest switches to the lifestyle district of Te Puna.
A home on a 1ha property in Munro Rd sold for $1.35 million, a 32ha block in Florence Lane fetched $1.5 million, and 20ha in Oliver Rd changed hands for $1 million.
Dan Lusby, of Tauranga First National, said there were a lot of people looking to buy in Te Puna.
